Creek at the Peak Rafting Festival
The Creek at the Peak raft and kayak race takes place on June 23rd, 2012 and provides a great opportunity to watch rafters and kayakers compete for prizes while supporting a great cause. Come check out the race and the after race festival in Idaho Springs on Saturday June 23rd. The festival takes place on the east side of the Springs at the ball fields. The race finishes just west of Idaho Springs and begins in Lawson.
The festival begins at noon and will feature live music, food from local restaurants, and Idaho Springs' famous Tommyknocker beer!
When: Saturday June 23rd, 2012.
The festival begins around noon and continues through the evening.
The races begin at 5pm and will probably finish around 7:30pm.
Where: Idaho Springs at the ball fields on the east side of town.
For all the details, check the Creek at the Peak site: 
Denver Mountain Parks (always free)
The city of Denver operates a series of beautiful and diverse parks in the foothills areas west and south of Golden.
Golden Clear Creek Kayak festival (Wednesdays in June)
The "Golden Community Rodeo" is a weekly kayak competition in downtown Golden along Clear Creek at the Golden kayak park. You can sit or stand along the creek and watch the competition. It's pretty amazing what these kayakers can do, and definitely worth taking some time to watch. Can you think of a better thing to do on a warm spring Wednesday?
Competitors are arranged according to class. This year the classes are:
Juniors
Masters
Men: Sport, Intermediate, and Expert
Women: Sport, Intermediate, and Expert
Punkin Chunkin Colorado | Aurora Jack-O-Launch (annually, 2nd Saturday in October)
This October festival has become a Denver tradition.
A Taste of Colorado (Labor Day Weekend)
A Taste of Colorado is Colorado's largest Labor Day Weekend festival. This festival highlights diverse cuisine from Colorado restaurants, offering bite size tastes to full meals.
Old Globeville Days and the Orthodox Food Festival (annually in July)
The Old Globeville Days Orthodox Food Festival celebrates Denver's international immigrant heritage with a diverse selection of free entertainment and international food. The music features outstanding performers of diverse folk heritage including an amazing Celtic performance. The incredible food selection is sample sized and you purchase tickets to try the samples. One of the best things to do in Denver on a warm mid-July weekend.
Free Summer Bowling For Students at Brunswick Bowling Centers
Brunswick Bowling Centers are offering free bowling for students during the summer of 2012. Kids or their parents (depending on age) sign up for Brunswick's Bonus Zone to get free bowling.
There are a few Brunswick Bowling Centers along the front range that offer the free bowling for kids promotion.
Find a bowling center:
Bonus Zone Sign up:
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Aurora History Museum (always free)
The Aurora History Museum is free and open every day except Monday and certain holidays. There is a permanent display of Aurora history as well as changing displays. This is a great Denver area free attraction, where you can gain a perspective on the real Colorado and the early days of settling this landscape.
Colorado State Capitol Free Tours (Weekdays)
The Colorado State Capital is one of the popular Denver Attractions, not only for the well known '5280 step' but also for the free tours inside.
Why take a Colorado State Capitol tour? I'll give you three reasons:
- The Colorado State Capital building in downtown Denver allows you to watch our state Legislature in action. As more people take an interest in the workings of our government, this is a great opportunity to see firsthand how the system works. The Colorado State Legislature is in session from early January to early May.
- The capitol building itself is awash in history and amazing architecture. It was built using Colorado materials as much as possible, such as Colorado gold for the dome, granite walls from Granite, Colorado, and Colorado's distinctive red onyx throughout the interior.
- The views from the Dome tour are some of the best in Denver!
Location:
Just head for downtown Denver and the 16th Street Mall, you can't miss the gold domed building beyond the southern end of 16th street mall. The steps on the western side are the most popular area to enter as the "1 mile above sea level" markers are there. The civic center park area has become very sketchy, expect to encounter quite a few homeless if you walk through the park.
Visitors to the state capitol are allowed to wander the public areas on their own, or you can take one of several guided tours:
Historical Tours:
All about construction of the building and early Colorado history, as well as some of the more interesting artifacts on display within the building. Reservations are not required unless you have a group of 10 or more. Tours are 45 minutes long and are available weekdays except holidays.
