Boulder, CO August 2026

The Zach Zeldner Team is your team of distinguished Realtors ® , delivering exceptional results through market expertise, concierge-level service, and relentless client advocacy. If you’re looking to buy a home, there might be inventory that you’re missing. Many sellers choose to not publicly market their homes. Scan the QR code to learn more, or contact us to discover these homes.

Boulder’s #1 Real Estate Team

Zach Zeldner – Team Lead, Realtor ®

William Greig – Realtor ®

Ethan Bullock – Realtor ®

Amanda Salzman – Realtor ®

Hillary Harris – Field Director, Realtor ®

Lauren O’Neil – Ops Director, Realtor ®

Chelsea Hopkins – Marketing Director

EMERSON

Representing Boulder’s most iconic properties, Marybeth brings a unique perspective as a trusted agent and developer, supported by The Agency’s unparalleled international network. Her record-breaking sales reflect a foundation of passion, expertise, integrity, and relationships built over decades. Give us a call to connect and learn more.

Keep Boulder Weird

I grew up in a land of bright lights, tourists aplenty, and where history is constantly being covered up for the next shiny thing - Viva Las Vegas, baby!

In Vegas, the history is told only a facade of painted-on cotton candy skies over the Venice canals, the New York skyline with as a rollercoaster running through, and if something shows signs of age, it is out with the old and in with the new.

While Vegas has its own flavor of weird, Boulder definitely takes the cake for some good ol’ fashion small town weird! But as my 3rd grade teacher instilled in me, “Weird is good!” So, I happily accept some eccentricity when it comes to a home.

When I first arrived, it quickly became apparent how the heart of Boulder was truly within the community of people that live here. And even more importantly, in how they support each other to build the story that is Boulder.

This month we honor the history of Boulder and the beating heart of this community through highlighting some of the businesses, brands, and traditions that have carried on through the generations.

As we enter an ever-changing era of Boulder, together, let’s keep Boulder weird.

KELSEY HUFFER, EDITOR @BOULDERLIFESTYLE

August 2026

PUBLISHER

Andy Manz | amanz@citylifestyle.com

PUBLICATION DIRECTOR

Chantel Ellerington | chantel.ellerington@citylifestyle.com

MANAGING EDITOR

Kate Manz | kmanz@citylifestyle.com

EDITOR, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Kelsey Huffer | kelsey.huffer@citylifestyle.com

INTERN

Edson Graycar | edson.graycar@citylifestyle.com

COPY EDITOR

Tony Firestine | anthonyjfirestine@gmail.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Emily O'Brien, Andrew Neely, Meredith Rowe, Willow King, Leon Corn, Stephanie Bingham

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Poppy & Co. by Kelsey Huffer, Gina Dodge, John Carlson

Corporate Team

CEO Steven Schowengerdt

President Matthew Perry

COO David Stetler

CRO Jamie Pentz

CoS Janeane Thompson

AD DESIGNER Rachel Chrisman

LAYOUT DESIGNER Kirstan Lanier

QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Brandy Thomas

city scene

city scene

1-7:

hosted a local artisan show at their historic office to celebrate local art and bring the community together. 1: Kelli and Chris

enjoyed the show 2: Kim

artist Emerson

Holly Weise, Kylie Lewis, Kim

3: Kathy

and Amy

4: Kirsten Cohen

artist Christine Springer 5: Danai Reynolds

Flower Truck 6: Mother-daughter duo Rita Riis and daughter Susanne Riis ponder original art 7: Tracy Travis and Sally Spear, artists featured at the show

and legacy-scale land come together just outside Denver.

1: Yoga Pearl’s beautiful Summer Solstice flow at Boulder’s Sunrise Amphitheater united 50 participants, supported by Emory Jane Coffee and Wonderpress. Join the Fall Equinox event on September 22 and check out their fall 200-hour teacher training! 2: Hannah Wallace and Emma Shafer, teacher trainees at Yoga Pearl 3: Kali Connor Studio Manager of Yoga Pearl and Alia Sebben Owner

Photography by Yoga Pearl

Want to be seen in the magazine?

TAG YOUR INSTAGRAM PHOTOS WITH @BOULDERLIFESTYLE

The Lost Bluebird Opens This Summer

The founders of Boulder's Bluebird Music Festival will open The Lost Bluebird in Longmont later this summer. The brick-and-mortar location will serve as a retail space featuring independent artists, host the Bluebird Music Festival merch store, and include a cool espresso bar. The location will also house their free music school, The Bluebird School. For additional info, visit BluebirdMusicFestival.org for updates.

Every part of this process deserves 5 stars.

“The original consult was helpful and painless, as was the buying decision process. (I) felt guided and supported the entire time... The installers arrived early, worked efficiently, cleaned up after themselves, were friendly and helpful, and really couldn’t have been any better.” E.K., Innovative Openings Customer

Come Celebrate at the Wild Enchanted Evening on 10/16!

Be a part of a night filled with magic and mystery in celebration of Wild Bear Nature Center at their annual fundraising Gala, Wild Enchanted Evening! October 16, there will be a cocktail reception from 5:30 to 7 p.m., followed by a lively program from 7 to 9 p.m. Food and beverages will be provided with your ticket, and parking is complimentary. Have fun supporting Boulder County's favorite nature center and all they do to connect people with the outdoors!

A distinctive school for the bold, the creative, the deeply curious.

At Tara Performing Arts High School, immersive academics, world travel, and live theater come together in a profound educational journey.

With our 3-to-1 student-teacher ratio and Waldorf-rooted curriculum, every student is known, challenged, and empowered to meet the complexity of today’s world.

HAVE A SMOOTH START TO THE SCHOOL YEAR

Whether you are heading back to school, back to work, or simply back to your routine, take a little time for yourself.

