By Eli Wallace
There’s never a shortage of events in Boulder. In fact, between 19 breweries, three colleges and innumerable arts offerings it’s hard not to get overwhelmed and instead spend the night with Netflix and a microwave dinner. The shortlist is here to help, with five events you’ll definitely not want to miss.
1. The Blind Cafe, Thur. 2/19 – Sat. 2/21
More than your average Dinner in the Dark, The Blind Cafe offers a vegetarian ‘Sensory Tasting Experience,’ a Q&A with the waitstaff and a concert designed with community connection in mind. In addition to imbuing patrons with a sense of being more aware and present in the world, The Blind Cafe partners with local blind organizations to raise funds and awareness for the local blind community.
As a popup event, who knows when your next chance for this experience will be! Tickets run from $65-195 on a sliding scale, with patrons encouraged to pay at the top tier of what they can afford. The break-even price of $85 is recommended.
2. The Wood Brothers at the Boulder Theatre, $25, Fri. 2/20 9pm
No strangers to the Boulder scene, The Wood Brothers’ sound has been described by NPR as, “gracious little songs [that] sound like they were born on a front porch during a beautiful sunset.” The brothers each built successful music careers in their own right, before realizing they ought to play together. The group blends soulful standup bass lines with classic country and bluesy elements. Tickets are sold out; if you don’t want to brave the scalpers, go to http://www.bouldertheater.com/ to view upcoming shows, and be sure to plan ahead.
3. SHREDfest at Boulder’s Shredder Play and Ski Gym, free, Sat. 2/21 4-7pm
With snow and seventy degree temperatures coming and going in waves, it’s difficult to predict whether or not the Great Outdoors will be available for play this weekend. Combine that with having energetic kids, and you have a conundrum on your hands. Luckily, the free SHREDfest at Shredder Play & Ski Gym will wear your kids out with fun activities that build ski and snowboard skills on an artificial ski slope. Raffle giveaways include tickets to Loveland, Li’l Kids Club ski session at Arapahoe Basin, and a full tune or rentals at Crystal’s Ski Shop, amongst other offerings.
4. Oscar Shorts: Animation at the Dairy Center for the Arts
Tired of guessing your Oscar winners based on titles? Add some context for Sunday’s Academy Awards by checking out the 2015 nominees for Best Animated Short at the Dairy Center for the Arts this weekend. Showings run from Wed. 2/18 to Saturday 2/21 for the animated shorts. This year’s list includes:
“The Bigger Picture,” Daisy Jacobs and Christopher Hees
“The Dam Keeper,” Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi
“Feast,” Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed (pictured above)
“Me and My Moulton,” Torill Kove
“A Single Life,” Joris Oprins
Multiple showtimes throughout the week. Purchase tickets ahead of time here.
5. Out of This World: A Choral Odyssey at the Fiske Planetarium
Fiske Planetarium on CU Boulder’s campus has one of the three highest resolution screens in the world (the other two are in China). If that isn’t cool enough for you, try adding the Ars Nova a capella singers to the mix—viewers are guaranteed to get goosebumps on this “constellation of sights and sounds.” Tickets are $5 for students, $25 for adults, and $20 for seniors. Showings on Saturday, 2/21, at 5 and 7pm; Sunday 2/22 at 6 and 8pm.
