Looking for something fun to do this weekend while keeping proper social distancing in mind? Check out these events that will keep you safe at home and safe while out and about.
1. The Taste of Fort Collins is going virtual! This annual event, which continues to benefit the Eyeopeners Kiwanis Club of Fort Collins Foundation, will now be a live show at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 24. The top three vote-getters from the local entertainment contest will get to perform in the digital show – the contest winners were synth pop trio Glass Cases, Disney song cover band The Man Clubs and psychedelic rockers Moonlight Bloom. They have also invited contest participants Fort Collins brother-cousin trio HoldFast to participate and they will have a special set from Denver7’s Shannon Ogden. Prizes will be awarded to the best local restaurants, based on your votes.
2. The City Church is Boulder is hosting FREE Community Drive In movies this weekend! You can catch a showing of “Knives Out” (rated PG-!3) this Friday, July 24 and “Spies in Disguise” (rated PG) on Saturday, July 25. Both evenings will begin at 8:30 p.m. with the movie starting at 9 p.m. There will be FREE popcorn, snow cones, cotton candy and BOCO Cider for the adults. You can tune in with your car radio, or bring an AM/FM radio with you to listen to the movie. NOTE: Getting out of your car is not permitted with the exception of forming a line for BOCO Cider. Bathrooms are available on site.
3. Museo de las Americas has partnered with the Denver Art Museum to bring you Rhythm & Ritual: Music of the Ancient Americas. The exhibit features about 80 instruments dating from 1,000 BCE to 1530 CE. Visitors will be able to explore the music of the Olmec, Andean and Maya peoples and learn how they used music in everyday life and ceremonies. This unique exhibit will be a hybrid of in-person museum experiences and digital engagement opportunities. All visitors are required to wear masks and practice social distancing. Tickets will be timed to ensure there are no more than ten visitors at a time. Guided tours will be offered for free with the cost of admission on the last Saturday of the month so reserve your place today!
4. The Underground Music Showcase (UMS) is reimagining what happens when a festival-meets-fundraiser goes digital. This Saturday, July 25, they are combining live sets broadcast from Broadway venues, music video premieres, a throwback telethon, prize giveaways, and party supplies to make sure this UMS is more than another live stream. Join UMS to get weird and raise money to support the Colorado music industry.
5. Check out the virtual Bow Wow Film Festival & Auction from July 24 to August 7. Bow Wow Film Festival celebrates, educates and inspires all things doggie via the art of short film. Watch the 90-minute collection of short films from your home anytime you choose. $16 covers one household and helps support Second Chance Human Society. In addition, the Second Chance Humane Society Online Auction to raise funds for its critical animal welfare programs and services, will be concurrently running throughout the two week period of the festival. Featuring a variety of spectacular artwork, gift certificates to your favorite restaurants, jewelry, self-care packages, adventure packages, the best kid's birthday party ever, sporting gear, fun pet gear, and much more. Bidding will start and end with the Bow Wow Film Festival.
6. Vinnie Montez Live: COVID Can’t Stop the Comedy is coming live (in-person) and Comedy Works Live (streaming) on Saturday, July 25 at 7 p.m.! Tickets are still available for the show. Live show audience members must adhere to the safety guidelines listed on their website. If you are joining another party (up to four), please add their name in the NOTES section so they may seat you together.
7. McNichols Civic Center Building presents Lavender Mist: Gay Men in Contemporary Art in Colorado. The exhibit, running from now through August, 30, zeroes-in on some of the state’s most significant contemporary artists who also happen to be gay; a key constituent of the larger LGBTQ+ community. Gay men have often played an outsized role throughout the history of art, which is reflected in Colorado’s contemporary art scene, now and in the recent past. McNichols Building exhibitions are free and open to the public. Following Safer-At-Home guidelines, groups of eight people or fewer can make appointments online for a two-hour time slot daily from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. or 2:20 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Additionally, you can join curators and special guests on their Facebook as they guide viewers through the exhibits and provide additional insight from curator exhibits.