UNC Homecoming: carnival Tuesday, drone show Friday, parade Saturday — FREE 
Tue 9/22 5pm to 7pm · Fri 9/25 7pm · Sat 9/26 11am · UNC campus, Greeley
Homecoming is open to families all week. Tuesday's Cosmic Carnival on Turner Green has carnival games and a petting zoo. Friday's pep rally on the University Center west patio starts at 7 with the marching band, cheer, and the Sugar Bears, then a drone show at 7:50 and free s'mores. Saturday's parade steps off at 11 from the C parking lot and ends at the Nottingham Field lot; the tailgate runs 2 to 6 north of the field (most lots free, M lot $10), and the Bears play Utah Tech at 6 (ticketed). Details →

Make & Paint Clay Owls — $25 kids, $45 adults
Wed 9/23 · 6pm to 8:30pm · Maxline Brewing, 2724 McClelland Dr, Suite 190, Fort Collins
A pinch-pot owl class from Flingin Pots: build the owl, add clay balls inside so it rattles, then paint it with colored slips. They take the owls back to their studio for glazing and firing, and pickup is a month later at Maxline. Adult tickets were on Eventbrite, which now shows online sales closed; the $25 kid ticket goes by email to flinginpots@gmail.com with the child's name and age, so email to ask about space. Details →

Johnstown and Milliken library week, with a touch-a-truck Friday — FREE
Tue 9/22 to Sat 9/26 · Johnstown + Milliken libraries
Friday's Stay & Play in Milliken (9 to noon) is construction-themed, and Fransen Pittman parks a real construction truck outside at 10 for the kids to climb on. The rest of the week: cupcake decorating Tuesday in Milliken (K to 2nd grade 5 to 6, tweens 6 to 7), Messy Art with corn mashers Wednesday 10 to 11 in Johnstown, a parent-and-daughter bedazzling hour Thursday 4:30 to 6 in Milliken (each person registers), and the Teen Pizza Club Saturday 11 to 1 in Milliken. Details →

Farm morning at the Severance library — FREE
Thu 9/24 · 10am to 11:30am · Severance Library, 5 Timber Ridge Pkwy
An open house for ages 0 to 5 with real farm animals, Sonrise Farm's tractors, and farm activities. Drop in for about half an hour, no registration. Details →

Eaton library: stop-motion movies, ice cream floats, D&D — FREE, registration for the first two
Tue 9/22 4pm · Thu 9/24 4pm · Sat 9/26 1pm · Eaton Public Library, 132 Maple Ave
Middle and high schoolers make a stop-motion dinosaur movie on their own phone Tuesday 4 to 5 (props and sets provided; register). Thursday 4 to 5 is Family Floats, build-your-own ice cream floats for families (register; 16 seats open Monday). Saturday 1 to 4 is Dungeons & Dragons for tweens and teens with a game master on hand for beginners, no registration. Floats → · Stop motion → · D&D →

Poudre Libraries this week: kids' murals, a bike tune-up day, reading to animals — FREE
Thu 9/24 5:30pm · Sat 9/26 10am to 3pm · Sun 9/27 3pm · Old Town + Harmony libraries, Fort Collins
Thursday 5:30 to 6:30, Old Town Library opens seven new mini murals of national parks in the kids' area, painted by community members ages 3 and up, with the artists there and kid-friendly refreshments. Saturday 10 to 3, the Bike Fix-It Bonanza in the Harmony Library west lot (4616 S Shields) does free safety checks and small repairs (flats, brakes, shifting), first come first served until they hit capacity. Sunday 3 to 4, Animal Afternoon at Harmony: kids in kindergarten through 5th grade read to therapy animals; arrive early, the animals stay 40 to 60 minutes. Murals → · Bike day → · Animals →

Family Movie Night at Pioneer Ridge — FREE
Fri 9/25 · 6pm, movie at 7 · field behind Pioneer Ridge Elementary, 2300 Cinnamon Teal Ave, Johnstown
An outdoor movie from the school's PTO with popcorn and lawn games before the film. Bring chairs, blankets, and your own snacks. The PTO was still announcing the movie title as of Monday. Details →

Peaks, Pours & Playlists, last weekend — FREE
Fri 9/25 4pm to 7pm + Sun 9/27 1:30pm to 4:30pm · The Hub at Kinston, 6402 Union Creek Dr, Loveland
The lawn concert series at The Hub ends this weekend. Duo Doodz plays Sunday; Friday's act wasn't posted as of Monday. Food and drinks from the Hub Café. Details →

Spooky's Pumpkin Patch opens — FREE to walk in
Fri 9/25 · 2pm to 8pm daily through 10/31 · 4305 E Harmony Rd, Fort Collins (southwest corner of Harmony and I-25)
A retail patch, not a farm: carving pumpkins, carving kits and tools, gourds, corn stalks, straw bales, and a photo spot. No rides. Details →

Greeley Oktobrewfest — FREE admission; tasting tickets separate
Fri 9/25 5pm to 10pm + Sat 9/26 11am to 9pm · Lincoln Park, downtown Greeley
Downtown Greeley's fall weekend in the park: local brews, live bands, food, and all-ages activities. Admission is free; the VIP beer tasting Saturday is a separate ticket on Eventbrite. Details →

The Great Aardvark Embark: hot-air balloons at sunrise — FREE
Sat 9/26 · parking 6am, field 6:30am, launch 7am to 7:30am, done by 8 · Aims Community College, Cornerstone building athletic field, 5401 W 20th St, Greeley
Aims' ninth annual balloon launch. Colorado Balloon Club pilots inflate on the field north of the Cornerstone building and lift off between 7 and 7:30. Breakfast burritos and coffee for sale, Arty the Aardvark for photos, and Aims frisbees while they last. Visitors can't board the balloons, even the tethered ones. It's weather-dependent, and Aims posts the go or no-go on the event page that morning. Details →

Fort Collins Pagan Pride Day — FREE
Sat 9/26 · 9am · City Park, 450 Sheldon Dr, Fort Collins
A daytime community gathering in the park: local booths, educational displays, and family activities, with a food drive for the Food Bank for Larimer County (bring a can). Details →

Front Range Fantasy Festival — $10; ages 5 and under FREE
Sat 9/26 · 10am · The Forge Event Center, 815 14th St SW, Loveland
A daytime fantasy market and fair: artisan vendors, costumed characters, live performances (fencing, magic, theater), crafts, quests with riddles and tokens to trade for prizes, and a costume contest for kids and adults. Costumes encouraged. The organizer's page prints the date and venue; hours and prices are as submitted (last year's market ran 10 to 4). Details →

Osborn Farm opens: Fall Stop #2 — FREE admission and parking
Sat 9/26 · 10am to 6pm daily · Osborn Farm, 1230 S Boise Ave, Loveland
Opening weekend at Loveland's patch. Pumpkins 60 cents a pound, hayride and barrel train $3 on weekends, petting zoo $2 (cash). No corn maze. Full rundown in the Spotlight below. Details →

Windsor Oktoberfest — FREE
Sat 9/26 · 11am to 5pm · Downtown Windsor
A German car show, a live oompah band, bratwurst and pretzels, a beer garden, local vendors, and a kids zone with family activities. Details →

Timnath Fall Festival — FREE
Sat 9/26 · 11am to 3pm · Timnath Community Park
The town's fall day: live music, an artisan market (15 vendors), a dozen food trucks, and a long free kids' list: pumpkin decorating, a mobile ropes course, a ballistic swing, a bungee trampoline, a mega jump-and-slide, bounce houses, a toddler zone, and face painting. Beer is $7 to $9. Parking is street parking in the surrounding neighborhoods with golf-cart shuttles from four spots. Proceeds go to the Children's Speech & Reading Center. Details →

Storytime and paint at Barnes & Noble — FREE
Sat 9/26 · 11am + 1pm · Barnes & Noble, The Promenade Shops at Centerra, 5835 Sky Pond Dr, Loveland
Two sessions: an 11am reading of The Boy with the Black Heart with a matching activity, then a 1pm reading of Sue's Sky with a guided painting activity. Details →

Estes Park Autumn Gold Festival — $10; kids 12 and under FREE
Sat 9/26 11am to 6pm + Sun 9/27 11am to 5pm · Bond Park, 170 MacGregor Ave, Estes Park
The Rotary's fall weekend in Bond Park: bands both days, brats, beer, and a family zone with face painting, lawn games, and youth activities run by the Estes Valley Community Center and Scout Troop 8. Re-entry allowed. Elk are in the rut around town this time of year. Details →

Taste of Fort Collins — adults $37 advance, $50 at the gate; kids 12 and under FREE
Sat 9/26 noon to 9pm + Sun 9/27 noon to 8pm · Washington Park, 301 Maple St, Fort Collins
The two-day food and music festival: restaurant booths, vendors, and headliners Modest Mouse Saturday at 7:30 and Lil Jon Sunday at 6:45. Kids get in free; food is priced per booth. Clear bags only this year. Details →

Al Frente Fest — FREE
Sat 9/26 · 1pm to 5pm · 919 A St, Greeley
A community celebration from Al Frente de Lucha, the Greeley nonprofit: free food, a car show, live music, youth activities, vendors, and community resource tables. The library brings its pop-up. Details →

Berthoud Elementary Fall Festival — FREE
Sat 9/26 · 4:30pm to 6:30pm · Berthoud Elementary School, 560 Bunyan Ave, Berthoud
A school-yard fall festival open to the neighborhood: community games, food trucks, face painting, balloon animals, and a cake walk. Details →

Father Daughter Dance — $45 per couple, $10 for each additional daughter; registration required
Sat 9/26 · 6pm to 8pm · Berthoud Recreation Center, 1000 N Berthoud Pkwy
Berthoud Rec's evening for dads and father figures (stepdads, grandpas, uncles, brothers, foster dads) and their daughters: a live DJ, a photo booth, decorations, and light refreshments. Register through the town's link. Details →

Take a Kid Mountain Biking at NoCo MTB Fest — FREE (county park entry $10 per car)
Sun 9/27 · 9am to noon · Inlet Bay at Horsetooth Reservoir, off County Road 38E, Fort Collins
The nonprofit Overland Mountain Bike Association's family morning at the end of its festival weekend: kids ages 4 to 16 ride a six-stop punch-card loop 9 to 11, then Games on Bikes with Dude Dad (Taylor Calmus) 11 to noon, and awards plus a bike giveaway at noon. Bring a bike and a helmet. The vendor village and food trucks are open 9 to 3 for a suggested donation. Details →

Loveland Farmers' Market finale with the Artist Market — FREE
Sun 9/27 · 9am to 1pm · Fairgrounds Park, Loveland
The last Sunday market of the season, with the Artist Market alongside. Timnath's market runs the same morning, 10 to 2 at Colorado Feed & Grain. Details →

FoCo Food Truck Rally Finale — FREE entry
Tue 9/15 · 5:30pm to dusk · City Park, Fort Collins
Once Upon A Tune plays the bandshell for the season finale. The trucks line up along Sheldon Lake; the rally comes back in May. Details →

Johnstown and Milliken library week — FREE
Wed 9/16 to Sat 9/19 · Johnstown + Milliken libraries
Messy Art Wednesday 10 to 11 in Johnstown, cupcake decorating Thursday 10 to 11 in Milliken (kids and adults), fall wreaths Thursday 5 to 6 in Johnstown (all ages), and on Saturday in Milliken a sensory-friendly playtime 10 to 11 and the Tween Pizza Club 11 to 1. Both libraries are closed Friday for staff training. Details →

The Bears are Back in Town: Bear Bash — FREE
Fri 9/18 · 4pm to 8pm · 16th Street, Greeley
Greeley marks the end of the 16th Street construction with a street party. UNC's marching band and spirit groups open on the Green, the mayor pro-tem cuts the ribbon, then a concert with an opening act and Neon The Bishop closing. The 16th Street shops run event-only specials and student activities, and the WeldWalls Mural Festival's Art Night Out adds murals and artist talks along the street. Details →

Teen Night Out — $8
Fri 9/18 · 5pm to 9pm · Greeley Family FunPlex, 1501 65th Ave
The first Teen Night Out of the school year: ages 10 to 15 (grades 5 to 8) get the whole FunPlex to themselves for games, sports, outdoor activities, and swimming. Bring a suit and towel. Details →

