Though summer is winding down and students will soon be heading back to school, the long afternoons and warm evenings still beckon everyone to soak up their remaining weeks of summer. With recent city temperatures in the high 80’s and 90’s, Boulder Creek offers a refreshing outdoor adventure for the daring and relaxed alike.

Winding its way through the downtown Boulder, the Creek provides over 8 miles of floating, fishing, and splashing. On any given summer day you’re likely to see crowds lounging by the water and groups of tubers (the activity, not the vegetable) carried along by the current.

The upper half of the Creek has faster flowing water, more rocks, and technical spots, and is a good place for experienced tubers. The second half moves at a more relaxed pace, and anyone regardless of skill level can enjoy a fun ride here.

Tubes are available for rent at Boulder’s Whitewater Tube Co., or you can buy your own at the local Conoco, Big O’ Tires, or McGuckin Hardware. Simply inflate your tube at a gas station air pump and make your way down to the water.

Boulder Creek is popular with tubers and fishermen as well as joggers, walkers, and loungers, and safety and awareness are always important when visiting the creek. The water can get crowded so it is important to keep an eye out for other groups and make sure you always know where the water is taking you. Whitewater Tubing offers a few other safety tips to remember:

• Wear a life preserver and helmet
• Wear good shoes and avoid flip flops which easily fall off
• Always assess and reassess the situation to stay safe

With the beauty of Boulder’s outdoors surrounding you, it’s hard to stay inside even on the hottest of days. Grab a tube and head down to Boulder Creek for a classic end-of-summer cool down.

Picture this: heading out for a night on the town with drinks, a little shopping, and…painting? If you’re tired of your usual Saturday night routine, stop by PoshSplat, a recent addition to Pearl Street and Boulder’s first all-in-one wine bar, art studio, and boutique.

Located in the heart of downtown Boulder on Pearl and 15^th, this self-proclaimed “cure for the ordinary night out” offers step-by-step painting classes taught by local artists. The studio holds up to 60, and Posh supplies everything you need to get creative, including brushes, paints, canvass, aprons, and $3 beer and wine by the glass.

You can choose your class by date or based on the painting you like best, as shown on Posh’s event calendar. Though everyone in the class will end up with a version of the same painting, adding your own artistic flair is encouraged and applauded. The step-by-step classes all cost around $35. If you want to do your own thing, you can take advantage of the studio space and materials during an open studio session for a lower price.

PoshSplat is owned by two couples whose goal was to create a creative and original venue for fun-loving Boulder-ites. Customers appreciate that Posh is locally and family owned, and die-hard Buff fans will easily connect with the owners who are all University of Colorado alumni.

Posh is also invested in the local community, offering its space to community groups, businesses, and nonprofit organizations. In August, Post will be hosting two nights in support of Out Boulder!, a social justice organization aiming to create a safe and supportive environment for Boulder’s LGBTQ community. A portion of each ticket sold on Saturday, August 20^th will go to support the Boulder Pridefest. Choose from two times and paintings:

• 10:00 to12:30 pm to paint “Birds in the Blue Green World.” Complimentary mimosas included.
• 6:30-9:00 pm to paint “Aspens.”

Whether you are an avid painter, an occasional artist, or have never picked up a paintbrush in your life, PoshSplat offers you the space to stretch your creative muscles while enjoying good company, delicious drinks, and inspiring atmosphere.

On Saturday mornings and Wednesday evenings, downtown Boulder hums with the chatter of crowds and the almost tangible aromas of fresh produce, cheese, baked goods, and cooking foods.

What began in 1987 a small gathering of farmers has expanded into a group of around 150 participants coming together to bring produce and homemade goods to Boulder residents and visitors alike. As a non-profit membership organization, the Boulder County Farmer’s Market works to support Boulder County farmers and make a lifestyle of sustainable and local agriculture possible.

At the Farmer’s Market you’ll find all your traditional produce favorites like carrots, peaches, tomatoes, apples, and beans, as well as some unconventional products like seedless yellow watermelon and crayfish. Other vendors sell flowers, eggs, homemade soaps, and goat cheese. If you feel like browsing rather than buying, you can fill up on the wide variety of samples of everything from granola to salsa.

