It’s time to get off the sidelines! 

For the past two years, many of us have put so much on hold and spent more time at home. We live in the foothills of Colorado where there is so much to do and now that Spring is here, all the outdoor festivals and fun are just around the corner.

Stop sitting on the sidelines and get back into enjoying all that we love about our community.

Evergreen has so much to offer for you. The season kicks off with the Annual Rodeo and Rodeo Parade on Father’s Day weekend, June 18 and 19. This event brings in national talent each year into our backyard while offering fun for the whole family. If you have a child between 5 and 7 years old who has not yet tried the Mutton Bustin, it is a must do and the pictures will become part of your holiday greeting card!

Is music your jam? The Evergreen Parks and Recreation summer concert series at the lake is back. Each of the three concerts will showcase local, up-and-coming talent in the early acts followed by more widely known headliners. The dates for this summer are June 22, July 20 and August 10. The Evergreen Music Festival has retooled for this summer and will have a full day of amazing musical talent on Saturday, June 25 under the name of Hops n Drops. This reshaped event will include music all day and evening, a beer garden, great food, and lots of fun for the whole family. If jazz is more your style, the Evergreen Jazz Festival will return for the weekend of July 29-31. Center for the Arts is offering outdoor concerts in the evenings on June 24, July 15, August 26 and September 30. Music lovers, there is no reason why you are not in heaven this summer right here in Evergreen!

If a more traditional form of art is your preference, then be sure to mark your calendars for Summerfest on July 23-24 and the Fine Art Festival on August 27-28. There will also be new art installations at the Center for the Arts Evergreen gallery throughout the summer and Sculpture Evergreen will install new sculptures around our community in early June. While I am no artist, I always appreciate the vision artists create through their works of art. The summer art season will conclude with Open Door Studios the weekend of September 17-18 where we all get to visit artists in their studios to enjoy their art, and in some cases, get to watch them creating.

If you are more of a mover and a shaker and want to jump in and get some exercise, we have two 5K races in our community. The first is the July 4^th Freedom Run organized by Mount Evans Home Health Care & Hospice and the second is the Town Race, returning in 2022, on August 7 organized by The Alpine Rescue Team. Both are fundraisers for the respective nonprofits, and both are appropriate for a comfortable jog or a competitive run.

For those who like to enjoy the short golf season in the foothills, there are two events that may speak to you. The Chamber will be hosting a golf scramble called “Evade the Elk Golf Scramble” on June 22 at the Evergreen Golf Course. The Andy Smith Golf Tournament takes place at Hiwan Golf Course on July 18.

If you don’t care to get all sweaty and just like to enjoy good food, visiting with friends and neighbors and our wonderful mountain weather, then consider the Big Chili Cook Off on September 10 followed closely by Taste of Evergreen at the Lake House on September 20. The farmer’s market, previously hosted at Evergreen Country Day, will be moving to the Hiwan Homestead Museum parking lot and kicks off June 14.

Car enthusiasts can continue to enjoy Cars and Coffee on Saturday mornings beginning at the end of May and don’t forget to purchase your ducks this summer for the Dam Duck Derby dropping in at the Evergreen Dam on Saturday, August 6.

More details on all these events can be found at evergreenchamber.org. I look forward to seeing you around the community at all these events and MORE! Have fun!