Fort Collins Foodie Walk — FREE to walk; tastes vary by shop
Fri 9/18 · 5pm to 8pm · Downtown Fort Collins
The third-Friday self-guided walk: downtown food shops stay open late with samples, seasonal flavors, and demonstrations. Details →

Lego Club at the Wellington library — FREE, registration required
Fri 9/18 · 4pm to 5pm · Wellington Public Library, 3800 Wilson Ave
An hour of building with the library's Lego collection, for ages 7 and up. Register with the library. Details →

Mingle on Main: Oktoberfest — FREE to attend; food and steins for sale
Fri 9/18 · 4pm to 8pm · 3700 Cleveland Ave, Wellington
Wellington's third-Friday street evening goes Oktoberfest this month. Old Colorado Brewing runs the games out front: Hammerschlagen (nail-driving), a wiener toss, and a stein-holding contest, with prizes for the winners. The Schnitzel Wagon does the food, and the tasting room has stein specials for the grown-ups. Details →

Berthoud Literary Festival — Saturday sessions FREE, drop-in; the two keynotes $10
Fri 9/18 + Sat 9/19 · Berthoud Community Library, 236 Welch Ave
Friday's opening keynote is Erika Krouse at 6:30 ($10). Saturday runs four free drop-in author talks: Erika J. Simpson at 11, middle-grade author Megan E. Freeman (Alone) at 12:30, Chris Ryall at 2, and Claire Boyles with Kate Garrick at 3:30; Craig Johnson closes at 6 ($10). An ASL interpreter is at every session. Details →

Peaks, Pours & Playlists — FREE
Fri 9/18 4pm to 7pm + Sun 9/20 1:30pm to 4:30pm · The Hub at Kinston, 6402 Union Creek Dr, Loveland
Live music on the lawn at The Hub, with food and drinks from the Hub Café. Douglas James plays Friday, Steven Manshel on Sunday. The series runs Fridays and Sundays through September 27. Details →

Timnath Connect Fall Kickoff — FREE
Sat 9/19 · 9am to 2pm · Pedro's Coffee Shop, 2100 S Colorado Blvd, Timnath
The Timnath Chamber's vendor market comes back for its fall season: local business booths, live music, coffee from Pedro's, and family activities. Details →

Bubble Blast for America — FREE
Sat 9/19 · 9am · Blue Spruce Park, Severance
A bubble party in the park for Constitution Week, put on by the Town of Severance. The Severance Farmers' Market runs in the same park Saturday mornings. Details →

Evans Heritage Day — FREE
Sat 9/19 · 8:30am to 2pm at City Park, 3929 Golden St; 5pm to 8:30pm at Riverside Park, 4000 Riverside Pkwy
The city of Evans, just south of Greeley, holds its annual town day. Free pancake breakfast 8:30 to 10 while it lasts, the parade at 10, then food trucks, a vendor fair, and free rides and games until 2. The evening half moves to Riverside Park: free rides again, live music at 7, and fireworks at 8:30. Details →

Superhero Run — kids' fun run (6 and under) FREE; 1 mile and 5K $27.50 for 12 and under, $38.10 adults; 10K $48.70
Sat 9/19 · check-in from 7:15; 10K 8:30, 1 mile 8:35, 5K 8:45, kids' run 9:45 · Greeley Family FunPlex, 1501 65th Ave
The 14th annual costumed run for Life Stories Child & Family Advocacy. Costumes encouraged; the kids' run goes last at 9:45. Details →

Jessup Farm Harvest Festival, with the Lovely Lit book truck — FREE
Sat 9/19 · 10am to 2pm · Jessup Farm Artisan Village, Fort Collins
The village's fall day: a dog parade and costume contest (register at 10, parade and judging at 10:45, hosted by Moore Animal Hospital), petting zoo and pony rides 10 to noon, live music all four hours on the Sugar Beet Saloon stage, seasonal specials from the shops, and scarecrows around the village to vote on through September 30. The Blue Ribbon baked goods contest (cinnamon rolls, cookies, jam, pie, bread) takes entries until 10, judges at 11, and announces winners at 1; registration closes Thursday at 5. The Lovely Lit mobile bookstore parks at the festival; browsing is free, books are priced individually. Festival → · Lovely Lit →

Vintage Video Game Day — FREE, donations accepted
Sat 9/19 · 10am to 2pm · Fort Collins Museum of Discovery, 408 Mason Ct
Original consoles from the early 1980s on, set up at stations in the museum Archives to play, with video-game crafts, local arcade history, and door prizes. The Archives hold a limited number at a time, so groups rotate through. Details →

The pumpkin patches open — Bartels FREE entry; Fritzler Fun Pass $25.95 online, $33.95 at the gate, ages 3 and up
Sat 9/19 · Bartels 10am to 6pm daily; Fritzler hours by date on their calendar · Bartels Farm, 3424 E Douglas Rd, Fort Collins + Fritzler Farm Park, 20861 CR 33, LaSalle
Opening day at both. Bartels is this week's Fall Stop #1 (details below). Fritzler's Fall Fest tickets are date-specific and sold online; Scream Acres, the haunted side, opens September 25. Every patch's opening date is in the Spotlight. Bartels → · Fritzler →

Loveland Chocolate & Cheese Fest — $6 to $10 adults; kids 10 and under FREE; samples $1 each
Sat 9/19 · 11am to 5pm · Pedersen Toyota Center at The Ranch, Loveland
Chocolatiers and cheesemakers from around the state at sample tables: truffles, fudge, cookies, curds, fondue, plus gift vendors. Parking is free with license plate validation inside. Details →

Water Lantern Festival — $29.99 general admission online ($57.99 at the gate); kids under 8 FREE; 4-pack $24.99 per person
Sat 9/19 · gates 4:30pm, lantern launch 7:30pm to 8:30pm · Boardwalk Community Park, 100 N 5th St, Windsor
Each ticket comes with a floating lantern, a decorating kit, and an LED candle. Decorate through the afternoon with live music, food trucks, and lawn games, then everyone launches together on Windsor Lake at 7:30. Tickets go up at the gate, so buy ahead. Details →

Brooms and Boards — $10, registration required
Sun 9/20 · 10am to 11am · Windsor Lake, 100 N 5th St, Windsor
A Halloween-themed paddleboard hour on the lake to start the fall, run by Windsor Parks & Rec. Register through the town's link. Details →

NoCo Food Truck Rally — FREE entry
Tue 9/8 · 5:30pm to dusk · City Park, Fort Collins
The Blue Yonder Boys play the bandshell while the trucks line up along the lake. One more after this: the rally's season finale is next Tuesday, September 15. Details →

Homeschool Day on the Farm — FREE
Thu 9/10 · 10am · Historic Halfway Homestead, Windsor
A day on a working-farm museum site homesteaded in the 1870s and farmed by three families for over a century, run with the Windsor-Severance Historical Society: explore the farmhouse, the Halfway House, the barn and silo, make projects, and meet organizations from across Weld County. Details →

Loteria night at the library — FREE
Thu 9/10 · 5pm to 6pm · Centennial Park Library, 2227 23rd Ave, Greeley
Juguemos Loteria: the bilingual bingo cousin, played for prizes with snacks on the table, all ages in the community room. Details →

Night on the Town — FREE to walk; museum admission $7 residents, $10 non-residents, kids 12 and under free
Fri 9/11 · from 5pm; museum open until 8 · downtown Loveland
Loveland's second-Friday art walk: galleries open receptions, shops stay open late, restaurants run specials. The Loveland Museum hosts a marquetry demonstration 5:30 to 7:30 with the Rocky Mountain Marquetry Guild. Details →

Trifecta! opening reception — FREE
Fri 9/11 · 5pm to 8pm · Windsor Art & Heritage Center, 116 5th St, Windsor
Windsor's 12th annual community art show opens: paintings, sculpture, poetry, installations, and live performances from local artists, with Orobeat playing the reception. The show hangs through October 3, gallery hours Friday to Sunday noon to 4. Details →

Wild Wonderful Weekend at Centerra — FREE
Fri 9/11 to Sun 9/13 · Saturday 10am to 9pm · Chapungu Sculpture Park, 5995 Sky Pond Dr, Loveland
Three days on nature, education, and music. Saturday is the family day at Chapungu: 20-plus wildlife experts and nature groups, a ropes course, a community scavenger hunt, food trucks, five bands back to back from 10 to 9, and an artisan market with 25-plus makers. Friday opens with a Harvest Jamboree at The Hub at Kinston from 5; Sunday shifts to speaker sessions. Details →

Pastels on 5th + the 4th Street Block Party — FREE
Sat 9/12 · Pastels 10am to 5pm, block party 11am to 4pm · 5th St at Lincoln Ave + 4th St between Lincoln and Cleveland, downtown Loveland
The 16th year of downtown's chalk art festival: about 150 artists turn the 5th Street pavement into a sidewalk gallery, with a kids' art area where they get their own square, live music from 11 (Kae Lynn Morgan, Pizzly Bear, Side Effect, Riley Williams Unit), food vendors, and juried awards at 4. One street over, the block party celebrates the newly rebuilt block of 4th: a community chalk mural, live painting demonstrations, Sugar Britches at 11 and Roka Hueka at 2, sidewalk sales, and kid-sized bites from the restaurants (the Bites on the Block tasting pass is $20 presale, $25 day-of). Details → · Block party →

Farm Day, with skateboarding pigs — $5 per person
Sat 9/12 · 10am to 12:30pm · Bath Garden Center, 2000 E Prospect Rd, Fort Collins
The Top Hogs skateboarding pigs perform at 11. Before and after: Ellie's Little Farm petting zoo (lambs, goats, ducks, chicks, bunnies) 10 to 11:30, a farm animal coloring station, Walrus ice cream and Happy Pine coffee. Face painting is $10 extra. Details →

Family Day at CSU's art museum — FREE
Sat 9/12 · 10am to 2pm · Gregory Allicar Museum of Art, 1400 Remington St, Fort Collins
Drop-in art-making indoors and out for ages 5 to 12, tied to the shows on the walls right now: Ralph Steadman's ink-splattered illustrations and Zsudayka Nzinga's AfroBohemian Home installation. No registration. Details →

Rist Canyon Mountain Festival — FREE
Sat 9/12 · 10am to 4pm · 11835 Rist Canyon Rd, Bellvue
The volunteer fire department's annual fundraiser up the canyon: live music all day (Liz Barnez, Wendy Woo, Also Known As, Gordon Creek Band), firefighter demonstrations and a firefighter dunk tank, a car show, a kids' activity area, a tractor shuttle from the parking lot, and free ice cream. Rain or shine. Details →

Latine & Hispanic Heritage Celebration — FREE
Sat 9/12 · from 1pm · Foote Lagoon Amphitheater at the Civic Center, Loveland
Heart and Sol of Loveland and the Loveland Public Library host the all-ages afternoon: Aztec, Folklorico, and Flamenco dance, a lowrider car show, a community piñata, an artisan mercado, and live music. Details →

Johnstown Fall Fest — FREE
Sat 9/12 · 1pm to 5pm · downtown Johnstown
The town's biggest afternoon of the year, 4,000-plus people last count: live music, food trucks, vendor booths, pumpkin decorating for the kids, a cornhole tournament, a kids' activity zone, and a beer garden for the grown-ups. Details →

Dog swim day, at two pools — $6 per dog in Windsor (registration required); $5 per dog in Milliken (walk up)
Sat 9/12 · Windsor 10am to 2pm, Milliken 10am to noon · Chimney Park Pool, Windsor + Milliken Waterworks Pool, 117 Centennial Dr
Both pools close out the season by letting the dogs in. Windsor's Pooches in the Park is a social swim with a registration cap. Milliken's Dog Days adds an obstacle course with prizes, goodie bags for the first 25 dogs, and a 40-dog limit in the pool area at a time, so go early. Dogs 6 months and up with current vaccinations. Windsor → · Milliken →

Mad Dash 5K on the fairways — $50 day-of (pre-registration closed Monday
Sun 9/13 · 8am start, check-in from 6:30 · Mad Russian Golf Course, 2100 Country Club Pkwy, Milliken
A 5K run across the golf course itself, rolling hills and natural turf, ages 5 and up, shirt included, with a post-race party of breakfast, snacks, and live music. Runners only; families can cheer from the clubhouse. Details →

