Top 10: Art, Theater, & Film in Boulder

Our Local Expert Says:

Pack your own picnic for an instant dinner theater on the green, or purchase "Falstaff's Fare" in advance—check online for details. Literature and theater buffs will love the talkback discussions, held after most shows, with the director and crew. Take a free tour of Shakespeare Gardens, which grow herbs mentioned in the plays.

Description:

Considered one of the top three Shakespearean festivals in the United States, this 2-month annual event attracts more than 40,000 theatergoers between late June and late August. Held since 1958 in the University of Colorado's Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre, and indoors at the University Theatre Main Stage, it offers more than a dozen performances of each of four plays. Actors, directors, designers, and everyone associated with the productions are fully schooled Shakespearean professionals. Tickets run from $7 to $54 for single performances, with series packages also available.

Our Local Expert Says:

Even if you’re not looking for any art, chances are you’ll find something to take home from this wide selection of arts and crafts.

Description:

With tents lined up and down the walking mall of Pearl Street, the Boulder Art Fair is an event not to be missed. Local and regional artists converge to showcase their arts, crafts, and musical talents during this mid-summer event. Whether you're in the market for a piece of art or whether you're just interested in browsing from tent to tent, the Boulder Art Fair is a great way to spend the day. The Boulder Art Fair also has plenty of children's activities prepared to keep the kids happy and busy.

Our Local Expert Says:

The Boulder International Film Festival is one of the fastest growing film festivals in the country, so be sure to catch some films if you’re lucky enough to be in town during the festival.

Description:

Held annually on President's Day weekend, the Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF) shows many films, documentaries, and shorts that have gone from unknowns to Oscar nominees. With films screening all day and spread over three venues across town, the BIFF is a great place to discover independent filmmakers, directors, and stars. Look up the schedule on the BIFF's website to find out which films interest you.

Our Local Expert Says:

Help to preserve the annual Bike Shorts short film festival simply by attending! If the edgy films inspire a need for critical discussion, herd your friends into the neighboring Dushanbe Teahouse for some maté and movie criticism.

Description:

The Boulder Outdoor Cinema redefines going to the movies. Once a week during summer months, viewers set up lawn chairs and blankets on the green behind the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art and prepare to make noise. Yes, moviegoers are encouraged to sing along and call out lines from the film. The Applause-O-meter and contests like "Best Film Related Costume" promote audience participation and a lot of fun. A different classic or cult favorite runs each week. Past features have included The Wizard of Oz, War of the Worlds, and Pee Wee's Big Adventure. All shows are suitable for family entertainment.

Description:

Ed Trumble, founder and owner of Leanin' Tree Company, started selling greeting cards with a distinctive western flair to local ranchers over 50 years ago. As his business evolved, he began collecting original works from the artists that adorned the cards. In 1974, he opened a museum to display the works, and today it is one of the largest collections of Western art in the nation. Featuring 93 artists and an array of paintings and bronze sculptures, the museum has welcomed more than 500,000 visitors since its conception. The museum's gift shop offers an assortment of Western souvenirs including the famous Leanin' Tree greeting cards. Free admission.

Description:

Since 1977, Boulder's Dinner Theatre has been committed to providing live, Broadway-quality entertainment with fine dining to create a unique experience for groups, families and discerning theatre-goers. Members of our company have performed on stages all over the country, from New York and Chicago to Hollywood. They've been cast in sitcoms and feature films. Some have been nominated for Academy Awards. But they all call Boulder's Dinner Theatre "home."

Our Local Expert Says:

This is an interesting experience to explore artists’ studios that they have created in their own homes.

Description:

Once a year, during the first two weekends in October, the private art studios of Boulder open to the public. Rent bikes and enjoy a fall day in Boulder as you ride around Boulder, viewing studios of sculptors, painters, jewelers, and woodworkers among others, and speaking with the artists about their work. Open studios is a unique opportunity to watch artists at work in their own studios and to view art that is not exhibited elsewhere. Buy the guidebook to make your tour easier.

Description:

The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse was given to us by our sister city of Dushanbe. Built between 1987 and 1990, more than 40 artisans from cities across Tajikistan created the elaborate, creative elements of the Teahouse, including its hand-carved and hand-painted ceilings, columns, and ceramic panels. The Teahouse is in central Boulder, just next to Central Park and the Boulder Farmers' Market, making it a perfect place to stop for a midday tea. Choose between sitting indoors and marveling at its ornate decorations, or sit outside under the trellis and enjoy the sounds of the Boulder Creek trickling by.

Our Local Expert Says:

The museum hosts a monthly "NightLite" event in which visitors can enter the museum from 8-11 p.m., view the museum's collection, and enjoy various forms of live entertainment.

Description:

This multidisciplinary art museum, created in 1972 to exhibit the work of contemporary artists, has evolved into an exciting venue where one can expect to see almost anything art-related, from the lighthearted to the elegant, political to religious, by regional and international contemporary artists. There are special programs for young children and a variety of other events throughout the year. Performing arts -- from poetry and dance to music and drama -- are occasionally presented in the museum's "black box" performance venue. There are free tours during Farmer's Market (summer Saturdays) at 11am and kid's programs. Allow 30 to 45 minutes.

In addition, a separate organization puts on Saturday evening movie screenings in the adjacent parking lot in summer; classic movies such as Citizen Kane and cult classics are shown outside ($5 suggested donation per person; visit www.boulderoutdoorcinema.com for information). Take a lawn chair or blanket.

Description:

Established in 1941, the International Film Series (IFS) was Boulder's first art-house film series. The IFS played a crucial role in building up an audience in Boulder for the works by such directors as Akira Kurosawa, Ingmar Bergman, Federico Fellini, John Cassavetes, and many more. As other theaters took notice of this growing audience they also began to expand their programming and, up through the 1980's, there were many single-screen theaters in town, some of which were also dedicated to art-house cinema. While most of those screens are now defunct, the IFS remains committed to eclectic cinema that is locally programmed. The IFS screens over 100 films every year at its two venues, both located on the CU Campus.