This month only, purchase 20 units or more and enjoy 10% off all neuromodulators.

www.rinnovaskinandbody.com

The Zach Zeldner Team Earns Top Colorado Ranking

For the second year in a row, The Zach Zeldner Team has earned RealTrends Verified's ranking as the #1 medium real estate team in Colorado, placing among the top 1.5% of agents nationwide. This recognition reflects the team's deep local expertise, data-driven strategy, and commitment to delivering exceptional results for buyers and sellers across Boulder County.

A Disciplined Approach to Managing Wealth

Examples include resource partnerships, timber investments, venture capital, private equity and hedge funds, philanthropic guidance and charitable administration. We can manage assets and meeting agendas, record minutes and decisions, and implement trustee decisions.

We customize to the individual needs and goals of each family member as well as the family as a whole.

Examples include assistance in selling or acquiring businesses, monetization strategies to diversify low-basis securities, programs to address excess industries weightings, equity research efforts to analyze private companies where clients have commitments.

Seva Collective Yoga at Boulder Farmers Market Highlights Mission-Driven Organizations

Yoga and service community Seva Collective is partnering with the Boulder Farmers Market to bring pay-what-you-will yoga classes on the first and second Saturdays of each month. These all-level classes have a special element: bringing in local speakers from mission-driven organizations for the last 5 minutes of class. This concept is rooted in Seva principles of giving back and cultivating community, the anchoring philosophy of all their events. August classes on 8/1 and 8/8! @seva_collective

S ing is Believing

Mackintosh Academy - Boulder is a K-8 school intentionally designed around the unique strengths, needs, and styles of gifted learners. What if gifted education was about so much more than acceleration?

K-8 Meet & Mingles

October 21 | 5:30-7pm December 2 | 5:30-7pm

Kindergarten Play Dates

November 6 | 1-4pm

January 23, 2027 | 9am-12pm

Studio Z Dental blends holistic/biologic innovation with surgical mastery for the whole family.

Every detail protects your biology and delivers ultra-refined results:

• Complete family dentistry & advanced cosmetic solutions

• Invisalign® for discreet alignment

• Mercury-safe dentistry (SMART certified)

• Ozone therapy integrated into nearly every procedure

• Biocompatibility testing available

• Biologic implant dentistry — zirconia & titanium

• Advanced biologic gum, bone & wisdom tooth surgery

• PRF-assisted, ozone-enhanced oral surgery & extractions

• Full-mouth reconstruction & All-on-4 implants

• Airway-focused orthodontics & Homeoblock therapy

• Advanced therapy for TMJ/TMD pain & clenching

• Holistic general dentistry with patient-first comforts

SoBo Homes Wins Two Design Awards for Boulder ADU

SoBo Homes, a Boulder County design-build firm, took home two design awards from the National Kitchen & Bath Association-Rocky Mountain Region award ceremony in June. The project, a custom ADU with a French Country Cottage theme, won the “People’s Choice Award: Bathroom” plus 2nd Place in the “Small Kitchen” category. This marks back-to-back NKBA design honors, winning “Best Large Kitchen” from last year’s ceremony. The projects can be viewed online at SoBoHomes.com.

BOULDER COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL

Wonderfeast Launches Immersive Mexico City Tour, October 10 to 17

For seven unforgettable days, join Boulder-based art historian Giulia Bernardini for a multi-sensory deep-dive into "Las Tres Edades: The Three Ages" of Mexico City (October 10 to 17). Soak up the vibrant colors, hypnotic musical rhythms, irresistible flavors, and centuries of art of Ciudad de México with a small group of inquisitive travelers. A boutique hotel, iconic sites, memorable meals, and languorous aperitifs await you. Visit Wonderfeast.com to claim your spot now.  CONTINUED >

WATERSHED SCHOOL

Limited space remaining for the 26-27 school year! More than a classroom—an education in the real world. Apply today.

To learn more about Watershed for your student, please contact admissions@watershedschool.org. Visit www.watershedschool.org to sign up for upcoming events or to schedule a tour.

Progressive Independent School for Grades 6-12 • 5405 Spine Rd | Boulder, CO

CONTINUED

Big Red F Restaurants celebrates 150 years of Colorado in August

In honor of Colorado’s 150th Anniversary,  Big Red F Restaurant Group  is hosting  Colorado Month  at all Front Range restaurants. Throughout August, chefs Sheila Lucero and Kevin Grossi will partner with culinary innovators across the state to celebrate the resilience of our regional food system by highlighting thoughtful sourcing, deep relationships, and a commitment to keeping our community fed.  Enjoy special dishes and drinks sourced with Colorado ingredients at all Big Red F locations. BigRedF.com

Give them an education that keeps the magic alive all year

Our team has decades of combined experience providing high-quality legal services while working closely with our clients to achieve their specific goals and objectives. We serve individuals, entrepreneurs, businesses of all sizes, public entities, and government officials across a wide range of practice areas and industries nationwide.

TREY & KATIE KENNEDY

ON MARRIAGE, KIDS, AND THE COMEDY OF REAL LIFE

Trey Kennedy makes a living finding comedy in regular life. Marriage. Toddlers. Yoga pants. The Thursday-night scramble between school dropoffs, soccer practice, and whatever has to be done by morning. Twelve years in, it shows: millions of followers across every platform, three stand-up specials, a sold-out Relatable Tour, and a style of humor fans send each other captioned, “Are you watching me?” He delivers the kind of comedy that travels because everyone’s living some version of it.

Katie, his wife of six years, is a former biomedical engineer who also built a modeling career. She’s now raising their kids and co-hosting Correct Opinions alongside Trey — the show where the two of them swap takes on marriage, parenting, and whatever came up that week.

