I am suffering from the summertime sickness. I caught it on accident, when I went to the Twenty Ninth Street Mall to get a brush at MAC.
I parked my car, just like any normal May day, but as soon as I stepped outside, I could feel it in the air. This certain warm, mountain breeze wrapped around my body and crawled into my nostrils and drifted upward until it had completely blanketed my brain.
By the time I reached the doors at MAC, I was lost to it. All I wanted was a margarita on the rooftop at The Roost in Longmont, some new strappy sandals, a Frisbee and a donut. Well, the donut because I always want a donut. That had nothing to do with the summertime sickness. But the others were sure symptoms that I’d contracted the plague. I knew I would need an extreme amount of cold brew to rip myself from the outdoor mall with its cruel windows of flowy dresses taunting me. I knew it was time to reinstate my summer office: the white wooden chair on my front porch.
That’s where I live now.
Summer in Boulder is so hardcore relaxing that even the locals feel like we’re on vacation as soon as we look at the Pearl Street Mall. It’s impossible not to defer to vacation brain when everyone around you seems to be on one: the University of Colorado students on break, the out-of-state families strolling down the mall with nowhere to be and no articles to write, and the teachers with few months off to (try to) regain their sanity.
In an outdoorsy city like Boulder, warm weather means no one goes indoors, unless absolutely necessarily, and as quickly as possible because eww. The restaurants roll out their patio and rooftop seating, the breweries and warehouse gyms crank open their garage doors and even the entertainment scene touches nature. There are outdoor concerts at the Boulder Amphitheater and Red Rocks, the Colorado Shakespeare Festival under the stars and one of the highlights of the season: the Chautauqua Summer Concert Series.
This musical series is set in the Chautauqua Auditorium, which is also known as “the barn” for its rustic indoor-outdoor vibe. Although technically you get a roof here, it’s located in Chautauqua Park at the base of the Flatirons and is entirely heated and cooled by Mother Nature. The large space is punctuated by exposed beams and windows that let in natural light, making it the perfect way to enjoy live music and still pay respect to Boulder’s perfect summers.
The annual Summer Concert Series kicks off tomorrow (June 1) with the band Hot Rize. It will feature 17 shows in total throughout the summer, through Sept. 21. Look for some great names, including Mary Chapin Carpenter, Lucinda Williams and the Drive-By Truckers.
Get tickets and more info at tickets.chautauqua.com.
Here’s the full line-up for the 2017 series:
June 1: Hot Rize
June 2: TajMo: The Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’ Band
June 11: DeJohnette, Grenadier, Medeski & Scofield
June 12: Punch Brothers
June 16: Drive-By Truckers
June 17: Drive-By Truckers
July 24: Mary Chapin Carpenter
July 31: Lucinda Williams
Aug 10: Colin Hay with Trace Bundy
Aug 15: St. Paul & The Broken Bones
Aug 16: St. Paul & The Broken Bones
Aug 19: Blind Pilot
Aug 25: The SteelDrivers
Aug 29: The Gipsy Kings
Sept 3: Indigo Girls
Sept 8: Seu Jorge: The Life Aquatic, A Tribute To David Bowie
Sept 21: Steep Canyon Rangers
Looking for more ways to feed your vaca brain in Boulder this week? Here are a few more highlights:
Work out in the park: Take an outdoor power yoga class 7:30-8:30 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday mornings at Chautauqua Park. Your first trial week is free. Email bootcamp@fitliv.com for more info.
This Friday, there’s another outdoor fitness class in Longmont. Fitness in the Parks is 9-10 a.m. at Roger’s Grove Park, 220 S. Hover Road. It’s free and offered through the Longmont Recreation Center. Learn more at lindsey.witty@longmontcolorado.gov.
Get out for art: It’s First Friday in Boulder and Louisville, which means artwalk time. Head to North Boulder from 6-9 p.m. Friday and browse the studios and work of local artists in the NoBo Art District. The artwalk itself is free and a ton of fun.
For something different, head to the Louisville Public Library, 951 Spruce St., from 6-8 p.m., to learn more about the city’s history and culture. Learn more about this free event at museum@louisvilleco.gov.
Reggae on the roof: Something about reggae music feels like a summer vacation. Tonight (May 31) starting at 9 p.m., Boulder House, 1109 Walnut St., plays reggae jams. Enjoy the live DJ with specials on mojitos, Corona cans and rum punch. No cover.