Historical Tour Hours:
10am - 3pm every Monday - Friday
Legislative Tours:
Legislative tours are a popular field trip for Colorado grade school students. When possible, you will make stops in the House and Senate galleries to see the legislature in action. This tour is only for school groups and reservations are required.
Legislative Tour Schedule:
Annually, early January through early May. Reservations are required.
Dome Tours (currently closed):
This tour climbs a long spiral staircase to an indoor observation area with amazing views of Denver.
Dome Tour Hours:
Daily from 9am to 2:30pm. Reservations are required.
Dome tours are currently closed until further notice due to dome renovations.
Mr. Brown's Attic:
This exhibit area illustrates Colorado's history and the legislative process, and includes a hands-on children's area. The attic is open 9am to 3pm on weekdays and reservations are not necessary.
For more information about Colorado State Capitol Tours, visit the Colorado Legislative Council Site:
Budweiser Tour in Fort Collins (always free)
The Budweiser tour in Fort Collins ranks right up there with the Coors tour in the battle of the Colorado beer tours. Anheuser-Busch has offered very professional and detailed tours of their Fort Collins brewery for many years and the popularity continues to grow.
The Littleton History Museum (always free)
The Littleton Museum is a 14 acre indoor and outdoor history museum depicting Colorado pioneer history. Two historic farm sites featuring a schoolhouse and blacksmith shop bring history to life in a way that consistently rates this museum as one of the top living history museums in the United States.
Liftopia Ski Discounts
Colorado resorts offering substantial Liftopia ski discounts:
Arapahoe Basin.
Copper Mountain.
Durango.
Loveland.
Monarch Mountain.
Ski Cooper.
Sunlight.
Winter Park.
Some other resorts have discounts on Liftopia that really aren't discounts at all.
Check out Liftopia:
Rentals
If you need to pick up rentals on your way to the mountain, my favorite super cheap rental shop is Maison De Ski in Idaho Springs.
Coors Tour: Golden, Colorado (always free)
The Coors tour is one of Colorado's most famous free tours, and one of the top Colorado attractions. If you are in the Denver area, try to make the trip west to the Coors tour in downtown Golden.
After parking, you will be picked up by a small bus and taken on a short tour of downtown Golden. The driver will provide information about Golden and Coors along the way.
After exiting the bus, you go into the Coors tour center, where you will receive an audio device that you listen to as you follow the self-guided tour.
The Coors tour is very in depth, taking you through the history of Coors and the stages of brewing and packaging. You will see the huge brewing vats and other facilities critical to the process. The packaging area is one of the most dramatic aspects when it is in full operation.
In the middle of the Coors tour you enter a room which serves a small sample of the freshest beer you will likely ever taste, recently off of the production line. At the end of the tour you enter the bar area where you receive three free drinks of your choice! And don't worry, they have root beer and other drinks for the designated driver and the children.
The Coors tour is so popular that it can be very crowded with long wait times at the bus and bar. Consider attending earlier in the day or on a weekday.
When:
Winter Hours:
Thursday 10-4
Friday 10-4
Saturday 10-4
Sunday noon-4
Monday 10-4
Closed Tuesday, Wednesday and all major holidays.
Summer Hours (May 29 through Labor Day):
Monday - Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 12noon - 4pm
Closed on all major holidays.
Specific Closure Dates:
April 20th.
May 26, 27, 28.
July 4th.
September 1, 2, 3.
November 28-29.
December 24-25.
December 31-January 1.
Where:
The Coors tour is located in the middle of downtown Golden. The gigantic concrete buildings are impossible to miss.
Parking for the tours is in a large lot at the intersection of 13th street and Ford Street. The line for the Coors tour bus forms near this intersection.
Information about the Coors tour from the MillerCoors site:
Olympic Training Center Tours in Colorado Springs (always free)
The United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs is the home of a huge Olympic visitor's center, the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, and serves as the training center for many of our country's top athletes. A free tour of the Olympic Complex is one of the best things to do in Colorado Springs.