Trey has been at this longer than people realize. An Edmond, Oklahoma kid who grew up playing basketball described himself as a “shy kid who never thought he’d be an entertainer.” He started making videos while attending Oklahoma State University. After building millions of followers on Vine before the platform shut down, he gave himself six months on Instagram and Facebook to see whether he could rebuild from zero. He did. Stand-up soon followed. His first special, Are You For Real?, streams on YouTube; the second, Grow Up, on Amazon Prime; the third, built around the Relatable Tour, wrapped earlier this year. “I’ve been trying to be funny every week for like twelve years now,” he says. A slow climb, made one bit at a time.

ARTICLE BY KALI KASPRZYK PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANIE JONES

“I’ve been trying to be funny every week for like twelve years now.”

Most of what Trey writes lately starts in his own kitchen. Thomas is three and a half, and he is, in his father’s words, “a movie.” He narrates his own life from the moment his eyes open and mispronounces words in ways his parents now repeat to each other because no one else would believe them. His younger sister, Eva, is what Katie calls “the calm one.” With a third now in the mix, the Kennedys are officially outnumbered.

After six years of marriage, Trey and Katie have learned that the partnership runs best when it gets its own time on the calendar. So once a week, they leave the kids with a sitter and go out for coffee. “You need a system,” Katie says. “It’s about taking time to look each other in the eye. Not the kids. Not the cameras. Just each other.”

The same instinct shapes the work. Most of Trey’s trial and error happens onstage or on Instagram, but the first read is always Katie’s. “There’s only been one time ever I’ve had to be like, ‘you’re not doing that,’” she says. The rest of the time, she just laughs first.

FEATURING TREY & KATIE KENNEDY

Trey and Katie talk about marriage, parenting, and the moments that don’t make the Instagram feed.

Watch or listen to the full conversation wherever you get your podcasts.

ARTICLE BY EMILY O'BRIEN

boulder classics

Eleven Colorado Brands With Boulder Roots

Boulder has a knack for growing brands, and the surrounding Front Range has done the same. Some of these companies were founded in Boulder itself, while others established major headquarters nearby or built much of their identity there before expanding far beyond Colorado. Some have become household names, while others remain beloved favorites among wellness enthusiasts, outdoor adventurers, and food lovers. Together, they form a kind of unofficial Colorado pantry: part wellness lab, part ski-town supply closet, part farmers’ market that somehow scaled up to global distribution. Here are a few that stand out.

Born from herbal tradition and hands-on experimentation, WishGarden Herbs has long been a fixture in Boulder’s natural wellness community. Its famously direct formulas, including Kick-Ass Immune, stay straightforward and unembellished, reflecting a long-standing herbal approach rooted in practical use.

wishgarden herbs

bobo's

What began as a small bakery idea grew into a nationwide oat bar phenomenon. Bobo’s built its following on a simple premise: wholesome, satisfying snacks that make it easier to eat well while on the move. Its hearty oat bars deliver grab-and-go convenience without straying far from their homemade roots.

noosa yoghurt

Founded in Northern Colorado, Noosa Yoghurt quickly earned a devoted following for its creamy Australianstyle yogurt and fruit-forward flavors. Rather than chasing the tangier, lighter profile common at the time, the brand embraced richness and texture, creating a product that felt more indulgent while still fitting comfortably into the premium yogurt category.

celestial seasonings

Still one of Boulder’s most iconic exports, Celestial Seasonings helped turn tea into an experience—where taking a factory tour and stepping into the legendary intense aroma of the peppermint room has become something of a rite of passage. The company’s distinctive blends also helped popularize herbal tea across the country.

crocs

Although the company wasn't founded in Boulder, Crocs developed close ties to the city through its longtime headquarters and early growth in the area. Built around comfort-first footwear, the brand evolved into a global symbol of practicality over trend. Long regarded as a love-it-or-hate-it shoe, Crocs has reinvented its image while staying true to the comfort that made it famous.

Rudi's helped normalize the idea that bread could be both widely available and thoughtfully made. Long before ingredient labels became a focal point for many shoppers, the brand was emphasizing organic ingredients and a simpler approach to everyday staples in the grocery aisle.

justin's

Nut butters, peanut butter cups, and snack staples helped Justin’s elevate everyday pantry items into something more refined. Starting with small-batch nut butters sold at farmers’ markets, the brand found an early audience among cyclists and outdoor athletes seeking portable fuel, and grew into part of the premium snack movement.

horizon organic

Founded in Colorado before later basing its headquarters in Boulder, Horizon Organic played a pioneering role in bringing organic dairy into the mainstream. As demand for organic foods expanded, the brand helped move organic milk from a niche product found in natural food stores to a familiar staple in grocery coolers across the country.

Celebrate With Us

Quinn reworks familiar comfort snacks with an emphasis on traceable ingredients and transparent sourcing. The brand reflects a broader shift toward cleaner labels and more transparent supply chains.

quinn snacks

ENTERS A undance ilm S F

EUGENE HERNANDEZ SITS DOWN WITH OUR PUBLISHER, ANDY MANZ, TO DISCUSS THE FESTIVAL’S MOVE AND BOULDER’S ROLE IN ITS FUTURE

NEW ERA F

When Sundance Institute announced Boulder as its new home of the Sundance Film Festival beginning in 2027, it marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter for both the Festival and the city. Boulder Lifestyle Publisher Andy Manz recently caught up with the Director of Sundance Film Festival and Public Programming, Eugene Hernandez, to discuss the move, the Festival’s commitment to independent storytellers, and why he hopes every Boulder resident feels welcome when Sundance arrives.

AM: When you came on as the new executive director, was the location change at the center of that decision to bring you on? Did you know what you were getting yourself into?

Eugene Hernandez: I started at the Institute in November of 2022. My first visit to Boulder was in the late summer/early fall of 2023, on my way to the Telluride Film Festival… Then the film commissioner said, "Why don't you stop through Boulder? We really think Boulder could be a great home for the festival someday."