The Honey Festival — FREE
Sun 9/13 · 9am to 1pm · Fairgrounds Park, 700 S Railroad Ave, Loveland
The farmers market's bee day: the Busy Bee Kid Zone, an observation hive you can watch working, local honey vendors, beeswax and bee-themed products, and mead tasting for the grown-ups. The Honeybee Hustle is a timed one-mile loop, separate registration: adults at 9 ($32.80), the under-10 Mini Hustle at 10 ($22.20). The market itself runs through September 27. Details →

Hogwarts Day at the soda shop — 10% off with a teacher or student ID
Tue 9/1 · 10am to 11pm · The Dragon & Cone, 3728 Cleveland Ave, Wellington
September 1 is the day the Hogwarts Express leaves platform nine and three quarters, and Wellington's fantasy-themed soda and ice cream shop is celebrating: bring a teacher or student ID and take 10 percent off your order. Flavour-forged sodas and small-batch cones in the old tavern building on the corner. Details →

NoCo Food Truck Rally — FREE entry
Tue 9/1 · 5:30pm to dusk · City Park, Fort Collins
The Food Truck Rally rallies into September: Orobeat brings Afrobeat to the bandshell while the trucks line up along the lake. It's the last night on the rally's posted calendar, so treat it as a maybe-goodbye. Details →

The last Tricky Thursday, period — FREE
Thu 9/3 · 7:30pm to 9:30pm · The Exchange, 200 N College Ave, Fort Collins
Dan Jasperson's courtyard magic show closes its season, and with it the last of the weekly summer series anywhere in NoCo. Close-up sleight of hand, family-friendly, and Little Man scoops next door while you watch. Details →

Squirrels, pirates, and a first library trip — FREE
Tue 9/1 to Fri 9/4 · Johnstown + Milliken libraries
The Johnstown-Milliken calendar has a full week: ABC Animal Storytime Tuesday at 10 in Milliken, squirrel-themed Messy Art Wednesday at 10 in Johnstown, Babytime Thursday at 11 for the stroller set, and an ocean-and-pirates Stay & Play Friday morning, 9 to 12, in Milliken. Details →

FoCo First Friday — FREE
Fri 9/4 · Linden Street 5pm to 9pm, Art Walk 6pm to 9pm · downtown Fort Collins
Downtown runs both at once: the 200 block of Linden closes to cars for the summer music series finale (Shtonk Brass Band, Fancy Bits, Soul Puppets, DJ Jimeni) with street games and a skateboard expo where kids can try a learn-to-skate session 5 to 7. The monthly Art Walk threads through 40-plus galleries and shops around the corner. Details →

A concert inside the dome — $20
Fri 9/4 · 6pm · OtterBox Digital Dome Theater, Fort Collins Museum of Discovery
More Than Physics plays live inside the museum's 360-degree dome while visuals wrap the whole ceiling. One night, one show, and dome seats are limited, so book if you're in. Details →

Zootopia 2 under the stars in Windsor — FREE
Fri 9/4 · yard games and food trucks from 8pm, movie at dark · Boardwalk Community Park, Windsor
Windsor PD hosts its Night Out in the park: yard games, food trucks, and a meet-the-officers hour, then Zootopia 2 on the big screen. Blankets and layers; September nights cool off fast. Details →

The Windsor Harvest Festival — FREE entry; BBQ $8, pancakes $8
Sat 9/5 to Mon 9/7 · Main Park, Boardwalk Park, and Eastman Park, Windsor
Windsor's marquee weekend. Hot air balloons launch from Eastman and Boardwalk 6:30 to 8 both Saturday and Sunday morning, weather permitting. Saturday evening: the all-town BBQ 4:30 to 6:30 ($8 a plate), Aubrey Dale in concert at 7:30, a drone show at 9:05, fireworks at 9:20. Sunday: pancake breakfast 7 to 10 at the Rec Center ($8), the car show at Windsor High 9 to 12, and a pie eating contest at 10:45. Vendors, kids' rides, a petting zoo, and carriage rides run 9 to 5 all weekend. Park in town for the fireworks, not on Hwy 257. Details →

Berthoud's new all-abilities playground opens — FREE
Sat 9/5 · 10am · Berthoud Adaptive Park
The grand opening of the area's first fully inclusive playground, built by the community after the Bowling family and the nonprofit Can'd Aid raised $1.6 million to make a park every kid can play in. Ribbon cutting, then recess. Details →

Art all day in Berthoud — FREE
Sat 9/5 · Art Walk 11am to 4pm, StreetFest 4pm to 9pm · downtown Berthoud + Wildfire Arts Center
Berthoud makes a full day of it: artists set up outside the downtown shops for the Art Walk (maps at Homestead Fine Art Gallery), then the party moves to the Wildfire Community Arts Center for StreetFest: live music, face painting, kids' crafts, dance performances, and a silent art auction. Bring your own chairs for the evening. Details →

Fiesta in the Plaza: Arte y Tradición — FREE
Sat 9/5 · 3pm to 6pm · Centennial Village Museum, 1475 A St, Greeley
Centennial Village celebrates Latino arts and culture with charro performances, Ballet Folklorico del Oeste, hands-on art and games, and free nachos, elote in a cup, and cake while they last. Details →

NoCo's biggest parade — FREE
Mon 9/7 · 9am · 1st and Walnut to 7th to Eastman Park Drive, Windsor
The Harvest Festival's grand finale: the largest parade in NoCo steps off at 9 sharp and rolls up Walnut Street to Eastman Park. Claim curb early, then walk to Main Park, where the vendors, petting zoo, and carriage rides run 9 to 5 with live bands all afternoon. Details →

Flapjack Day at City Star — FREE flapjack 🥞 🥞 🥞 
Mon 9/7 · 11am to 3pm flapjacks; car show 11 to 1; Flapjack Queen contest 1:30 · City Star Brewing, 321 Mountain Ave, Berthoud
Berthoud's Labor Day tradition: free flapjacks off the griddle, a vintage car show out front, 50s dress encouraged, and the Flapjack Queen crowned at 1:30, all in support of the Berthoud Historical Society. Live music runs 3 to 5:30. It's at a brewery, and it's the most kid-filled brewery lot you'll see all year. Details →

Food trucks Tuesday, the last Foundry concert Wednesday, a triple-header Thursday, and then a weekend of raptors, books on wheels, and one final free trip to 1900s Greeley.

NoCo Food Truck Rally — FREE entry
Tue 8/25 · 5:30pm to dusk · City Park, Fort Collins
The Food Truck Rally stay in line by Sheldon Lake with free live music from Bailey Mae and lawn to burn off dinner. Heads up: tonight is the last date on the rally's posted schedule, so if September dates don't materialize, this was the season. Go on the assumption it counts. Details →

Clay Street Unit closes One Sweet Summer — FREE
Wed 8/26 · plaza opens 6pm, music 6:30 to 8:30pm · The Foundry Plaza, downtown Loveland
The Wednesday night concerts end their season with Clay Street Unit, Denver's front-porch country-folk outfit. The FNBO kids zone runs its crafts and games one more time, the food vendors line the plaza, and the splash pad soundtrack retires until next summer. Homework at the concert is legal. Details →

A morning at the play lab for the mom crew — BOOK AHEAD
Thu 8/27 · 9am to 12pm · Bloom Play Lab, 6055 Sky Pond Dr, Loveland
Bloom's Monthly Mom Friends Meetup takes over the play lab the last Thursday of each month: 90 minute sessions in Tinytown and the STEM, sensory, and art stations while the grown-ups actually finish a sentence. Regular open play rates apply (first kid $16, siblings and under-nines discounted, adults free with a child ticket); book online and bring socks for everyone. Details →

Chess club, first move at 4:15 — FREE
Thu 8/27 · 4:15pm to 5:15pm · Storytime Room, Loveland Public Library, 300 N Adams Ave
Elementary kids take over the storytime room for the library's Thursday chess club. Total beginners welcome: the volunteers will teach the moves, the regulars will teach humility. Details →

Wellington's market evening — FREE
Thu 8/27 · 4:30pm to 7:30pm · Centennial Park, 3815 Harrison Ave, Wellington
The Main Street Market fills Centennial Park with seasonal produce, handmade artisan goods, cottage bakers, food trucks, and live music. Late August is peak everything: peaches, sweet corn, and tomatoes that actually taste like tomatoes. Details →

Magic night at The Exchange, one more after this — FREE
Thu 8/27 · 7:30pm to 9:30pm · The Exchange, 200 N College Ave, Fort Collins
Dan Jasperson works the courtyard with close-up sleight of hand, family-friendly and free. The season wraps September 3, so this is the second-to-last chance to have a card pulled out of your kid's ear. Details →

Sunflower art, fair play, and trading cards at the libraries — FREE
Wed 8/26 to Sat 8/29 · Johnstown + Milliken libraries
The Johnstown-Milliken crew keeps the first-full-week-of-school energy up: Messy Art paints sunflowers Wednesday at 10 in Johnstown, Stay & Play runs a fair-themed morning Friday 9 to 12 in Milliken, and Saturday belongs to artist trading cards for tweens (11am) and teens (11:45am) in Johnstown. Details →

Dreamboat Annie closes Music on the Lawn — FREE
Fri 8/28 · 6pm to 8pm · East Lawn at Foothills, Fort Collins
The Heart tribute takes the season's final Friday, with the vendor market, the beer garden for the grown-ups, and the play zone hosted by the Toy, Game and Puzzle Library. The Makers Hive market runs indoors the same evening and again Saturday afternoon if the sky acts up. Barracuda at sunset is a strong way to end a summer. Details →

Paint rocks in a Johnstown park — FREE
Fri 8/28 · starts 6pm · Sunrise Park, Johnstown
Neighbor Nights wraps its summer with Art in the Park: rock painting to hide around town, watercolors, sidewalk chalk, and friendship bracelets to make and trade, all outside in the evening air. Bring the whole crew; it's run by the Thompson Rivers Parks and Rec folks, and it's free. Details →

Meet the raptors at Bobcat Ridge — FREE w/ registration
Sat 8/29 · 9am to 11am · Bobcat Ridge Natural Area, 10184 County Rd 32C
A naturalist leads a short hike through the foothills, then the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program brings out live hawks and owls for an up-close look at Colorado's fiercest locals. Free, but you must register through the city's Engage calendar, and these fill. Details →

A bookstore on wheels parks in Windsor — Browse for Free
Sat 8/29 · from 9am · Blue Spruce Park, Windsor
The Lovely Lit mobile bookstore pops up with children's literature, classics, and wholesome reads sold straight from the truck. The Windsor Farmers Market runs the same morning at Boardwalk Park, so a books-then-peaches loop makes itself. Details →

The village's last free weekend — FREE
Sat 8/29 + Sun 8/30 · 9am to 3pm · Centennial Village Museum, 1475 A St, Greeley
The 50th-anniversary free weekends end here, themed Peek Behind the Curtain: Saturday shows off the behind-the-scenes work that keeps a living history museum alive, and Sunday lets kids weave real fabric and poke around the village's inner workings. After Sunday, the free run is over. Details →

Artist market day in Loveland — FREE entry
Sun 8/30 · 9am to 1pm · Fairgrounds Park, 700 S Railroad Ave, Loveland
The farmers market's last-Sunday Artist Market brings local artists and makers in alongside the produce: home goods, jewelry, art, and small-batch everything. Kid allowance math gets real at the $5 tables. Details →

Carnival games and food trucks Tuesday, first bells Wednesday, and then a weekend that goes corn parade, monsters, cake in the air, and Rams in the square.

