Boulder offers a diverse culture and numerous art galleries, festivals, music and theatre events. It is considered one of the most liberal cities in Colorado and is home of the main campus of the University of Colorado, the state's largest university with 46,000 students. The community has a colorful history, and was popular with the counter-culture in the late 1960s.
There is an abundance of exciting activities and things to do in the Boulder area. Not only are there hundreds of events at the University of Colorado each year, the city of Boulder is home of the Boulder International Film Festival, Boulder Creek Festival, Colorado Chautauqua, which offers lectures, music, cinema, and more, the Bolder Boulder 10K race, and more.
Boulder is also home to a variety of music, from classical to jazz to pop, and from informal street performances to concert music performed in historic Macky Auditorium. Each summer brings the Colorado Music Festival, a six-week classical music festival with professional musicians from around the world. This event is held at the historic Chautauqua Auditorium at the base of the Flatirons. The Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra is a professional orchestra offering classic performances each season. Every January, Boulder hosts an annual celebration honoring Austrian composer Gustav Mahler called the Colorado MahlerFest. There is also the Boulder Chamber Orchestra, founded in 2004 by Bahman Saless, and the group offers unique and alternative programming and outreach to the community.
Boulder is very popular with outdoor enthusiasts as it is surrounded by more than 36,000 acres of recreational open space and nature preserves. The area offers world-class hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing. Boulder also is home to more than 23 colleges and professional schools, more than 1300 restaurants, 26 libraries, 67 public golf courses, seven museums and six movie theatres.
The city of Boulder is a progressive community that cares about the environment and strives for sustainability. It offers an incredibly diverse range of things to do, from shopping to hiking to theatre, art and music, and is home to many green businesses.