Shortly after I started, I learned more about some of the challenges we were facing in Utah…. It was on my mind. The first time I came here, we hadn't even embarked on the process of exploring. The challenges of trying to continue the festival in Utah were something I’d observed as an attendee before I worked here, and I’ve been going to the festival since 1993.

AM: Mr. Redford founded Sundance around independent voices and creative risk. Do you still feel that spirit is at the center of the festival today?

EH: I think it's my job to make sure it does stay at the center of the conversation, especially at a time when we're building the festival in a new place. It's really important for me and my colleagues to make sure that Mr. Redford's vision, values, and principles stay at the center.

Whether it's the support of artists, whether it's the connection to nature, whether it's the embracing of community and audience, and helping to connect it with artists, those are all fundamental values that we are bringing here to Boulder…. It's our job to make sure we're constantly centering his vision and values.

AM: You’ve spent your career championing independent cinema. What still excites you most about discovering new filmmakers?

EH: What excites me most is the unpredictability of what's next or what’s to come. We get 16,000 to 17,000 submissions per year of new work…. We don't know until we watch them what artists are thinking, how they're telling their stories, or what ideas they're considering. Each year is a reintroduction. Each year is a revelation. Each year is a snapshot of what artists are thinking about globally.

The greatest area of growth in our submissions is from outside the U.S…. We wait and see what arrives. It is like Christmas. It's like 16,000 packages we open to see what's being explored and where in the world the story is coming from.

AM: What makes Boulder feel right for Sundance Film Festival at this moment?

EH: Every time I'm here and also when I'm out in the world, people are asking me about Boulder. If they know Boulder, they understand it. If they haven't been here, they've heard about it, and they want to tap into it. There's this unique vibe. I don't know how to characterize it in words, but I feel it when I'm here.

There are so many places in Boulder that are rich in history and help tell the story of the community. Whether it’s the lore of The Sink, the longevity of Chautauqua, and the Hotel Boulderado, and so many more. As I’ve gotten to know the story of Boulder, it really has been through these different places

AM: The town is buzzing, and we’re thrilled to have you here. What do you want Boulder residents to know before Sundance arrives?

EH: If there's one thing I want to make sure to convey, it's that this festival is for everyone. There's no velvet rope controlling access to our festival. There will certainly be red carpets with celebrities on them, sure, but it's an 11-day gathering that is open to anyone.

This is not a private event. It's a community event…. We really just want you and your readers and everyone in the community to be part of it.

Editor's Note: Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

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Spreading Kindness With Every Step

PHOTOGRAPHY BY POPPY & CO. BY KELSEY HUFFER

HIKING WITH THE HAT GUY

Before Curtis Jones could even begin his Tuesday morning hike of Mount Sanitas, a woman approached him excitedly at the trailhead.

“I’ve hiked this dozens of times,” says Susan Brooks. “I really wanted to manifest Curtis this morning!”

This interaction was not a one-off. In fact, over the course of 3.33 miles, we stopped dozens of times so that Jones could reach into his Sanitas-embroidered tote bag to pull out the custom hats he created with Fractel to commemorate his favorite mountain.

Every year, around 375,000 people visit Mt. Sanitas, and in the last year and a half, over 2,500 of

them have walked away with this hat. It isn’t sold online or in stores, and the only way to get one is from Jones.

His goal is as simple as it is deeply challenging: to encourage people to be kinder to each other.

It all started in 2020 when he sold his seed company, Botanical Interests. Jones wanted to find a way to give back to the community he loves, and on a hike on Blacketts Ridge in Tucson, he purchased a Fractel hat and was very impressed with the quality and breathability.

He decided to reach out to the company to see if they’d create a colorway and custom embroidery to commemorate Mt. Sanitas. From there, he began ordering—and giving away—hats in bulk, providing the people of Boulder and beyond with a reason to smile, talk to each other, and maybe even pay it forward.

Over the course of around four hours, with plenty of time to stop and chat, Jones gets a range of reactions:

“I finally found you!”

“Right as we were talking about moving back [to Boulder], you came up with the hat!”

“I can’t believe we live here. We’re so lucky!”

“I’m here all the time, oh my gosh! This just completely made my day.”

“We just moved here. This is so perfect!”

"My husband is going to be so jealous."

"Want one for him?”

"Nope, he can come and earn it!”

“Every time I walk by someone, I tell them nice hat, so you’ve already changed the day!”

There's a reason people call him the "Mayor of Mt. Sanitas," or as I like to say, the Prom King. Jones finds immense joy in surprising people with this incredibly practical souvenir, but it's clearly more than that. He's hiked Sanitas around 800 times since moving to Boulder County in 1990 and still finds magic in every trip.

“It’s not the rocks and trees," says Jones. "It’s the people.”

Sanitas was there when he was incredibly stressed, trying to match the unprecedented demand for seeds during the pandemic—and he's witnessed numerous people who have come to this mountain to process the grief of losing a loved one.

On every hike, he carries around 100 hats with him, but he also carries the stories of every person he's met and who's stopped to talk to him after he approached with a friendly: "Hey, I've got something for you!"

Recently, Jones went to a restaurant where a group of a dozen people surprised him at dinner. None had known each other before the hats, but they'd slowly brought the whole group together. As he told this story, he reminded me, and himself, that it's ok to cry, especially when you’re moved by the joy of finding community.

Each time we really stopped and talked with a hiker or a group, we'd find common ground and, more often than not, people in common.

"That’s why I do this," says Jones. "They say six degrees of separation, but in Boulder it’s two or three."

CONTINUED >

“It’s not the rocks and trees, It’s the people.”

With each hat, that number seemingly gets closer to two.

In addition to the hats, Jones is also getting more involved in the trail itself. He recently accepted a position on the board of the Boulder Open Space Conservancy and is excited to help fund trail maintenance and accessibility. Every time he goes up, he makes sure all the trail crew have hats and, of course, thanks them for the work they’re doing.