Family Fun Tuesdays goes out with a carnival — FREE
Tue 8/18 · 3pm to 9pm · The Exchange, 200 N College Ave, Fort Collins
The season finale is Carnival Night, with milk can toss games taking over the courtyard. It's the last Family Fun Tuesday of the year, so if your crew never made it down, this is the door closing politely. Details →

Food trucks are still the Tuesday plan — FREE entry
Tue 8/18 · 5:30pm to dusk · City Park, Fort Collins
The Food Truck Rally keeps rolling into September: trucks by Sheldon Lake, free live music (this week: Chris Murray), and lawn to burn off dinner. For PSD 6th and 9th graders, whose transition day is Tuesday, this is a decent first-day-debrief venue. Details →

The Animeros on the plaza — FREE
Wed 8/19 · plaza opens 6pm, music 6:30 to 8:30pm · The Foundry Plaza, downtown Loveland
One Sweet Summer is down to its second-to-last Wednesday, and this one belongs to The Animeros. The FNBO kids zone runs crafts and games the whole evening, food vendors line the plaza, and the finale (Clay Street Unit, 8/26) is already in sight. First day of school ending at a concert is a strong opening move. Details →

Magic night at The Exchange — FREE
Thu 8/20 · 7:30pm to 9:30pm · The Exchange, 200 N College Ave, Fort Collins
Tricky Thursdays rolls on: Dan Jasperson works the courtyard with close-up sleight of hand, family-friendly and free, Thursdays through September 3. Details →

Tiny Trekkers: Oh Deer! — FREE, registration required
Thu 8/20 · 10am to 11am · location shared at registration
Larimer County's toddler nature hour does deer this month. The Thursday session still has open spots; Saturday's is already waitlist-only, so grab Thursday while it lasts. Ages 2 to 5 with an adult. Details →

The little libraries wake back up — FREE
Thu 8/20 · 6pm to 7pm Back-to-School Bingo, Johnstown · plus tie dye Sat 12:30pm, Milliken
Johnstown and Milliken's libraries came back from summer break this week with a full slate: ABC Animal Storytime Tuesday morning in Milliken, watercolor apples Wednesday in Johnstown, Back-to-School Bingo with prizes Thursday evening, and a family tie dye session Saturday afternoon. Story time crews, reassemble. Details →

Friday splits three ways: monsters in Greeley, corn in Loveland, and a late shop night in Wellington. Saturday is the parade, the cake fight, and the backpack raffle. Sunday is for the Rams.

The Corn Roast Festival turns 130 — FREE entry
Fri 8/21 · 5pm to 10pm + Sat 8/22 · parade 9:30am downtown, festival 11am to 8pm · Fairgrounds Park, 700 S Railroad Ave, Loveland
Loveland's oldest party, and it earns the number: roasted corn by the ear, food trucks, an inflatable kids zone both days, the corn shucking contest Friday at 5:30, and a Styx tribute band closing Friday night. Saturday starts with the parade rolling from Fairgrounds Park up Railroad and back down Cleveland at 9:30, then it's cornhole at noon, live music all afternoon, and the Rotary duck race at 4. Details →

The last Monster Day ever — FREE
Fri 8/21 · kickoff concert 6pm to 10pm, 9th St Plaza + Sat 8/22 · 12pm to 5pm, 8th and 9th St Plazas, downtown Greeley
Ten years of monsters, and Greeley is calling it: this is the final Monster Day, from the town that builds the world's haunted house creatures at Distortions Unlimited. Expect the creatures out on the plazas, 80+ themed vendors, costume contests, and live mask-making, all raising money for the Don't Be A Monster anti-bullying campaign. Costumes encouraged, cameras mandatory. If your kids have never seen it, there is no next year. Details →

Wellington’s late night stroll — FREE
Fri 8/21 · 4pm to 8pm · Cleveland Ave, downtown Wellington
Mingle on Main is Wellington's third-Friday stroll: shops open late with specials, activities scattered down Cleveland Ave, and the town out on the sidewalk. Pairs suspiciously well with this week's coffee stop below. Details →

El Loco Fandango on the lawn — FREE
Fri 8/21 · 6pm to 8pm · East Lawn at Foothills, Fort Collins
Music on the Lawn keeps its Friday streak with El Loco Fandango, the vendor market, and the kids zone hosted by the Toy, Game and Puzzle Library. One more after this: Dreamboat Annie closes the season on the 28th. Details →

Top Gun under the stars in Severance — FREE
Fri 8/21 · 8pm to 10pm · Severance Library lawn, 5 Timber Ridge Pkwy, Severance
The Clearview library crew rolls the 1986 original out on the patio and green space: blankets, lawn chairs, snacks, and light refreshments provided. The library pitches it to grown-ups, so kids under 18 need their adult along; it's rated PG and the flyovers hold up. Registration optional but capacity is limited. Details →

A backpack raffle and haircut deals in Wellington — FREE
Sat 8/22 · 10am to 2pm · Wellington Manor, 3922 Cleveland Ave, Wellington
The Back to School Family Bash fills the Manor with the whole pre-first-bell checklist: deals on kids' haircuts, a backpack raffle, a back-to-school photo shoot, face painting, games, and a vendor market. Wellington and Weld RE-4 kids are already back; consider it a victory lap for them and a warm-up for everyone else. Details →

Fútbol at Hero Fest — FREE
Sat 8/22 · 10am to 2pm · Front Range Village, 2720 Council Tree Ave, Fort Collins
Canvas Credit Union's first responder festival: climb-through emergency vehicles, a bounce house and inflatables, a mobile petting zoo, food trucks, and a live DJ. The Showdown part is real: local first responders play a soccer match from 11 to 1 with help from the Colorado Rapids and Aggies FC, benefiting frontline mental health nonprofit Revital. Details →

A community cake fight at Kroh Park — FREE
Sat 8/22 · registration 12pm, cake flies at 1pm · Kroh Park, 5200 N Garfield Ave, Loveland
The Cake War is exactly what it sounds like: neighbors gather, cakes are thrown, everyone leaves frosted. Bring a cake you're willing to sacrifice, clothes you're willing to bury, and water. Free for throwers and spectators; minors need a parent signature on the waiver. This is the event your kids will describe to their grandchildren. Details →

Workwear time travel in Greeley — FREE
Sat 8/22 + Sun 8/23 · 9am to 3pm · Centennial Village Museum, Greeley
Another free 50th-anniversary weekend at the living history museum, themed Faded Fashions: Saturday tours the historic buildings through what people actually wore to work, and Sunday kids make a mountain-man-style possibles bag to carry their own essentials. Two weekends left in the free series. Details →

Ram Fan Fest takes Old Town Square — FREE
Sun 8/23 · 1pm to 3pm · Old Town Square, Fort Collins
CSU football kicks off its first Pac-12 season, and the team comes downtown first: meet the players and coaches, collect autographs, family activities on the square, and game tickets and gear if you're in deep. Green and gold optional but appreciated. Details →

One last full week of summer for the FoCo and Loveland crowd: food trucks and jousting Tuesday, a symphony and s'mores Friday, peaches by day and telescopes by night Saturday, and a watermelon showdown to close it out Sunday.

The Peach Festival at Civic Center Park — $10 admission, kids under 12 FREE
Sat 8/15 · 11am to 7pm · Civic Center Park, 225 Laporte Ave, Fort Collins
Sixteen years in, and still the best-smelling Saturday in Fort Collins: Palisade peaches by the box, peach pie and peach ice cream while they last, food trucks, and three bands running all day (A Brother's Fountain at 11:30, the eight-piece funk of Titonic at 1:45, Rootbeer Richie's New Orleans R&B at 5). The kids' pie-eating contest goes at 4 on the main stage, under 12 only, first come. It's run entirely by volunteers from the NoCo Rotary clubs, and the proceeds go back to local nonprofits. Get your hand stamped and you can come and go all day. Details →

FoCo Food trucks are still rolling on — FREE
Tue 8/11 · 5:30pm to dusk · City Park, Fort Collins
The Food Truck Rally rolls on Tuesdays through September 15, and with the summer series season behind us it's the reigning weeknight anchor: a lineup of trucks by Sheldon Lake, free live music (this week: Flock of Hummingbirds), and lawn space to burn off dinner. It's a 96 degree day, so stake out shade early and bring the water bottles. Details →

Jousting night at The Exchange — FREE
Tue 8/11 · 3pm to 9pm · The Exchange, 200 N College Ave, Fort Collins
Family Fun Tuesdays is down to its second-to-last night, and this week's rotating inflatable is a jousting arena. Let them settle sibling disputes the medieval way while dinner comes from the Exchange's food windows. Final one is next Tuesday. Details →

Read to a therapy dog — FREE
Tue 8/11 · 4pm · Loveland Public Library, 300 N Adams Ave, Loveland
Waggin' Tales pairs beginning readers with registered therapy dogs who have never once corrected anyone's pronunciation. Low pressure, high tail wags, built for kids still finding their reading legs. Details →

Claire Wright at One Sweet Summer — FREE
Wed 8/12 · plaza opens 6pm, music 6:30 to 8:30pm · The Foundry Plaza, downtown Loveland
Two Wednesdays left in the season, and this one belongs to Claire Wright. The FNBO kids zone runs its crafts and games in its corner of the plaza the whole time, food vendors line the edges, and the splash pad does the babysitting. Details →

Magic night at The Exchange — FREE
Thu 8/13 · 7:30pm to 9:30pm · The Exchange, 200 N College Ave, Fort Collins
Tricky Thursdays week two: Dan Jasperson works the courtyard with sleight of hand close enough to argue with. Your kids will spend the drive home explaining how the trick definitely worked. Thursdays through September 3. Details →

Friday is books, symphonies, and s'mores; Saturday is peaches by day and eagles and telescopes by night; Sunday is a watermelon showdown at the farmers market.

The Rocky Mountain Book Fair — $7 adults · kids, students, and teachers FREE
Fri 8/14 · 1pm to 7pm + Sat 8/15 · 10am to 4pm · Pedersen Toyota Center, The Ranch, Loveland
The Rocky Mountain Book and Paper Fair is the largest rare and collectible book event in the Mountain West: 50+ dealers with old maps, vintage postcards, original prints, and books older than the state, plus hands-on printing activities. One $7 ticket covers both days; kids, students, and teachers walk in free, and parking is free too (validate your plate inside). Details →

Little Crafters at the Farr library — FREE
Fri 8/14 · 11am to 11:30am · Farr Meeting Room, Farr Regional Library, Greeley
A half-hour hands-on craft for little kids and their grown-ups, sized exactly right for preschool attention spans. Second and fourth Fridays every month, so it's back on 8/28 if you miss it. Details →

Downtown Loveland does Friday night big — FREE
Fri 8/14 · symphony 6pm to 8:30pm at The Foundry Plaza
Two-for-one: it's Night on the Town, the second-Friday art walk where the galleries hold opening receptions and street corners get chalk artists and musicians, and this month The Loveland Orchestra plays Symphony on the Plaza at the Foundry, free, 6 to 8:30. Stroller down the gallery block, land at the plaza for the second half. Symphony → · Art walk →

Last Men on Earth on the lawn — FREE
Fri 8/14 · 6pm to 8pm · East Lawn at Foothills, Fort Collins
Music on the Lawn keeps its Friday streak: Last Men on Earth on the stage, the vendor market alongside, and the kids zone hosted by the Toy, Game and Puzzle Library again. Two Fridays left in the season. Details →

S'mores with a side of wolverines — FREE, registration required
Fri 8/14 · 6:30pm to 8pm · Coyote Ridge Natural Area, south of Fort Collins
A naturalist talks wolverines at the cabin (yes, Colorado has a wolverine story now), then everyone makes campfire s'mores. The cabin is a flat mile from the lot, so build in walking time and pack flashlights for the way back. Register through the city's calendar. Details →

Timnath's market morning at Pedro's — FREE
Sat 8/15 · 9am to 2pm · Pedro's Coffee Shop, Timnath
The Timnath Connect Market fills Pedro's with local makers, small businesses, and neighbors. Longtime readers will recognize the host: Pedro's was stop 4 on our coffee tour, so order accordingly. Details →

A bike tune-up before the first bell — FREE
Sat 8/15 · 10am to 3pm · Harmony Library, 4616 S Shields St, Fort Collins
The city's FC Moves crew runs a drop-in Bike Fix-It Bonanza: flat repairs, brake and gear adjustments, and safety checks, no appointment needed. School starts next week; the bike should be ready before the backpack is. Details →

Time travel stays free in Greeley — FREE
Sat 8/15 + Sun 8/16 · 9am to 3pm · Centennial Village Museum, Greeley
Another free 50th-anniversary weekend at the living history museum, this one themed "Eating Up the Past: Native Delicacies," with hands-on activities and demonstrations about how Weld County has eaten across the centuries. Fitting for the week the whole calendar went food-first. Details →

Eagles at dinner, telescopes after dark — FREE, register for skygazing
Sat 8/15 · eagle program 6pm to 7:30pm, Running Deer Natural Area, Fort Collins · skygazing 8pm to 10pm, Bobcat Ridge Natural Area, west of Loveland
Pick your Saturday nature night, or sprint both. At Running Deer a naturalist teaches the trick to telling bald eagles from goldens and hawks; at Bobcat Ridge the Northern Colorado Astronomical Society sets up telescopes in the paved lot, which means strollers and wheelchairs roll right up to the eyepiece. Eagles → · Skygazing →

A watermelon showdown at the farmers market — FREE
Sun 8/16 · market 9am to 1pm · Fairgrounds Park, 700 S Railroad Ave, Loveland
The Loveland Farmers Market goes full Watermelon Daze: an eating contest split by age group (5 and under, 6 to 9, 10 to 13), ten spots per group, register at the market that morning. Heats run mid-morning, and it is exactly as messy as your kid is hoping. (Exact heat times are on the market's Facebook event; see flag list.) Details →

Summer's encore week: the concert series and the fair all play their final nights, Thursday glows and foams, and the Weekend of Art takes over Loveland Saturday and Sunday with Poudre RiverFest next door.

