A fter two years of closures, postponements and cancellations, the stuff you’ve liked best about summer is back.
There’s no shortage of amazing things nearby to fill the longest days of the year, all the way through to when the focus on school days and long nights distract from the stuff we’ve all been waiting for.
Shows, fairs, festivals and all things watery and wet under the sun await your summer pleasure.
With so much to choose from, Sentinel staffers offer this selection of things you won’t want to miss as the days become just a little shorter.
Select dates in Douglas, Adams and Arapahoe counties. See county websites for details, hours and ticket information.
Is it even summer if you haven’t double fisted a corn dog and a funnel cake while in line for the ferris wheel? We think not. Luckily, you have the advantage of life in Aurora, which sits in three separate counties. Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas counties are all poised to celebrate the season with carnivals, livestock shows and much, much more later this summer. For the Arapahoe County Fair (July 28-31) throw on a pair of boots and hit the rodeo or relive that old time rock n’ roll with a Bob Seger tribute on Friday night. Up north, in Adams County, put the pie baking contest and auction on your calendar (Aug. 4). First prize is $100 and a ribbon, but really, we’re all winners in the presence of a homemade cherry pie. At Douglas County’s fair (July 31-Aug. 8), enjoy a farm-to-table brunch, a car show and a dueling piano performance. Truly something for everybody.
12 p.m.-4 p.m. first Saturdays through October at Fletcher Plaza, 9800 E. Colfax Ave.
Nothing says summer quite like live music, especially in the outdoors. If you don’t have the cash to hit up Red Rocks or another big venue this summer, never fear. On the first Saturday of every month until the fall, Fletcher Plaza will be offering up free tunes with Colfax Art Jams, a series of concerts and performances featuring local artists. Billed as a “come as you are event,” this is the perfect low stress outing for the whole family. Next performance is July 2, so mark your calendars.
Aurora Public Library summer reading and brewery tours
Register at one of the Aurora Public Library branch locations or online at https://www.auroragov.org/things_to_do/aurora_public_library.
Sure, summer is for playing outside until it gets dark out, but sometimes when the mercury reaches the top of the thermometer and it’s too hot to run around the best way to stay entertained is to curl up in an air-conditioned spot with a good book. You can get prizes for doing just that by signing up for the Aurora Public Library’s summer reading program. This year’s program, which has the nautical theme “Summer of Imagination: Dive Into Reading,” runs through July 31 and is open to kids, teens and the young at heart. Register online or pick up a reading log at your local library branch. And for the older readers, nothing goes with a good book quite like a cold beer. APL’s got your back with the 6th annual craft brew tour. Pick up a passport or download one online, and after you’ve collected a stamp from five local breweries (participants include Cheluna, Dry Dock, Lady Justice and more) return to the library to receive a free glass. Cheers!
July 1-3, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Cherry Creek North, the Festival is located on 2nd and 3rd Avenues from Clayton to Steele and between 2nd and 3rd Avenues from Detroit to Steele. Visit www.cherrycreekartsfestival.org for more details
Whatever kind of art you’re into, there’s a good chance you can find it at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, which takes place on the first weekend in July. More than 250 artists were chosen for the festival out of 1,700 artist applicants, including Aurora-based artist Michael Magrin. The Western landscape artist specializes in the clouded skies that are so easy to get caught up in here in Colorado. Find him at booth 123. Ceramic, fiber and glass artists also accompany the more traditional drawing and painting mediums at the festival. Food and music round out the weekend. If you miss it, plan ahead for the Stanley Arts Festival in Aurora in September. Find those details also at Cherry Creek Arts Festival website.
Summer trial hours (until October) are 6:30 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. Monday – Thursday. On Friday and Saturday, the trails close at 6 p.m. and on Sunday hike 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. 21901 E Hampden Ave, Aurora, CO 80013. Plan a visit at www.botanicgardens.org
Colorado’s Rocky Mountains are a sight to behold, but there’s a special kind of beauty about the High Plains. If you hail from Aurora’s eastern neighborhoods, you understand. Late in the day, the pronghorn will emerge for a bit before bedding down for the night. Tall grasses bob in the breeze. The sky looks bluer off in the distance. The plains are an acquired taste, but you’re here, so might as well enjoy it. The easiest way to explore the High Plains is to plan a visit to the Denver Botanic Gardens’ Plains Conservation Center, where you’ll learn more about the diverse ecosystem, how homesteaders were able to make this land their home and the people who were here before them on the 1,100 acres of shortgrass prairie. Wagon tours and pioneer programs are on the agenda all summer long at the Aurora site. In July, you can delve a little deeper into your plains appreciation for a wildflower walk on July 9, a full moon hike on July 13 and a butterfly walk on July 15.
Aurora Fox Arts Center summer performances and gala
Tickets and more information available at aurorafoxartscenter.org.
The Fox’s next season doesn’t start until the fall, but there are still some summer happenings to tide you through the live theater drought if you missed out on tickets to the Colorado Shakespeare Festival (they sell quick!). Coming up first is a special two-night performance by Motones & The Jerseys August 6th and 7th. Following on the heels of a national tour, the nine-signer six-piece band lineup will perform nearly 50 of the 20th century’s greatest hits in an interactive sing-off, including classics from Tina Turner, The Temptations, The Beach Boys and more. Near the end of the summer, the Fox will be having its first gala since the pandemic began on Sept. 17 at Heritage Eagle Bend Golf Club. The night will include a cash bar, hors d’oeuvres, dinner,a live and silent auction and a special performance by Denver’s Black Iris Collective. The theme is “Speakeasy,” so come dressed in your best 20s garb (1920s, that is). And for the impatient, season tickets are on sale now for the Fox’s 38th season, which will include Treasure Island the Musical, the play adaptation of Joan Didion’s stunning memoir The Year of Magical Thinking and more.