If you want to secure a hat of your own, keep an eye out for Jones on Mt. Sanitas and around town. He’s taken to carrying spares with him, even at the airport and on other hikes. To explore more of his stories and get involved, visit Facebook.com/MtSanitasMadHatterProject or Instagram. com/MtSanitasMadHatter.

And if you are lucky enough to join “the club,” please pass the kindness on, whether that’s saying hi to a stranger or taking care of the trails we love so much by donating to BOSC.org

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– S T E V E B

– S U N S H I N E F WHY WE ARE THE #1 TEAM IN BOULDER COUNTY OUR CLIENTS SAY IT BEST...

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w a y H i g h l y r e c o mme nd ! ” – REBECCA S T h i s w a s o u r s e c o n d t r a n s a c t i o n w i t h T h e B e r

COLLECTED BY INSTINCT

When asked where it all started, Sherry tells of a friend who returned from France bearing three small gifts: drawings, torn and framed. Fragments and yet whole in themselves, and something in Sherry’s chest cracked open. Not a slow appreciation. A bolt of lightning. This was roughly 30 years ago.

Sherry and her husband Scott Tracy have spent decades assembling one of the most compelling outsider art collections in Colorado, a living environment that functions less like a gallery and more like a permission slip. Their Denver home is layered, intentional, and electric with creative energy, every wall and surface a conversation between objects collected from the American South, London galleries, New York auction houses, and from the front porches and working studios of the artists themselves.

Originally from Kansas City, the couple relocated to Colorado about 35 years ago, spending time in Colorado Springs before landing in Denver. Sherry had always wanted beauty reflected in every corner of her life, and Denver, with its particular cultural openness, felt right. Sherry has a keen eye for what she likes. Not formally trained but wildly creative as both an artist and a curator, she has made a life of creating and collecting from a deep well of inner inspiration, not from the dictates of the world.

“Outsider art” is a broad and sometimes contested term, but at its heart it describes work made outside the mainstream art world: self-taught artists, visionary painters, sculptors working in isolation or from spiritual compulsion, many of them black artists from the rural South who were doing their own thing, unconcerned with collectors or critics or market trends. That authenticity is precisely what drew Sherry in. She and Scott traveled, and they traveled strategically. The South first, where so much of this tradition is rooted. Then, in England, London, researching artists before trips so visits could be arranged to studios in advance. New York through auction when necessary, but always preferring the direct path- going to the source, meeting the makers, sitting with them in their spaces.

Look around their home, and the collection tells its own story: cacophonous, tender, disturbing, and transcendent all at once.

A lamp fashioned entirely from popsicle sticks. A desk carved with breathtaking intricacy, outdoor scenes etched inch by inch by an inmate at a prison outside Colorado Springs, time and obsession made visible in wood. Milagros and wooden effigies hang alongside ceramic poodles wearing collars of cotton-candy pink. Ghostly faces emerge from root balls, as if the forest itself grew a soul. Alligators assembled from rubber sit atop tables bedecked with pennies and peanut shells.

COLLECTING OUTSIDER ART, SHERRY WILL TELL YOU, DEMANDS A DIFFERENT POSTURE THAN TRADITIONAL COLLECTING. YES, KNOWLEDGE MATTERS, BUT INSTINCT MATTERS MORE. THE GUT KNOWS.

Delight and devastation. Perversion and religion. It is for all its unapologetic individuality, also entirely coherent.

Collecting outsider art, Sherry will tell you, demands a different posture than traditional collecting. Yes, knowledge matters, but instinct matters more. The gut knows.

As a self-taught artist working across multiple mediums from a studio in her home, Sherry’s connection to outsider art is not incidental; it is deeply personal. As a child, she received the message that art wasn’t valuable, that without formal training, it

wasn’t “real.” The outsider artists she has spent a lifetime collecting gave her something back: proof that creative freedom isn’t granted by a degree. You make the work. That’s the credential.

An avid thrifter, she still gets a rush from the hunt, the find, the moment something extraordinary turns up in an unexpected place. The thrill hasn’t dimmed.

And every morning, surrounded by thirty years of bold, raw, visionary work, Sherry Kass looks around at what she and Scott have built and feels exactly what she felt when those first drawings arrived from France.

11229

north 75th street

ACTIVE

3746

wonderland hill avenue ACTIVE

11th street ACTIVE rooted + raised

1451

rembrandt road ACTIVE

3231

5366 westridge drive ACTIVE

3788 26th street ACTIVE

2040 oak avenue

Restaurants Aren't Supposed to Last Forever

ARTICLE BY LEON CORN ILLUSTRATION BY JOHN CARLSON

Opening a restaurant is really difficult. But staying open is the hard part. About half of all restaurants close within their first five years.

There's a question people ask at parties:  If you were an animal, what would you be? Or maybe, if you were a car

Here's a better one.

If you were a restaurant, which one would you be?

Some are loud and scrappy, a little rough around the edges. Others are buttoned-up, quiet, and perfectly elegant. Like people, restaurants have personalities. Unlike people, they rarely enjoy long lives.

Some restaurants die young. Reckless and wild, they come in quick and go out with a bang in year one. Some live for five or ten years, and with the dog math calculus of 1:7 – that’s 35 to 70 years – millennial to senior citizen. And some just get old, tired, and die. When your Aunt Lucy passed away, no one would say, “she failed, she went out of business”. They’d say “she lived a great life, she gave people love, great conversation, memorable meals, and stories worth telling. Then she died. Gracefully.” That's the circle of life. Restaurants deserve the same perspective.