The Weekend of Art takes over Loveland — FREE · $10 adults, kids 14 and under FREE
Sat 8/8 and Sun 8/9 · Art in the Park: Sat 10am to 5pm, Sun 10am to 4pm, North Lake Park · Sculpture in the Park: Sat 9:30am to 5pm, Sun 9:30am to 4:30pm, Benson Sculpture Garden
The two shows that earn Loveland its art-town reputation, across the street from each other on the same weekend. Art in the Park is Colorado's longest running artisan festival, 59 years in, with about 250 booths and free shuttles from the parking lots. Sculpture in the Park is billed as the largest outdoor juried sculpture show in the country: 160 artists, more than 2,000 pieces, and a kid discovering that bronze bears are cooler than screens. Art in the Park → · Sculpture show →

The fair's actual last lap — FREE
Tue 8/4 · 4pm to 10pm · The Ranch, Loveland
The Larimer County Fair closes tonight: one more evening of free admission, free parking, the carnival midway, and the 4-H barns. The PRCA rodeo also runs its final performance at 7pm in Blue Arena (that one's ticketed, via AXS). Last chance to add your family's artifact to the Colorado Capsule before it disappears until 2076. Fair → · Rodeo →

Zootopia 2 plays twice this week — FREE 
Tue 8/4, 8pm at Boardwalk Park, Windsor · Fri 8/7, sundown at WildWing Park, Timnath
One movie, two lawns, zero dollars. Windsor screens it tonight at Boardwalk Park, and Timnath runs it Friday at WildWing with face painting, yard games, and dessert trucks (Island Smoothie and Mary's Mountain Cookies) before the show. Miss one, catch the other. Windsor → · Timnath →

National Night Out, two nights running — FREE
Tue 8/4 · 4pm to 7pm · Berthoud Town Park & Wed 8/5 · 4:30pm to 7:30pm · Blue Spruce Park, Severance
The nationwide meet-your-first-responders night, done two ways. Berthoud goes Tuesday with sheriff and fire vehicles to climb through, an inflatable obstacle course, a petting zoo, and free hot dogs for the first 500. Severance takes its turn Wednesday evening with its own police department hosting at Blue Spruce Park. Berthoud → · Severance →

Inflatables in the courtyard at The Exchange — FREE
Tue 8/4 · 3pm to 9pm · The Exchange, 200 N College Ave, Fort Collins
Family Fun Tuesdays run through August 18: rotating inflatables and games in the courtyard, with the Exchange's food and drink windows right there. The rare downtown stop where the kids burn energy and dinner is a ten foot walk. Details →

Kids on the Plaza says goodbye, then the plaza turns up — FREE
Wed 8/5 · Kids on the Plaza 12pm to 2pm, plaza opens 6pm, music 6:30pm · The Foundry, downtown Loveland
The season's final Kids on the Plaza goes out big: a UNC science demo, a DJ Brandon dance party, lawn games, crafts, and the splash pad. Come back at 6:30 when Gasoline Lollipops plug in for the One Sweet Summer concert, kids zone running the whole time. Kids on the Plaza → · Concert →

Blend your own tea at Orion's Apothecary — $20 per child, tickets required
Wed 8/5 · 2:30pm · Orion's Apothecary, 270 E 29th St, Loveland
Kids build their own herbal tea blend from the dried-herb wall: smelling, tasting, and deciding like tiny apothecaries. An adult sticks around for the class, and the blend goes home with them. The shop flags it as filling fast. Details →

Storytime in the gardens — FREE
Wed 8/5 · 2pm to 2:30pm · Gardens on Spring Creek, Fort Collins
The Poudre River library takes storytime outside, and the Gardens covers admission for up to 75 people. Built for ages 0 to 6: books, songs, and a garden to wander after. Details →

Popsicles in the Park at Beattie Elementary — FREE
Wed 8/5 · 6pm to 7:30pm · Beattie Elementary playground, 3000 Meadowlark Ave, Fort Collins
Fort Collins Parks and Rec kicks off the back-to-school season the right way: playground time, frozen treats, and a first look at the fall activity lineup. Low effort, high popsicle. Details →

GLOW swim night at the Winona pool — FREE under 2 · $5 to $7 by age
Thu 8/6 · 8pm to 10pm · Winona Outdoor Pool, Osborn Park, Loveland
The pool stays open past bedtime, turns the music up, and hands out glow sticks while they last. Second and final glow night of the summer, concessions open, spectators $3.50. The rare event where "swim under the stars" is the literal description. Details →

A foam party at the Greeley library — FREE
Thu 8/6 · 5:30pm to 6:30pm · Farr Meeting Room, Farr Regional Library, Greeley
The library ends its summer with a giant dance party, a bubblebath playground, and snow cones. Swimsuits and towels are, in the library's own words, highly recommended. No registration, just show up sudsable. Details →

Magic night opens at The Exchange — FREE
Thu 8/6 · 7:30pm to 9:30pm · The Exchange, 200 N College Ave, Fort Collins
Tricky Thursdays start tonight: magician Dan Jasperson works the courtyard with sleight of hand and crowd-favorite tricks, Thursdays through September 3. Little Man ice cream is steps away, which is its own kind of magic. Details →

Windsor's boardwalk plays its finale — FREE 
Thu 8/6 · 6:30pm to 8:30pm · Boardwalk Community Park, Windsor
The Thursday concert series closes its season with Ninety2k, food trucks on site, lake behind the stage. If your kids spent the summer dancing barefoot at Boardwalk Park, this is the night to let them do it once more. Details →

A movie under the Berthoud sky — FREE 
Thu 8/6 · dusk · Fickel Park, Berthoud
The last night of Berthoud Main Street's summer movie series. Blankets, chairs, and a picnic dinner welcome; the title lands on their Facebook closer to the night. Details →

Back-to-School Readiness Day — FREE
Thu 8/6 · 5:30pm · Tutoring Excellence of Loveland, E 29th St, Loveland
A free school-year warmup for K-12: a 15-minute reading or math check, parent tips from the tutors, prize drawings, and free school supplies while they last, one per student. Bring a friend and you're both in the drawing. Details →

Friday is rivers, reggae, and two First Friday art walks; Saturday stacks the Weekend of Art, Poudre RiverFest, and Bug Day; Sunday opens with K-Pop and closes with marshmallows.

Wade the Poudre with a net — FREE
Fri 8/7 · 9:30am to 12pm · Lee Martinez Park, Fort Collins
The city's Natural Areas crew hands your kids dip nets and collecting trays and lets them hunt the river for whatever wiggles, with biologists on hand to name the catch. All ages. Registration is suggested rather than required, but last year's session had a waitlist, so claim a spot early. Details →

First Friday, in stereo — FREE
Fri 8/7 · Greeley 5pm to 8pm · Fort Collins 6pm to 9pm
Both downtowns run their First Friday art walks the night before Loveland's big art weekend, which makes this an accidental three-town art festival. Greeley's businesses host creative activations and installations from 5; Fort Collins runs its self-guided tour through 40+ galleries, museums, and shops from 6. Free, stroller-paced, leave when the kids fade. Greeley → · Fort Collins →

Berthoud's End of Summer Bash — FREE
Fri 8/7 · 6pm to 8pm · Berthoud Rec Center at Waggener Farm Park
Berthoud closes its summer with live music, local eats, and a lawn full of neighbors. Bring chairs and an appetite; the rec center brings the rest. Details →

Friday Fest goes reggae for the finale — FREE 
Fri 8/7 · 6pm to 10pm · 9th St Plaza, downtown Greeley
Greeley's plaza party closes its season as Reggae Fest with The Mash Up, plus the series regulars: balloon artists, stilt walkers, face painters. Standing honest note: it's a go-cup district, so take the kids early and hand the late shift to the college crowd. Details →

Music on the Lawn: Cactus Cat — FREE
Fri 8/7 · 6pm to 8pm · East Lawn at Foothills, Fort Collins
Cactus Cat takes the East Lawn with the vendor market alongside, and this week the kids zone is run by the Toy, Game & Puzzle Library, which is exactly what it sounds like. Fridays here run through the end of August. Details →

A mom's morning at Jessup Farm — Cost varies
Sat 8/8 · 9am to 12pm · Jessup Farm Artisan Village, Fort Collins
One for the grown-ups: Girls' Saturday Morning Out fills the Artisan Village with market shopping, wellness activities, and an outdoor fitness class (pilates, yoga, bootcamp, or spin, depending on the week). Trade kid duty with someone and go. Details →

Poudre RiverFest — FREE
Sat 8/8 · 11am to 5pm · New Belgium Brewing, 500 Linden St, Fort Collins
A whole festival about the river your kids will wade in the day before: 65+ exhibitor booths, hands-on river education, free yoga and painting classes, food trucks, and live music from Cary Morin Duo, Antonio Lopez, Desiderata, and Slow Caves. It's hosted on New Belgium's grounds, so there's beer for the tall people; the programming is squarely for the small ones. Details →

Bug Day at Bath Garden Center — FREE
Sat 8/8 · 10am to 12pm · Bath Garden Center & Nursery, 2000 E Prospect Rd, Fort Collins
Two hours of insects with people who actually study them: CSU and NoCo Wildlife experts, a Bring Your Coolest Bug contest with prizes, mask making, face painting, and a group ladybug release at noon. If your kid keeps things in jars, this is their Super Bowl. Details →

Time travel is free in Greeley this weekend — FREE
Sat 8/8 and Sun 8/9 · 9am to 3pm · Centennial Village Museum, Greeley
The living history museum runs another free 50th-anniversary weekend, this one themed Celebrations and Parties: cultural crafts, historic cooking demos, butter churning, and wool carding. Your kids will not believe butter used to be a chore. Details →

A K-Pop dance party built for kids — Tickets required
Sun 8/9 · doors 10:30am, show 11am · Aggie Theatre, Fort Collins
GOLDEN turns the Aggie into an all-ages morning dance floor: K-Pop hits, movie soundtrack remixes, and pop anthems, costumes encouraged. A real venue show that's over before nap time. Details →

Make marshmallows from scratch — $20 per child, tickets required
Sun 8/9 · 3pm · Orion's Apothecary, 270 E 29th St, Loveland
The weekend's sweetest exit: kids learn to make marshmallows the traditional way and carry a bag of them home. An adult comes along; the sugar high is included in the price. Details →

Birthday week: the Larimer County Fair opens Friday with fireworks both weekend nights, Colorado turns 150 on Saturday with Greeley hosting, and the summer concert series are taking their bows.

