Vine Arts & Entertainment: Butler’s choice

Mary Butler //July 1, 2009//

Vine Arts & Entertainment: Butler’s choice

Mary Butler //July 1, 2009//

PERFORMING ARTS

Cirque du Soleil: Kooza
Cirque du Soleil brings its show to Denver, Aug. 20-Oct. 4, under a special “Grand Chapiteau” big top to be erected next to the Pepsi Center. Kooza tells the story of The Innocent, “a melancholy loner in search of his place in the world,” and combines acrobatic performance and clowning. Tickets are $38.50-$215. (www.cirquedusoliel.com)

Boulder Fringe Festival
This unique 12-day event, Aug. 12-23, offers theatre, dance, circus art, cinema, spoken word, puppetry, workshops and storytelling from 70 artists at 14 venues throughout the already quirky city of Boulder.  (www.boulderfringe.com)

RODEO

Durango Pro Rodeo Series
Bulls, broncs and buckaroos populate the La Plata County Fairgrounds every Friday in June and Fridays and Saturday nights in July. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. (www.crossroadranchandrodeo.com)

Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series

Buy your rodeo tickets at the gate or dress the part and get your tickets at traditional Western wear retailer F.M. Light & Sons downtown Steamboat Springs before the show; Friday and Saturday nights at Romick Arena located in the town’s Howelsen Hill Park Complex.
(www.steamboatprorodeo.com)

MUSIC

Grand Junction Country Jam & Rock Jam
Some of country music’s biggest stars – including Pat Green, Jason Aldean and Clay Walker – perform in Grand Junction for Country Jam, June 25-28. Passes are $59 to $125; Grand Junction also hosts Rock Jam, Sept. 11-12, featuring Huey Lewis & The News, 38 Special and Los Lonely Boys. Passes are $49 to $69. (countryjamgjco.countryjam.com and rockjamgjco.countryjam.com)

Colorado Music Festival
The Colorado Music Festival runs June 27-Aug. 7 at Boulder’s Chautauqua Auditorium. Sundays feature chamber orchestra selections; Tuesdays, chamber and world music; and Thursdays and Fridays, festival orchestra. (www.coloradomusicfest.org)

Mile High Music Festival
Featuring two days of diverse offerings from headliners The Fray, Widespread Panic and Tool, as well as Buddy Guy, India.Arie, Gomez, Matisyahu, Pepper and Jerry Joseph & the Jackmormons, among others. The July 18-19 festival will be at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in
Commerce City. Tickets are $90 to $162.50. (www.milehighmusicfestival.com)

RockyGrass
For bluegrass fans, the annual RockyGrass festival is akin to a pilgrimage to Mecca; July  24-26 at Planet Bluegrass in Lyons. This year features bluegrass legends Sam Bush, Earl Scruggs and Hot Rize. Tickets are sold out, but check out the Festivarian Forum to connect with sellers. Also in Lyons at Planet Bluegrass is the more mainstream Folks Festival, Aug. 14-16, featuring Madeleine Peyroux, Rufus Wainwright and Susan Tedeschi, among others. Festival passes begin at $50. (www.bluegrass.com)

FILM & FESTIVALS

Telluride Film Festival
Often described as the film festival that Sundance used to be before all the hype, the venerable Telluride Film Festival, aka Show, turns 36 this year and runs Sept. 4-7.  (www.telluridefilmfestival.org)

Aspen FilmFest
While Aspen’s official film festival celebrates its 31st birthday Sept. 30-Oct 4, the city offers another independent film festival of sorts all summer long, with its Summer FILMS program, July 5-Aug. 16 on Sundays and Mondays at the Paepcke Auditorium.
(www.aspenfilm.org)

Beetlefest
Frisco offers a dose of fun, mixed in with education and awareness about the pest that has devastated Colorado pine forests, with its 2nd Annual Beetlefest on Sept. 12. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Main Street, the event benefits the Dillon Ranger District and features entertainment including lumberjack shows, a bug petting zoo and a 5K beetle stomp. (www.townoffrisco.com)

CARS
Pikes Peak International Auto Climb

If you haven’t yet been to the top of Pike’s Peak, this July 19 event in Colorado Springs provides a perfect opportunity to enjoy the mountain. The 2nd oldest motorsports race, the auto climb has been going since 1916. The course covers 12.42 miles, includes more than 156 turns (averaging a 7 percent grade) and finishes at 14,110 feet. Spectators are welcome to watch cars, trucks, motorcycles and quads compete to win. The road is open 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.; the race begins at 9:30 a.m. Race week events begin July 14.
(719) 685-4400 or www.ppihc.com)        

BIO:Read “Butler’s Choice” for top entertainment picks online weekly at cobizmag.com. Sign up for the ColoradoBiz A&E e-mail newsletter, delivered to your in-box every Thursday.

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