Saturday, Aug. 6 noon to 7 p.m. at the Aurora Reservoir, 5800 S. Powhatan Road. Tickets free to $40, purchase in advance at aurorapride.com.
Pride month is over but don’t hang up your rainbow flags just yet — if you didn’t get enough glitter and sun damage for one summer at Denver Pride this past weekend, be sure not to miss Aurora Pride. Held in August at the Aurora Reservoir, the celebration is by and for Aurora’s LGBTQ+ community but is open to anyone who has a heart for equality and is looking to have fun at the beach before warm summer days are once again gone for the year. Tickets are free and can be reserved online, with parking passes ranging from $10 to $30 in advance and $10-$40 day of. Along with event upkeep the money goes towards scholarships for LGBTQ+ Aurorans pursuing higher education so that’s one more reason to dust off the beach towels — after all, it’s all for a good cause.
“A Day in Japan” at The People’s Building
10 a.m.-7 p.m. on Aug. 6 at The People’s Building, located at 9995 E. Colfax Ave. in Aurora. More information is available at bit.ly/3xWNLu7.
Savor traditional foods and cultural performances at a day-long celebration of the island nation of Japan hosted by Konnectpop and the Japan Committee of Aurora Sister Cities International. According to a post on The People’s Building’s Facebook page, the cultural festival will also feature martial arts, a Japanese dog show, a display of Itasha-style decorated cars and an ethnic market. A special tasting of sake, a traditional alcoholic beverage brewed from rice, is also taking place the day before.
Catch an elusive ice cream truck
If you’ve heard the jingle and rushed to the edge of the driveway to buy a bomb pop anywhere east of Havana Street, no you didn’t. Well, maybe you did. But you might want to keep that information private. Ice cream trucks aren’t technically legal in Aurora (yet). Local lawmakers are looking to thaw the ban on the city “nuisances” as part of an effort to reduce “red tape” within the city. A repeal is working its way through the city council as we speak. The ban has been in place since 1957, so if you’ve happened upon an ice cream truck — or rather, it has happened upon you — consider yourself lucky. Plus, the ice cream you aren’t supposed to have always tastes the best. If you live by the rules, however, we suggest: Sweet Cow in Stanley Marketplace, Milkroll Creamery on Havana Street or any of the snow bowls at Snowl, which has two locations in Aurora now.
Farmers Markets at Southlands and Stanley Marketplace
8 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturdays through Oct. 1 in the Town Square at Southlands, and 3-7 p.m. on Fridays through Sept. 30 in The Hangar on the northwest side of Stanley Marketplace. More information is available at bit.ly/3NpNgOV and bit.ly/3OpcXjY.
Summer means fresh produce is in stock at Aurora farmers markets, and two of the city’s most popular seasonal markets are open now at Southlands Shopping Center and Stanley Marketplace. Spend a laid-back morning or post-work afternoon shopping for fresh fruits, vegetables, jams, jellies, breads, hand-made crafts and other items. Afterward, stop by Three Little Griddles for brunch or savor a cold brew at Cheluna Brewing Company. The markets are open Fridays and Saturdays through the end of September, meaning there’s plenty of time to visit and enjoy the bounty of Colorado’s warm summer weather.
Twice monthly on Saturdays in July, August and September at the Havana Exchange Shopping Center, located at 2802 S. Havana St. in Aurora. More information is available at bit.ly/3urXqYT.
Another pop-up market with an international twist is debuting on Aurora’s Havana Street shopping corridor this summer, including sellers of art, crafts and jewelry. Capitalizing on Havana Street’s reputation for hosting eclectic and diverse businesses, the family-friendly Havana Street Global Market will feature vendors from around the world. You can find the market starting July 16 in the Havana Exchange Shopping Center parking lot, outside the former location of Bicycle Village. Come with an appetite, as the market will also feature artisanal food vendors, and Havana Street is known for its many small eateries.
Jazz on the Park at Denver International Airport
Twice monthly on Fridays in June, July and August at the Park on the Plaza in Denver International Airport. More information is available at bit.ly/39UXOrC.
Join local performers Danny Showers, Tenia Nelson and others at Denver International Airport for live jazz music Friday evenings through August. The shows are being held in the airport’s Park on the Plaza — a unique outdoor space located at the south end of Jeppesen Terminal, not far from the A Line light rail station. Concertgoers can take the train or park in the nearby garage or short-term parking. While parking may cost $5-6 an hour, the concerts themselves are free and open to the public.
Aurora Rhythms Concert Series Hosted by Aurora Public Library
Starts 6:30 p.m. one Tuesday each month through December at select Aurora libraries; more information about upcoming concerts is available at bit.ly/3ymSpD6.
Aurorans can leave their inside voices outside the library for the Aurora Rhythms Concert Series, hosted monthly at library locations across the city. In July, The Constant Tourists — a Denver-based “gypsy rock” band — will play the second show of the series at Tallyn’s Reach Library in southeast Aurora, followed by the Low Flying Knobs — a marimba and mbira ensemble — at Aurora Central Library in August. All of the shows are free, and free refreshments will be provided along with alternative activities for children.