The Larimer County Fair opens Friday — FREE
Fri 7/31 to Tue 8/4 · Fri 4pm to 10pm, Sat and Sun 10am to 10pm, Mon and Tue 4pm to 10pm · The Ranch, Loveland
Round two of fair season, and the price didn't move: free admission, free parking. Carnival Americana runs the midway, the 4-H barns are open, and the Main Stage is free every night, with Greeley's own The Burroughs closing it Sunday at 9. The showstoppers: fireworks Friday and Saturday at 9pm, and a free pancake breakfast Sunday 7am to 9am by the equine center. Details →

Rio closes the $3 summer at the Rialto — $3
Tue 7/28 · 10am and 2pm · Rialto Theater, downtown Loveland
Last call on three dollar Tuesdays: Rio wraps the Rialto's family film series today. A 1920s theater, a loud blue macaw, and change back from a five. See you next summer. Details →

Mountain Buddies play Library Park in Wellington — FREE
Tue 7/28 · 10:30am to 11:30am · Wellington Public Library lawn
Storytime moves outside: Mountain Buddies bring a stomp-like-a-dinosaur, sing-along set to the library lawn. Chairs, blankets, sunscreen, water. Kids who make it earn a music brag tag. Details →

Books by lamplight in Greeley — FREE 
Tue 7/28 · 8pm · Midnight Oil Bookstore, 827 10th St, downtown Greeley
The bookstore stays open late for a lamplight sale: new and used stacks, hot cocoa in hand, lights down low. A school night treat for the reader kid who thinks staying up past eight is the real event. Details →

Downtown Loveland's Wednesday one-two — FREE
Wed 7/29 · Kids on the Plaza 12pm to 2pm, plaza opens 6pm, music ~6:30pm · The Foundry, downtown Loveland
Noon brings lawn games, crafts, and the splash pad for Kids on the Plaza. Come back in the evening for Johnny & The Mongrels playing swamp funk and bayou soul at the One Sweet Summer concert, kids zone running the whole time. Kids on the Plaza → · Concert →

Dino teeth at the Johnstown library — FREE
Wed 7/29 · 10am to 12pm · Glenn A. Jones Memorial Library, Johnstown
A drop-in dinosaur craft morning for the little paleontologist: this round they're making dino teeth. You get two air conditioned hours; they get fangs. Details →

Dinosaurs in virtual reality at Old Town Library — FREE 
Wed 7/29 · 6pm · Old Town Library, Fort Collins
The library straps the kids into immersive dinosaur worlds with its own VR gear, which means the expensive headset is theirs, not yours. Check the event page for ages and registration before you go. Details →

Thursday lawns: one finale, one encore — FREE
Thu 7/30 · Loveland 7pm · Windsor 6:30pm
Loveland's Foote Lagoon series says goodnight for the season with HomeSlice Band, a nine piece with a horn section. Windsor's Boardwalk Thursday rolls on with food trucks and face painting, second to last of the summer; the town hadn't posted this week's band where we could reach it, so tap the link. Foote Lagoon → · Windsor →

Friday splits three ways (wizards, bounce houses, fireworks), then Saturday belongs to Colorado's birthday, and Sunday the fair makes you breakfast.

A birthday party for The Boy Who Lived — FREE
Fri 7/31 · from 10am · The Dragon and Cone, 3728 Cleveland Ave, Wellington
Wellington's fantasy ice cream shop goes full Hogwarts for Harry's birthday: house sorting, wizard pong, trivia, and a costume contest, with 10% off butterscotch brew and pumpkin juice. Free cockroach candy with every ice cream, which is exactly as Honeydukes intended. Details →

Kids in the Park at Twin Silo — FREE
Fri 7/31 · 4pm to 7pm · Twin Silo Park, 5480 Ziegler Rd, Fort Collins
Fort Collins wraps Parks and Rec Month with the works: bounce houses, giant bubbles, a bike rodeo, touch-a-truck, eight food trucks, and Funky Business on the stage. The apple playground handles whatever energy is left. Details →

Friday Fest: The Burroughs at home — FREE 
Fri 7/31 · 6pm to 10pm, music ~6:30pm · 9th St Plaza, downtown Greeley
Greeley's hometown horn-driven soul band plays the plaza, and if you miss them Friday, they close the fair Sunday night. Standing honest note: it's a go-cup district, so take the kids early and hand the late shift to the college crowd. Details →

Music on the Lawn: Max Mackey & Friends — FREE
Fri 7/31 · 6pm to 8pm · East Lawn at Foothills, Fort Collins
Max Mackey & Friends take the East Lawn with the vendor market alongside. Not a finale, for once: Fridays here run through the end of August. Bring dinner or buy it there. Details →

Sounds of Centerra says goodbye: Be Kind Rewind — FREE
Fri 7/31 · 7pm to 9pm · Chapungu Sculpture Park, Loveland
The series finale doubles as the Thompson Education Foundation's Back to School Night: Be Kind Rewind covers the 90s and 2000s while the kids hit the 360 photo booth and giveaway tables. Eighteen summers of this series and it still ends too soon. Details →

Colorado turns 150, and Greeley hosts the party — FREE
Sat 8/1 · ceremony 10am to 11am · Bittersweet Park, 3500 16th St, Greeley
The state's actual sesquicentennial, marked with 400 flags on the Bittersweet Park lawn, youth performers, and free hot dogs and apple pie while they last. Make it a full Greeley Saturday: farmers market on 7th Street 8am to noon first, then Centennial Village runs free admission all weekend, 9am to 3pm, with a 150 Years of Colorado theme. Ceremony → · Centennial Village →

K-Pop on the lawn — FREE
Sat 8/1 · 10am to 11am · East Lawn at Foothills, Fort Collins
Uplift Dance & Fitness teaches a free K-Pop dance class, all ages, zero experience required. Your kid will pick up the choreography in ten minutes. You have one hour to embarrass them; use it well. Details →

Berthoud's library built your weekend — FREE
Fri 7/31 2pm + Sat 8/1 12pm to 2pm · Berthoud Community Library
Friday is a family matinee with free popcorn and juice, and Saturday is the End of Summer Reading party: games, face painting, food, and the last prize drawings of the season. Reading logs due, heroes made. Details →

Seal something in the Colorado Capsule — FREE
Fri 7/31 to Tue 8/4 · Fri from 4pm, Sat and Sun from 10am · The Ranch, Loveland
A statewide time capsule for America's 250th and Colorado's 150th, filling up at the fair: families add stories, photos, and small artifacts, sealed until 2076. Your kids can tell their grandkids they're in there. Details →

Kids Markets at the fair — FREE 
Sun 8/2 · from 10am · The Ranch, Loveland
A market day where the vendors are kids: young makers sell their stuff as the fair rolls around them. Come for the pancake breakfast at 7, stay for the eight year old CEOs. Details →

The PRCA Rodeo at Blue Arena — Tickets required
Sun 8/2 · doors 6pm, rodeo 7pm · Blue Arena at The Ranch, Loveland
The fair's one paid ticket: bull riding, barrel racing, and Mutton Bustin', with a sensory room and sensory bags available. Runs Sunday through Tuesday; tickets via AXS. Details →

Fair week: the Weld County Fair runs free through Monday, Saturday doubles up with a parade and the Arts Picnic, and Thursday night there's a drone show over Windsor.

The Weld County Fair, free all week — FREE
Now through Mon 7/27 · Island Grove Park, Greeley
The 108th Weld County Fair is that increasingly rare thing, a fair with no admission charge, no parking fee, and free entry to most events. Livestock shows, 4-H exhibits, and the game yard run all week, and the calendar has treats tucked in: a movie night with Ferdinand and a Front Range Revival concert Wednesday, a free pancake breakfast Thursday 7am to 10am, and Sunday wraps with the VetteFest car show and a free community BBQ. Details →

Ferdinand at the Rialto — $3
Tue 7/21 · 10am and 2pm · Rialto Theater, downtown Loveland
Ferdinand is having a big week in NoCo: three dollars at the Rialto today, then free on a screen at the Weld County Fair Wednesday night. Today's version comes with a real 1920s theater and working AC, and two showtimes to work around a nap. Details →

A free family day in Downtown Loveland — FREE
Wed 7/22 · Kids on the Plaza 12pm to 2pm, concert 6:30pm · The Foundry, downtown Loveland
The Wednesday double feature rolls on. At noon, Kids on the Plaza brings a Zumbini dance party plus science demonstrations from UNC's physics and earth sciences crews, with the splash pad steps away. Come back at 6:30 as Shakedown Street, Colorado's longtime Grateful Dead tribute, plays the free One Sweet Summer concert with the Kids Zone running crafts and games. Kids on the Plaza → · One Sweet Summer →

Lagoon Concert Series finale: Titonic — FREE
Wed 7/22 · 6:30pm to 8:30pm · Plum St & Meridian Ave, CSU campus, Fort Collins
The last one of the summer, so soak it in. Titonic, an eight-piece Fort Collins funk and soul outfit, closes the season with the usual food trucks (Walrus Ice Cream included) and a backpack drive for School is Cool. Construction is still affecting the site and Lot 310, so park free in the Engineering or Morgan Library lots. Details →

Wade the River at Lee Martinez Park — FREE 
Wed 7/22 · 9:30am to 12:00pm · Poudre River beach at Lee Martinez Park, Fort Collins
The city hands your kids dip nets and collecting trays and lets them hunt river critters in the Poudre, with biologists standing by to identify the catch. Water shoes and a towel in the car. The city calendar lists the date but not the hour, so check the link before you go. Details →

A drone show over Boardwalk Park — FREE
Thu 7/23 · 6:30pm to 8:30pm · Boardwalk Community Park, Windsor
Windsor's Thursday concert goes big: Crystal Visions plays Fleetwood Mac while Stories in the Sky, a statewide Colorado 150 aerial storytelling tour, puts a drone show overhead. Food trucks, face painting, and cornhole as usual. Bonus for the littles: the Clearview bookmobile parks at the same park 1pm to 2pm with games and STEAM activities, so you could make it a full Windsor Thursday. Concert → · Bookmobile →

More Thursday lawns, town by town — FREE
Thu 7/23 · Loveland 7pm · Greeley 7pm
Loveland's Foote Lagoon gets The Spicy Pickles, a funk and soul dance band with Hannah Rodriguez on vocals. Greeley's Family FunPlex closes its season with the John Mills Orchestra and its timeless jazz arrangements. Loveland → · Greeley →

Friday is a pick-your-town night, and then Saturday splits the difference: parade in Loveland at 9:30, Arts Picnic in Greeley all day, and markets everywhere.

Windsor's free Friday: rec center by day, Goonies by night — FREE
Fri 7/24 · rec center all day, movie at 8pm · Windsor
The Community Recreation Center throws its doors open free for the day: lazy river, water slide (play features on at 10am), two gyms, and a 23-person hot tub for whoever earned it. Kids 9 and under need someone 16 or older along. Then Boardwalk Park screens The Goonies at dusk. It's PG and a touch intense for the smallest, call it best for about 8 and up. Never say die. Free entry day → · Movie →

Music on the Lawn at Foothills — FREE
Fri 7/24 · 6pm to 8pm · East Lawn at Foothills, Fort Collins
Colorado Swing plays the East Lawn with the Makers Hive vendor market alongside and a play zone run by the Toy, Game, and Puzzle Library, which is exactly the babysitter a lawn concert needs. Lawn chairs, dinner from the vendors, done. Details →

Sounds of Centerra: That Eighties Band — FREE
Fri 7/24 · 7pm to 9pm · Chapungu Sculpture Park, Loveland
Neon, big hair, and every 80s anthem you already know all the words to, plus classic cars and a costume contest before the show. Dress the kids in the loudest colors you own and teach them what a keytar is. Grass seating, bring the lawn chairs and blankets. Details →

Friday Fest: the Arts Picnic Kickoff — FREE
Fri 7/24 · 6pm to 10pm, music around 6:30 · 9th St Plaza, downtown Greeley
Downtown Greeley's street party opens Arts Picnic weekend with Tumbledown Shack's mountainbilly bluegrass and a roving cast of balloon artists, stilt walkers, face painters, and magicians. One honest note for the planning parent: it's also a go-cup district, so the vibe drifts from block party toward bar crawl as the night goes on. Go early, catch the entertainers, and save Lincoln Park for Saturday. Details →

Community Neighbor Nights in Johnstown — FREE
Fri 7/24 · 6pm · Johnstown YMCA grass field
Johnstown's turn, at last: an evening of food vendors, live music, and carnival style games run by the TRPR crew on the YMCA field. The June edition ran 6pm to 9pm with the band at 7:30; the town hadn't posted July's lineup at press time, so expect the same shape. Details →

Family Camp Out at Boardwalk Park — $15, registration required
Fri 7/24 5pm to Sat 7/25 8am · Boardwalk Community Park, Windsor
Windsor sets up the whole first-campout experience a five minute drive from your own bed: campfire, fishing, paddle boats, a dusk movie on the big screen, dinner and a light breakfast included. Bring the tent, sleeping bags, and bug spray. Registration required and this one will fill. Details →

The 143rd Larimer County Fair Parade — FREE
Sat 7/25 · 9:30am · Downtown Loveland
Floats, horses, and 4-H clubs roll through downtown to kick off the 143rd Larimer County Fair (the fair itself opens Friday, see below). Claim shade on Cleveland or Lincoln early, bring the wagon, and let the kids wave at everything. Details →

Greeley Arts Picnic — FREE
Sat 7/25 9am to 5pm · Sun 7/26 10am to 4pm · Lincoln Park, downtown Greeley
The 47th Arts Picnic fills Lincoln Park with 150 plus artist booths, food trucks, two stages, roving circus performers, and a Creation Station tent where the kids make their own art while you browse the real thing. Saturday night there's also a free concert at the Union Colony Civic Center lot, headlined at 8pm by Rootbeer Richie, last seen packing the CSU lawn. Arts Picnic → · Saturday concert →

The Berthoud Market at Town Park — FREE
Sat 7/25 · 9am to 1pm · Town Park, Berthoud
Berthoud's Saturday market with live music and a free weekly kids craft from the Wildfire Arts Center, which has quietly become the move for young market-goers. Pastries for the walk, veggies for the week. Details →

Old-fashioned games at the Milner-Schwarz House — FREE
Sat 7/25 · 10am to 1pm · Milner-Schwarz House, 710 S Railroad Ave, Loveland
The Loveland Historical Society opens the grounds for a morning of old-fashioned lawn games, kids activities, old-time music on the porch, and a Colorado statehood flag raising. Pairs neatly with the parade a few blocks north: parade at 9:30, time travel by 10:30. Details →

Sunday wind-down: read to a dog, or make something — FREE
Sun 7/26 · Fort Collins 3pm to 4pm · Greeley 1pm to 4pm
Two quiet ways to land the week. At Harmony Library, kids in grades K to 5 read to certified therapy dogs and cats (the animals stay about an hour, arrive early). At Greeley's LINC, the Maker Studio runs a drop-in family craft afternoon, supplies included. Harmony → · LINC →

Saturday goes full summer, four parties in four towns, and two free pool nights kick it all off tonight.