People often assume restaurants close because of some dramatic event. A chef melts down. An owner makes bad decisions. There are financial scandals or partner feuds. While those things certainly happen, they're usually not the reason. More often, restaurants simply reach a point where the economics, leadership, or ability to adapt can no longer support the memorable hospitality they're trying to provide. Longevity isn't luck, and hospitality ain’t perfection. It's the relentless pursuit of getting thousands of details right every single day. That's what makes longevity so remarkable. The incredible challenge is that the target never stops moving.

Every couple of years brings higher costs, newer and shinier restaurants, evolving tastes, and different customer expectations. Restaurants must reinvent themselves without losing what made people fall in love with them in the first place. Meanwhile, everyone has become a restaurant critic. One forgotten ingredient, a slow server, or music that's a little too loud suddenly becomes proof that "they're never gonna make it."

Today, rising wages, insurance, property taxes, and escalating rents have become

the terminal diagnosis for many restaurants. A restaurant can still be busy, packed nightly and very beloved, yet the lease that made its success possible becomes its death rattle. Unlike many businesses, restaurants can't simply relocate. Their address becomes a vital part of who they are.

A restaurant's first year of business is survival.  Five years is a major accomplishment. Ten years is remarkable. 20 years, it’s an institution; they've become part of the community. 30 years is extraordinary. Great culture, consistent food, and genuine hospitality don't happen by accident. They are choices made every day, sometimes twice a day.

40 years? This is unicorn territory. Give that restaurant your support. It's your sweet old grandma, as a restaurant—show her some love every chance you get.

So, if your favorite restaurant has been around for a while, don't take it for granted. Restaurants aren't supposed to last forever. The ones that do aren't accidents. They're built by people willing to make extraordinary sacrifices so the rest of us can gather around a table, celebrate life's milestones, and create memories that last far longer than the meal itself.

If you love a restaurant, tell them. Bring your friends. Keep coming back.

That's how unicorns survive.

ARTICLE BY ANDREW NEELY

THE ESSENTIAL SPOTS KEEPING BOULDER WEIRD

As Boulder becomes a haven for tech bros and out-of-state millionaires, some locals fear that the community is in danger of losing the eccentric, radical spirit that made it special in the first place. Thankfully, a precious cohort of businesses carries the flame for old, weird Boulder forward, keeping the city’s idiosyncratic spirit alive.

TRIDENT BOOKSELLERS & CAFE

Home to poetry readings, live music, and some of Boulder’s best people watching, Trident Booksellers & Cafe combines a small, thoughtfully curated bookstore with the city’s oldest espresso bar. Tracing its roots back to 1980, when two Buddhists felt compelled to open a bookshop on West Pearl, the storefront quickly expanded to include coffee, tea, and baked goods. Buy a book, sit for an afternoon sipping coffee, and bear witness to aspiring writers, bohemian artists, and stressed undergrads cramming for finals.

Like most brick-and-mortar businesses, Trident struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic. But just as the world was roiling from a global shutdown, eight longtime employees stepped up to purchase the storied institution, making it the first and only employee-owned bookstore in Boulder. In a city spoiled for coffee options, Trident still stands out as a unique locale, with deep community roots and an essential place in the West Pearl neighborhood.

CONTINUED >

HARLEQUIN'S GARDENS

Boulder’s definitive home for native, xeric, and locally adapted plants, Harlequin’s Garden draws horticulturalists from across the state and beyond to peruse its endless supply of hard-to-find flowers, shrubs, trees, and veggies. While in the Peace Corps in India, founder Mikl Brawner learned firsthand the challenges of cultivating plants in a drought-prone environment. Returning to Boulder in 1985, he decamped to a small, rugged patch of land off U.S. 36, nicknamed “Grasshopper Flats”, and began experimenting with low-water gardening.

In 1992, Mikl turned his hobby into a business and launched Harlequin’s Garden. Soon thereafter, he met his future wife, Eve Reshetnik, while designing the rose garden at another Boulder landmark, Dushanbe Teahouse. To this day, their mutual love of roses is apparent from the wide spectrum of hardy varietals on display. As Boulder endures yet another drought, Harlequin’s Garden is a must-visit for anyone searching for native perennials, heirloom vegetables, or an array of sustainably sourced goods like compost, mulch, and potting soil.

BOULDER BOOKSTORE

Though it now boasts 50 employees, 20,000 square feet, and over 150,000 titles, Boulder Bookstore started from humble beginnings when David Bolduc opened it in 1973 with ten bookcases and five employees. As other iconic literary institutions, like Denver’s Tattered Cover (which was purchased by Barnes & Noble in 2024), face closure, consolidation, and corporate buyouts, it’s never been clearer that Boulder Bookstore is an irreplaceable community treasure.

Bolduc claims that luminaries like Allen Ginsberg hosted sparsely attended readings in the 1980s, and that spirit lives on in the frequent talks and book signings from celebrated authors like Barbara Kingsolver, Jon Krakauer, and Isabel Allende. No matter how many times you’ve flipped through the endless stacks of new and used titles, Boulder Bookstore promises to reward you with your next favorite read.

SUNDOWN SALOON

Join the generations of broke undergrads gulping pitcher after pitcher of cheap beer and shooting pool in Boulder’s quintessential

dive bar, the Sundown Saloon (or “The Downer” in local parlance). The subterranean hideout prides itself on a no-frills atmosphere, accessible libations, and a melting pot of students, starving artists, and industry staff getting off work. For two years running, the dive claimed the distinction of selling more PBR than any other bar in the world, and this superlative will not surprise anyone who frequents the low-lit, worn establishment.

While the world around it gentrifies, The Downer is pleasantly frozen in time, evading trends and serving refreshments that are anything but health-conscious. From the moment it opened in 1982, it has been a local favorite. With luck, it will continue catering to the cash-strapped for years to come.

