As the Fourth of July approaches, so does the trouble of deciding what to do on this happening weekend. Beyond the sights of the grill in your backyard and excessive use of sparklers, Boulder County will be offering a number of food-based events for this upcoming Fourth of July celebration.
This Fourth (and fifth) of July, State of the Art Promotions will be hosting their second annual Boulder Art and JazzFest on the Pearl Street Mall between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. This weekend-long event will be offering lots of food, brews and live music all day, including Tommy Thomas, Mark Diamond and Hazel Miller. There will also be a beer garden filled with booze from the state’s finest breweries. The festival will also be hosting more than 100 artists, featuring local artisans and musicians from Colorado. This event is free for the public to attend, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Helping the Children of Rwanda & Uganda. For more information you can visit the Boulder JazzFest website, www.boulderjazzfest.com/index.
Join a bevy of local sponsors at the Boulder Reservoir on the fourth for the Star Spangled Splash. You’ll get to enjoy beer, margaritas and food from FATE Brewing Company, as well as the sweet treat of shaved ice from Kona Ice. Event runs from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., and if you feel like running off all that beer, you can register for an endurance running event.
If you’re in Lafayette for Independence Day, head out to the Fourth of July celebration at Waneka Lake Park. There, you’ll find a bunch of food and drink options, including a beer and wine garden powered by The Post Brewing Co. and the fine folks at Sam Adams. Food trucks from Suburban Wiener, Miller’s Grille and Schnibs will be parked and ready to hand out food. The night concludes with a fireworks show. Festivities run from 4 – 10:30 p.m.
The Longmont Symphony Orchestra will be hosting a concert and a picnic contest on July 4 at noon at Olde Town Thompson Park. Best of all, the concert is free.
Those who are trying to work up an appetite on their Fourth of July will have no problem doing so this year. The Endurance House in Longmont will be offering a half marathon and a 5K race series. This will be the Endurance House’s fifth annual half marathon at Dawson Park’s McIntosh Lake in Longmont. It will cost contestants $75 to register for the half marathon and $45 for the 5K, but kids between the ages of 10 and 16 receive $10 off and groups of 5 or more who sign up on the same online transaction will receive $5 off per person. For more information on good deals, apparel and sponsors visit the event’s website at www.lmhalf.com.
But of course, not much is better than plopping down a hunk of meat or a few hot dogs on the grill, putting some beer in a coozie and hanging out in the backyard with some friends on the fourth. No one will hold it against you if you stay in that night. Check out the Boulder County Farmers’ Markets for local and fresh produce and meats.
— Wyatt Carlson