FoCo Food Truck Rally — FREE 
Tue 6/16 · 5:30pm to dusk · City Park, Fort Collins
A rotating lineup of trucks and free live music. Grab dinner, let the kids run, skip cooking on a Tuesday. Details →

Two free pool nights, tonight — FREE -
Tue 7/14 · 6pm to 8pm · Winona Outdoor Pool, Loveland + Chimney Park Pool, Windsor
Yes, tonight, and yes, both are actually free. Loveland's Parks & Recreation Foundation opens Winona for a free evening swim, first 200 people are free, and Windsor runs its own free twilight swim at Chimney Park the very same hours. Suits on, dinner solved by a snack bar, everyone sleeps well. Pick the pool closest to home. Winona, Loveland → · Chimney Park, Windsor →

Ice Age at the Rialto — $3
Tue 7/14 · 10am and 2pm · Rialto Theater, downtown Loveland
Heads up, the Rialto's three-dollar family movies run Tuesdays this summer, and today's is Ice Age. A real theater, working AC, and tickets cheaper than the popcorn. Two showtimes to work around a nap. Details →

Popsicles in the Park — FREE
Wed 7/15 · 9am to 11am · Sanborn Park, Greeley
An easy Wednesday morning: playground time, other parents to talk to, and a popsicle to seal the deal. Hosted by Christ Community Church's Tiny Tots crew, and it is not a drop-off, so stay and hang out. Details →

A free family day in Downtown Loveland — FREE
Wed 7/15 · Kids on the Plaza 12pm to 2pm, concert 6:30pm · The Foundry, downtown Loveland
Make a whole day of it again. At noon, Kids on the Plaza brings Emergency Services Day, so the kids can climb around the big trucks and meet first responders, then dance it out with DJ Brandon. Come back at 6:30 as the Poudre Valley Playboys play the free One Sweet Summer concert, with the Kids Zone (crafts, games) running so the little ones have their own spot. Kids on the Plaza → · One Sweet Summer →

Lagoon Concert Series: Rootbeer Richie — FREE
Wed 7/15 · 6:30pm to 8:30pm · CSU Lagoon, Fort Collins
Fort Collins' favorite lawn concert rolls on with Rootbeer Richie and his eight-piece swamp-pop ensemble, plus the usual food truck lineup. One heads-up this week: construction is affecting the concert site and Lot 310, so check CSU's parking page before you load the wagon. Details →

The Sandlot on the driving range — FREE
Wed 7/15 · shortly after sunset · Collindale Golf Course, Fort Collins
A movie night on a driving range. Bring a blanket or lawn chairs, settle in as the sun drops, and note the heat hangs on after sunset, so pack water. Stay FOR-EV-ER. Details →

Sugar Britches at the Pioneer Courtyard — FREE
Wed 7/15 · 5:30pm to 8:30pm · Little Thompson Valley Pioneer Museum, Berthoud
Berthoud's turn: the honky-tonk outfit that packed the CSU Lagoon in June plays the museum's outdoor Sunnyside Stage, with food and drink for purchase. A small-town summer evening, no ticket required. Details →

Thursday concerts, town by town — FREE
Thu 7/16 · Loveland 7pm · Windsor 6:30pm · Greeley 7pm
Loveland's Foote Lagoon gets Material Girl, a full-band Madonna tribute with costumed backup dancers. Windsor's Boardwalk Park has the Parlor Pickers plus food trucks. Greeley's Family FunPlex brings back Kream of the Krop, a 17-piece big band. Low chairs, blankets, done. Loveland → · Windsor → · Greeley →

StoryWalk Storytime at Lakeview Park — FREE
Thu 7/16 · 10am to 10:30am · Lakeview Park, Severance
Severance celebrates a brand-new book installed on the park's StoryWalk, with a storytime to match and 25 take-home craft kits, first come, first served. Built for the 0 to 5 crowd. Details →

Tiny Trekkers: It Takes 3 To Be Me — FREE, registration required
Thu 7/16 at Lions Open Space, Laporte
Sat 7/18 at River Bluffs Open Space, Windsor · 10am to 11am
July's theme is insects: the 2-to-5 crowd learns what makes a bug a bug, catches a few, and hears a story. Note the two sessions are at two different open spaces, and the free registration fills, so book your date online. Thu 7/16 → · Sat 7/18 →

Downtown Summer Sales — FREE
Thu 7/16 to Sun 7/19 · store hours · Old Town Fort Collins
The sidewalk sale tradition that goes back to the 1970s: four days of deals from 60-plus locally owned shops, in stores and out on the sidewalks. Starts Thursday, not Friday, so the early birds get Thursday. Details →

Saturday is the day to circle. Four towns are throwing four very different parties, and every one of the first three is free.

Dino Yoga Stay-n-Play — FREE
Fri 7/17 · 10:30am to 11:15am · Centennial Park Library, Greeley
Move, roar, and yoga like a dinosaur: poses, music, toys, and a craft for the baby-through-preschool set. Space is limited and dinos are punctual, so arrive early. Details →

Cars in Timnath Community Park — FREE
Fri 7/17 · face painting and yard games from 7:30pm, movie at sundown · Timnath Community Park
Timnath's free movie night lands on Cars, with themed face painting, yard games, and dessert trucks before the show (the Divine Ice Cream truck is confirmed). Camp chairs, blankets, pajamas encouraged. Details →

Family Swim Night in Milliken — $20 per household
Fri 7/17 · evening (listed 5:30pm, confirm) · Milliken Waterworks Pool
One flat $20 covers the whole household: pool admission, family games, inflatables, music, plus a slice of pizza, a drink, and a cool treat each. Outside food is fine, glass is not. Register online ahead. Details →

River District WonderCrawl — FREE
Sat 7/18 · 3pm to 9pm · River District, Fort Collins, Wolverine Farm Publick House
The marquee. A free neighborhood street party where you hop, stroll, and crawl between art, live music, food trucks, street performers, and a scrap metal art competition. The puppet parade is open to everyone, so bring a puppet or make one there, and dress whimsical. Details →

Brickies Creation Festival — FREE
Sat 7/18 · 12pm to 5:30pm · Old Town Square, Fort Collins
An entire festival made of LEGO: building zones, competitions, LEGO art stations, face painting, and hourly LEGO set giveaways, benefiting a local horse rescue. It sits a few blocks from the WonderCrawl, so the ambitious can stack both into one epic downtown day. Details →

Boulder Taiko at Library Park — FREE
Sat 7/18 · 11am to 12pm · Library Park, next to Wellington Public Library
Thunderous traditional Japanese drumming, outdoors, followed by a hands-on workshop where the kids get to try the drums themselves. Bring a blanket or camp chairs, sunscreen, and water. Worth the drive to Wellington for this one. Details →

Foam Party at LINC — FREE
Sat 7/18 · 11am to 12pm · LINC Library west parking lot, Greeley
Ann Lincoln turns a parking lot into a giant foam dance party with a serious sound system. Towels in the car, kids in the bubbles. Parking is limited, so arrive early or park a block out. Details →

Great Chimney Cook Out pool party — $6
Sat 7/18 · 12pm to 5pm · Chimney Park Pool, Windsor
Windsor's big pool bash: food trucks, bounce houses, and yard games wrapped around an afternoon of swimming, all for six bucks. Towels and sunscreen, and make a Windsor morning of it at the farmers market at Boardwalk Park first (8am to 12:30pm). Details →

Dino Discovery Lab at the Loveland Library — FREE
Tue 7/7 · 10:15am · Loveland Public Library
Stomp, chomp, and dig in. A drop-in discovery lab built for the 2 to 5 crowd, with STEAM stations to excavate dinosaurs, build skeletons, make volcano art, and splash through a sensory swamp. A great use of a Tuesday morning for little hands. Check the library calendar in case space is limited. Details →

A free family day in Downtown Loveland — FREE
Wed 7/8 · Kids on the Plaza 12pm to 2pm, One Sweet Summer concert 6:30pm · The Foundry, downtown Loveland
Make a whole day of it. At noon the Foundry splash pad turns on and Loveland Parks & Rec rolls out lawn games and free arts and crafts for Kids on the Plaza. Come back in the evening as the free Wednesday Night Concert season opens with Wendy Woo, and this year there's a dedicated Kids Zone (crafts, games) so the little ones have their own spot while you catch the music. Bring a blanket. Kids on the Plaza → · One Sweet Summer →

Lagoon Concert Series: 80s Night — FREE
Wed 7/8 · 6:30pm to 8:30pm · CSU Lagoon, W. Plum St & Meridian Ave, Fort Collins
The other big free show on Wednesday, and one of the most-loved in NoCo (it packs 3,000-plus onto the lawn). This week is 80s Night with That Eighties Band, so dig out the neon. A rotating lineup of food trucks (Walrus Ice Cream, Mary's Mountain Cookies, and more) means dinner is handled. Bring low chairs or a blanket. Details →

Family Movies at the Rialto: Moana — $3
Wed 7/8 · 10am and 2pm · Rialto Theater, downtown Loveland
The perfect plan for the hot part of the day: a real theater, a family favorite, and tickets are just three dollars. Two showtimes give you room to work around a nap. Details →

Kids Tea Making at Orion's Apothecary — $20 per child
Wed 7/8 · 2:30pm · Orion's Apothecary, Loveland
A hands-on class where kids blend their own herbal tea from dried herbs and take some home. A calm, curious little afternoon for the ones who like to mix and measure. Space is limited, so register ahead. Details → 

Fort Fun's 25th Anniversary — $25
Wed 7/8 · from 10am · Fort Fun, Fort Collins
The go-karts, mini golf, and bumper boats on East Mulberry turn 25, and Fort Collins' family fun center is throwing a community celebration to mark it. A classic NoCo afternoon of laps and laughs, now a quarter century in. Details →

Loveland Summer Concert Series — FREE
Thu 7/9 · 7pm · Foote Lagoon Amphitheater, 500 E. 3rd St, Loveland
The free Thursday concert season opens with Ain't No Mountain High Enough, a Motown and Stax revue rolling through the Supremes, the Temptations, and Marvin Gaye. First-come seating on the lawn, so bring low chairs or a blanket. Details →

Windsor Summer Concert Series — FREE
Thu 7/9 · 6:30pm to 8:30pm · Boardwalk Community Park, Windsor
A lakeside Thursday tradition with live music, food trucks, and vendors, plus face painting and a cornhole league. Spread a blanket by the water and let the kids roam. Details →

Greeley Summer Concert Series at the Family FunPlex — FREE
Thu 7/9 · 7pm · Family FunPlex, Greeley
Greeley's free summer series brings live music to the FunPlex, all ages welcome. An easy, low-key Thursday night out on the east side of NoCo. Details →

Summer Movies in the Park: GOAT — FREE
Thu 7/9 · around 8pm at dusk · Fickel Park, Berthoud
Berthoud's outdoor movie night returns to Fickel Park with GOAT, this year's PG animated underdog story about a little goat with big hoops dreams (produced by Steph Curry, so the basketball is legit). Bring blankets, camp chairs, and a picnic, and settle in as the film starts at dusk. Details →