VILLAGE COFFEE SHOP

One of Boulder’s greatest rites of passage is your first visit to Village Coffee Shop, which inevitably leads to staff gleefully announcing the presence of a “Village Virgin”. Expect cheers and light-hearted teasing from the regulars crowded into booths around you. Serving Boulder for well over 50 years, the city’s most

classic diner serves unpretentious staples like pancakes, hashbrowns, omelets, and burgers. Don’t expect a matcha latte, chia pudding, or whichever brunch item is in vogue at the moment. Boulder’s consummate greasy spoon may be the best place in town to nurse a hangover, catch up with friends, or wave the white flag on your diet.

HOTEL BOULDERADO

A true Boulder landmark, the Hotel Boulderado traces its history back to 1905, when a group of locals made a plan to attract high-rolling clientele to the city with a grand hotel. After raising funds in $100 increments from residents, the hotel celebrated its opening with a Gala Ball on New Year's Eve 1908—a tradition that continues to this day. Well into its second century, the five-story Hotel Boulderado impresses guests with its Renaissance-inspired design, exquisite stained glass, and functioning original elevator. Guests and the public alike can join for a guided tour to learn about the hotel's storied history and former guests like Helen Keller, Robert Frost, and Louis Armstrong.

Despite its current reputation for hedonism, Boulder was officially a “dry” city from 1907 to 1967. When city officials finally agreed to open the taps, long after the end of Prohibition, the speakeasy in Hotel Boulderado’s basement was one of the first to receive a liquor license, hence its current name, License No 1.

GATEWAY FUNPARK

On the Northern outskirts of town lies Gateway Funpark, home to countless celebrations for the young and the young-at-heart since its opening in 1985. What began as a mini-golf course has expanded to fifteen acres of family-friendly entertainment. Careen around curves on Colorado’s longest go-kart track (measuring 2,100 feet), keep your bearings in the human maze, or while the hours away at the indoor arcade. In a region known for rock climbing, skiing, and rafting, some Boulderites get their thrills from this fun and unassuming amusement park on the city’s periphery.

INTO THE WIND

I sometimes marvel that one of Boulder’s longest-standing destinations is a kite store, which has weathered decades of economic downturns and changing tastes since its founding in 1980. The story goes that two burned-out architects decided to pursue their true passion and founded a tiny 350-square-foot kite shop next to a natural food store. After a wise relocation to Pearl Street, Into the Wind has entertained hordes of tourists ambling down the walking mall, as well as serving as a trailblazer for kite stores around the country. Whether you're just browsing or have a burgeoning kite habit, a trip to Into the Wind is nothing if not entertaining. Sift through nicknacks, windchimes, or sundries in the famous “glow-in-the-dark” room and walk away with the trinket you never knew you needed.

OUTBACK SALOON

Perhaps the best place to sharpen your karaoke chops after downing an economically priced pint of liquid courage, Outback Saloon draws an eclectic clientele, from cowboys to college students. A dying breed of dive bar, Outback serves as a bulwark against gentrification in North Boulder, as its surroundings get trendier and more expensive. Founded in 1990 by William W. Wolvington, the saloon is still run by his son Matt, who cordoned off the corner seat at the bar with a sign reserving the chair in perpetuity for W.W.W. after his father passed away in 2022. Most of the decor hasn’t changed in the business’s 35-year run, and with the loss of the Dark Horse, regulars hope that the Outback can continue serving cheap drinks long into the future.

CHAUTAUQUA DINING HALL

Inextricably tied up in the history of Boulder itself, Chautauqua is named for the eponymous adult-education movement that swept the nation in the late 1800s. Of the hundreds of Chautauquas that existed to entertain and elucidate at the turn of the 20th century, Boulder’s Chautauqua is one of only a handful that remain, and the only continuously operated location west of the Mississippi. Both the historic auditorium and dining hall were built in 1898, and they continue to thrill audiences and satiate diners while maintaining their original appearance.  Oliver T. Jackson, a local Black entrepreneur, managed the Dining Hall in its opening year and went on to found Dearfield, a prominent black-majority town in Weld County. A fixture of the community for more than a century, Chautauqua Dining Hall is the perfect place to grab a bite before a concert or silent film, or after a hike.

Designs By Sundown was founded in 1985 to make great homes even better with beautiful, sustainable, enjoyable landscapes. We have stayed true to our roots, with a responsive, knowledgeable staff and the highest quality materials and craftsmanship

ARTICLE BY EMILY O'BRIEN ILLUSTRATIONS BY GINA DODGE

IN

ON BOULDER LY

A COLLECTION OF RITUALS AND JOYFUL ODDITIES THAT SHOW HOW THE CITY'S TRADITIONS BECOME SHARED EXPERIENCES

Boulder is a place where the everyday tends to bend. A commute becomes a float down a creek, a football kickoff starts with a bison sprint, and a fallen cottonwood turns into a library. History here doesn’t just sit in the past—it gets spoken, acted out, and revisited in places like Columbia Cemetery after dark. Across it all runs a shared impulse to turn familiar places into something more communal.

THE COTTONWOOD BECOMES A LIBRARY

A Landmark Tree Finds a Second Life as a Neighborhood Gathering Place

For decades, the towering cottonwood on West Pearl Street near 8th Street shaded the sidewalk, anchored the block, and became a neighborhood landmark. People stopped to admire its incredible size, and when the historic tree was removed after years of decline, many residents mourned its loss. The cottonwood even inspired community protests as neighbors hoped to preserve a piece of Boulder history.

Cottonwoods have long been part of the city’s residential landscape, especially along streets like Pearl, where mature trees helped define the character of older neighborhoods. As these trees age out due to disease, storm damage, or decline, some are removed for safety, while others are reused in small ways that preserve a trace of their presence in the community.

Today, the tree has found an unexpected second chapter. The remaining stump has been transformed into a Little Free Library, giving the old cottonwood a new purpose while keeping its place at the heart

of the neighborhood. The project was led by resident Chess Piccione, who envisioned the stump continuing to bring people together.