The vendors at the Farmer’s Market use sell both conventional and certified-organic produce. Because they don’t sell their goods to grocery stores, these farmers make a substantial part of their living at the Farmer’s Market. Prices at the Market are generally higher than you would find at the grocery store, but many find it well worth the price to support local farmers and walk away with freshly-picked organic and sustainably grown food.

The Farmer’s Market also holds monthly craft and art fairs as well as giving space to local musicians to play and get their names known. The Market is open:

• Every Saturday morning 8 am to 2 pm April through November
• Every Wednesday evening 4 am to 8 pm from May to October

If you want a chance to wander the Boulder streets and enjoy an assortment of fresh foods and funky people, the Boulder County Farmer’s Market makes for a memorable and delicious place to explore.

If you followed this year’s Tour de France, you were sure to have seen the stunning performances and bike-tire’s length wins as well as the downright carnage that marked this year’s course. Every rider that finished all 21 stages without mishap had cause to feel proud, but for the Tour’s top American rider Tom Danielson, finishing 9^th overall in his first Tour de France was a “dream come true.”

Thirty-three year old Danielson has had an impressive cycling career to date, making a name for himself by winning China’s Tour of Qinghai Lake in 2002. Since then, his accomplishments include racing in the Vuelta a Espana and finishing 7^th in 2005, 6^th in 2006, and 9^th in 2010. However, it was his success in more recent races—finishing 3^rd in the Amgen Tour of California and 9^th in the Tour of Switzerland that prompted team manager Jonathan Vaughters to choose Danielson to race in the Tour on team Garmin-Cervelo.

Originally considered only a team helper for other Garmin-Cervelo riders like Christian Vande Velde and Ryder Hesjedal, Danielson surprised many by finishing ahead of both his teammates and keeping pace with the top riders including Alberto Contador and the Schleck brothers. After three weeks and over 2,200 miles of sweat and stamina, Danielson had completed the Tour in 9^th place, no small feat for a rookie rider.

Now, this Boulder resident is set to compete on August 9^th in the Tour of Utah, a race that spans a total of 409 miles beginning in Park City, Utah and ending at the Snowbird Ski Resort 6 days later. On August 22^nd, Danielson will ride in the first-ever USA Pro Cycling Challenge. This course covers over 500 miles of Colorado’s most challenging mountains in 7 days, and Danielson hopes to crush the competition and take the lead on his home turf.

In Boulder, there’s never a shortage of festivals and events to awaken your sense of community and creativity and give you a taste of that unmistakably tangy and passionate Boulder vibe. On August 13, don’t miss your chance to share in the second annual Poetry in Motion event hosted by the Boulder International Fringe Festival.

Poetry in Motion is a unique gathering of poets, filmmakers, dancers, and choreographers who use each other’s work as inspiration for their own. This year, the Poetry in Motion Project is soliciting poetry based on the theme “available space.” Accepted poems will be given to either a filmmaker, dancer, or choreographer who will then create a project inspired by the poem. On August 13, the artists will get to share their work with the community in a daylong celebration of arts and culture.

The most exciting part of the Project is that anyone can participate. You don’t need to be a professional or famous artist. You need only have passion, inspiration, and ten dollars to cover the entrance fee (without which the Project would not be able to run.) If you are interested in participating, the entrance deadline for poets, dancers, and filmmakers has been extended to August 1.

Hosted by the Boulder International Fringe Festival, The Poetry in Motion Project is proof that “art generates art.” The idea that art is not an isolated event, that creativity spreads organically and in many directions is one of the key beliefs that drives Boulder Fringe. Their goal is to infuse the Boulder community with uninhibited art and to support local businesses at the same time. In 2007, Boulder Fringe poured $750,000 into the Boulder and Colorado economies through their events, and they continually push for economic development through art.

Whether you are moved to watch or to participate, the Poetry in Motion project will give you an opportunity to explore a wide variety of media and gather with other passionate people. Join the crowd and be inspired as Poetry in Motion transforms Boulder’s streets into a canvass of images, movement, and words.