The Butterfly House at the Gardens on Spring Creek — $8 kids (2-17), $11 adults, $9 seniors/military
Any day this week · The Gardens on Spring Creek, 2145 Centre Ave, Fort Collins
A tropical room full of free-flying butterflies, open year-round, and a lovely reset on a hot or unpredictable afternoon. Little kids especially love it when one lands nearby. Book a timed ticket online before you go. Details →

Night on the Town in Downtown Loveland — FREE
Fri 7/10 · evening · Downtown Loveland
One for date night, or an easy wander with the older kids: downtown's monthly second-Friday art walk, with gallery openings, live entertainment on the corners, and shops and restaurants staying open late with specials. Line up a sitter and go graze. Details →

Girls' Saturday Morning Out at Jessup Farm — FREE Market | Classes Vary
Sat 7/11 · from 9am · Jessup Farm Artisan Village, Fort Collins
One for the grown-ups (kids welcome for the market and a donut): the Artisan Village hosts a farmers market plus outdoor wellness classes (yoga, pilates, bootcamp) in a walkable little courtyard of shops and coffee. An easy, unhurried Saturday morning. Details →

FoCo Food Truck Rally — FREE 
Tue 6/30 · 5:30pm to dusk · City Park, Fort Collins 
A rotating lineup of trucks and free live music. Grab dinner, let the kids run, skip cooking on a Tuesday. Details →

Kids on the Plaza — FREE 
Wed 7/1 · 12pm to 2pm · The Foundry, downtown Loveland
Splash pad, lawn games, and crafts every Wednesday all summer. The reliable downtown reset for a hot afternoon. Details →

Berthoud 3rd of July at Waggener Farm Park — FREE
Fri 7/3 · from 5pm · Waggener Farm Park, Berthoud
Berthoud gets a head start on the holiday with more than 30 food trucks, inflatables, lawn games, and live music (DJ Drake at 5, Tumbledown Shack at 7), capped by a big fireworks display at dusk. A full family evening the night before the 4th. Details →

Good news: you don't have to go far. All over NoCo, parades and festivals fill the day, then fireworks light up the night sky, from Loveland to Fort Collins and even over to Estes. The shows start late, most after 9:15, so plan the nap. Here's the day, town by town.

Fort Collins: Independence Day Community Celebration — FREE 
Sat 7/4 · all day, fireworks ~9:35pm · City Park, Fort Collins 
The fullest day-long lineup in NoCo, and this year it doubles as the country's 250th and Colorado's 150th. The FireKracker 5K runs at 7:30am, then food trucks, free live music, and the Family Fun Zone and a Touch-a-Truck fill the east playground through the early afternoon, with the City Park Pool open noon to 4pm and free trolley rides from noon to 5pm. A new Walk Through History adds a Field of Honor, costumed re-enactors, and a Liberty 250 exhibit. Fireworks close it out over Sheldon Lake around 9:35pm. Details →

Loveland: July 4th Festival — FREE
Sat 7/4 · festival from 11am, parade 4pm, fireworks ~9:17pm · North Lake Park, 2750 N. Taft Ave, Loveland
Fireworks are back at Lake Loveland this year. Start at North Lake Park with the Lions Club barbecue (11am to 5pm) and the kid-sized Buckhorn Train (noon to 8pm), then settle in for the Kids' Zone (games, face painting, music from 4pm), food trucks, and the Loveland Concert Band at 8pm before the fireworks launch from the north side of the lake around 9:17pm. Details →

Greeley: Stampede Finale + Independence Day Parade — Parade free; grounds $5 adults
Sat 7/4 · parade 9am, fireworks ~10pm · Downtown Greeley + Island Grove Regional Park
Greeley goes all out on the 4th. It starts with Colorado's largest Independence Day parade at 9am (this year's theme is "Celebrating Colorado," with 130-plus floats, bands, and horses rolling east along 10th Avenue from the UNC campus to Lincoln Park), and it is free to line up and watch. The Stampede grounds then run all day on its final day (free stage music, the Western Art Show, carnival, and a demolition derby; $5 adult grounds admission). The night ends with what the Stampede is billing as the state's biggest fireworks show at 10pm. Details →

Windsor: 4th of July Celebration — FREE
Sat 7/4 · activities from 12pm, fireworks ~9:15pm · Boardwalk Park at Windsor Lake, Windsor
A lakeside classic. Vendors and family activities run from noon to 9:30pm, the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra plays a free concert at 7:15pm, and the fireworks go up over Windsor Lake right after, around 9:15pm. Bring picnic baskets, blankets, and lawn chairs (no tents). Details →

Timnath: 4th of July Celebration — FREE
Sat 7/4 · from 6pm, fireworks ~9:30pm · Timnath Reservoir, Timnath
Timnath's pyro-musical show over the reservoir is one of the area's biggest, choreographed to music. The kids' activities, live music, and fireworks are all free, kicking off at 6pm. (You only need a reservoir permit if you want to be on the water before 4pm.) Details →

Wellington: 4th of July — FREE
Sat 7/4 · pancake breakfast 7am, parade 10am, festival 11am to 2pm, fireworks ~9:39pm · Wellington
Wellington's marquee day of the year, and it starts with breakfast: a community pancake feed runs 7am to 10am, then the parade heads down Cleveland Avenue at 10am. From 11am to 2pm the Family Festival fills Wellington Community Park (splash pad, playgrounds, yard games, inflatables, food trucks) and a Main Street Market runs in Centennial Park, with more around town through the afternoon. Fireworks light up around 9:39pm. Details →

Berthoud: Bells of Berthoud Ring Out — FREE
Sat 7/4 · 2:50pm · Fickel Park, Berthoud
A small, lovely one: the Berthoud Historical Society leads a town-wide ringing of church bells at 2:50pm to mark Independence Day and Colorado's 150th. A two-minute moment of something old-fashioned in the middle of a loud, sugary day. Details →

Lovely Lit Books grand opening — FREE
Mon 7/6 · from 9am to 1pm · Pedro's Coffee, Timnath
Just past this week, but worth the heads-up: a NoCo mobile bookstore celebrates its grand opening at Pedro's Coffee in Timnath. Books and a good cup, two of our favorite things in one stop. (@lovelylit.books)

Greeley Stampede — VARIES (lots is free; rodeo and concerts are ticketed) 
Wed 6/24 thru 7/5 · Island Grove Regional Park, Greeley
The week's headliner. For families the heart of it is the Kids Korral: a petting zoo, face painting, the Sheep Stampede, and a longhorn parade down the midway every evening at 6. Add the carnival (wristbands at the box office), free Park Stage music, and a demolition derby, and you can make a whole day of it. The rodeo and the SuperStars concerts are ticketed if you want the big nights. Details →

FoCo Food Truck Rally — FREE 
Tue 6/23 · 5:30pm to dusk · City Park, Fort Collins
A rotating lineup of trucks and free live music. Grab dinner, let the kids run, skip cooking on a Tuesday. Details →

Kids on the Plaza: Dance Party — FREE 
Wed 6/23 · 12pm to 2pm · The Foundry, downtown Loveland
Splash pad, lawn games, and crafts every Wednesday all summer. The reliable downtown reset for a hot afternoon. Details →

Windsor Summer Concert: Chelsey Webb — FREE 
Thu 6/25 · 6:30pm to 8:30pm · Boardwalk Park, Windsor
Live music and food trucks by the lake. Pack a blanket and let the kids dance it out before bed. Details →

Lagoon Concert Series — FREE
Wed 6/24 · 6:30pm · Lory Student Center West Lawn, CSU, Fort Collins
Country, rock, pop, and funk on the lawn on a warm night. Spread a blanket and let the kids wear themselves out. Details →

Marshmallow Making for Kids — $20 per child (tickets required)
Wed 6/24 · 2:30pm · Orion's Apothecary, Loveland
Kids learn to make marshmallows the old-fashioned way, then take a batch home. A small, hands-on win for a hot afternoon. Details →

Glow Swim Nights at Winona Pool — Under 2 free, $3.50 to $7 otherwise
Thu 6/25 · 8pm · Winona Outdoor Pool, Chilson Center, Loveland
A late-night swim under the stars with music, glow sticks, and concessions. The rare plan that might actually tire them out before bed. Details →

Greeley Friday Fest — FREE 
Fri 6/26 · 6pm to 10pm · 9th Street Plaza, downtown Greeley 
Greeley's weekly street party, this week with 2MX2 on stage. Live music, food vendors, and a kids zone. Details →

Movies in the Park: GOAT — FREE 
Fri 6/26 · at dusk · Lakeview Park, Severance
A free outdoor movie under the stars (this week's pick is rated PG). Bring blankets, chairs, and a kid who can make it to the credits. Details →

Larimer County Farmers' Market — FREE 
Sat 6/27 · 9am to 1pm · 200 W Oak St, Old Town Fort Collins
The marquee market, turning 50 this year. Peaches, kettle corn, and a stroller-friendly morning. Details →

Music on the Lawn at Foothills — FREE 
Fri 6/26 · 6pm · Foothills Mall East Lawn, Fort Collins
Live local music every Friday alongside the FoCo Vintage Market. Grab a lawn chair and dinner from the trucks. Details →

Movie on the Lawn: Honey, I Shrunk the Kids — FREE 
Sat 6/27 · 8pm · The Hub at Kinston, Centerra, Loveland
An outdoor family movie night on the lawn. Bring chairs, blankets, and your favorite people. Details →

Kids Summer Solstice Arts & Crafts — $20 per child (register ahead)
Sat 6/27 · 4pm · Bath Garden Center, Fort Collins
Flower crowns, a solstice spirit stick, and nature weaving for ages 4 to 10. Details →

Pollinator Palooza — FREE 
Sat 6/27 · 11am · Mountain Roots Gardens, Milliken
An all-ages garden festival with a scavenger hunt, crafts, plant specials, and raffles.
Details →

FoCo Food Truck Rally — FREE 
Tue 6/16 · 5:30pm to dusk · City Park, Fort Collins
A rotating lineup of trucks and free live music. Grab dinner, let the kids run, skip cooking on a Tuesday. Details →

Promenade Kids Day — FREE 
Wed 6/17 · 11am to 2pm · Promenade Shops at Centerra, Loveland 
Face painting, crafts, a scavenger hunt, a DJ, and the Colorado bird lady. Three hours of kid stuff, zero admission. Details →

Kids on the Plaza — FREE 
Wed 6/17 · 12pm to 2pm · The Foundry, downtown Loveland
Splash pad, lawn games, and crafts every Wednesday all summer. The reliable downtown reset for a hot afternoon. Details →

Windsor Summer Concert: Bridger Teton — FREE 
Thu 6/18 · 6:30pm to 8:30pm · Boardwalk Park, Windsor
Live music and food trucks by the lake. Pack a blanket and let the kids dance it out before bed. Details →

Fort Collins Juneteenth Celebration — FREE 
Fri 6/19 from 6pm + Sat 6/20 9am to 7:30pm · Foothills Mall, Fort Collins
Two days themed "Belonging": live performances, a vendor market, and youth and family activities. Details →

Greeley Friday Fest — FREE 
Fri 6/19 · 6pm to 10pm · 9th Street Plaza, downtown Greeley 
Greeley's weekly street party, this week with Tony Exum Jr. on stage. Live music, food vendors, and a kids zone. Details →

Ice Cream & Treats Festival — FREE, treats $2 a ticket 
Fri 6/19 · 4pm to 9pm · The Foundry, downtown Loveland
A dozen-plus local creameries, a kids dance party, and a couple bucks a scoop. Details →

Verboten's 5th Street Block Party — FREE 
Sat 6/20 · 1pm to 10pm · 5th Street, Loveland 
Verboten shuts down 5th Street for a full-day block party: food, live music, and room to roam. Family-friendly all afternoon. Details →

Larimer County Farmers' Market — FREE 
Sat 6/20 · 9am to 1pm · 200 W Oak St, Old Town Fort Collins 
The marquee market, turning 50 this year. Peaches, kettle corn, and a stroller-friendly morning. Details →

Berthoud Skate-A-Palooza — FREE 
Sun 6/21 · 10am to 1pm · Waggener Farm Skate Park, Berthoud
A free morning at the skate park. Bring the board or come watch the big kids send it. Details →