Little Free Library, a nonprofit based in St. Paul, Minnesota, works to build community, inspire readers, and expand book access through a worldwide network of volunteer-run book-sharing boxes. The West Pearl library fits that mission naturally, offering neighbors a place to borrow a book or leave one behind.

The craftsmanship is filled with thoughtful touches. Inside, the shelves are made from pieces of the original cottonwood, preserving part of the tree in its new life. Elite Construction, the DeMatteo family, and Langley's Tree Specialist collaborated to build the library.

Its design also tips a hat to one of Boulder's most recognizable homes. The library's roof mirrors the historic Arnett-Fullen House next door, better known as the Gingerbread House. With its steep gables, decorative woodwork, and colorful roof tiles, the tiny library looks like a miniature version of its famous neighbor. The Arnett-Fullen House also inspired the setting for Marlys Millhiser's 1978 novel The Mirror.

Neighbors have already stocked the shelves with children's books and novels. It’s a fitting next chapter for a tree that spent generations bringing people together.

TUBING THE COMMUTE

A Creek Becomes a Floating Highway to the Office

Every city has its signature way of commuting. New York has the subway; Amsterdam has bicycles. One day a year, Boulder has a flotilla of professionals drifting down Boulder Creek in inflatable tubes before heading to the office.

Tube to Work Day began in 2008 as a friendly wager between two friends to commute without fossil fuels. Nearly two decades later, it remains one of the city's most distinctive traditions, bringing together engineers, entrepreneurs, teachers, students, and longtime locals for a morning that is equal parts transportation and community. Participants launch from Eben G. Fine Park wearing helmets and life jackets, with costumes enthusiastically encouraged, before floating downstream toward work. The event also raises money for local nonprofits, giving an otherwise whimsical commute a meaningful local impact. Now in its second decade, the event has become a fixture of Boulder's summer calendar, attracting participants from startups, established businesses, and every corner of the community.

For Race Director Lance Panigutti, the event captures something fundamental about the city.

"I've lived in Boulder for 20+ years and Tube to Work Day truly encapsulates what makes this city special: the quirky hippie counterculture fused with a modern tech scene."

He says the event reflects a thriving city, one that understands the best communities make room for both work and play.

"I've lived in Boulder for 20+ years and Tube to Work Day truly encapsulates what makes this city special: the quirky hippie counterculture fused with a modern tech scene."

— Lance Panigutti

"The year our theme was Mad Max was top-notch. We had one tuber in a fully decked-out Barbie jeep—Mad Max style! That was peak creativity, and we made sure he was our first tuber to hit the rapids,” Lance says.

Here, a morning on the creek can be the prelude to a day at the office. The organizers even describe it as "the world's greatest traffic jam," a title that's hard to dispute. Looking ahead, Panigutti hopes the tradition continues for the same reason it started.

"Over the years, the core of the event hasn't changed, a way to celebrate 'play and fun' in a safe environment with co-workers, friends, and fellow Boulderites,” Lance says. “I call it 'Burningman' by the creek because it requires us to step outside our usual day-to-day routine and embrace something unimaginable.”

He hopes the next generation preserves not just the tradition, but the philosophy that inspired it. "It's about taking a few hours every summer to join with friends and celebrate life-work balance!"

RALPHIE CHARGES FOLSOM FIELD

A Live Bison Leads Game Day Into Motion

Before kickoff at Folsom Field, the game starts with a sprint. Not from a player, but from a nearly 1,000-pound North American bison named Ralphie, charging across the turf while a line of student-athletes runs alongside her.

Ralphie isn’t a sideline character. She’s the University of Colorado Boulder’s live mascot, guided by a team of student-athletes known as the Ralphie Handlers. The tradition dates back to the 60s, with next fall marking the 60th anniversary.

It started as a student project to bring a live bison to campus and somehow never stopped. Today, Ralphie VII carries it forward, cutting across the field in front of tens of thousands of fans, with handlers matching her stride just off to the side.

Ralphie lives at a private ranch in Colorado, where she is cared for year-round and conditioned for game-day runs. On football weekends, she is transported to Folsom Field in a custom trailer and handled on game days by her trained student team. The program operates through CU Athletics

and follows detailed safety protocols, with coordination between handlers, stadium staff, and event personnel to ensure each run is carefully managed from start to finish.

The Ralphie Handlers are part of CU Athletics, and the program is one of the few live-mascot operations in the country with a varsity-level structure. Getting on the team is competitive in a very literal sense. Students go through tryouts that test fitness, judgment, and whether they can stay composed a few feet from a massive animal moving at speed.

Those who make it don’t show up on game day and figure it out. They train for months on strengthening, conditioning, teamwork, and animal behavior. And then more training with Ralphie herself, learning how she moves, when she hesitates, when she doesn’t. It happens fast enough that the rest of the game feels almost slower by comparison. One rush of movement across the field, and then the stadium returns to football.

MEET THE SPIRITS

Voices From Columbia Cemetery Bring Boulder’s Past Into the Present

A living history experience held at Columbia Cemetery, Meet the Spirits is where volunteers step into the roles of people buried there and share their stories with visitors. The event is typically held every other year on an afternoon in early October at Columbia Cemetery, with scheduled dates released each season for visitors to attend.

“From its inception over three decades ago, Meet the Spirits has been lovingly crafted by dozens of volunteers who write their own scripts and, in many cases, do their own research about the people buried in the cemetery,” explains Melanie Julian Muckle of Historic Boulder Inc, which organizes the event with the City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department. Much of that research begins with a name on a gravestone and expands through archival work.

They typically head to the Carnegie Library for Local History, where they sift through historical records to uncover details about a person’s life, family, death, and the role they played in a broader story of Boulder’s history.

Volunteers decide which details to highlight, but the goal is consistency with what is historically known. Melanie notes that the most effective stories illuminate the differences between the past and present but relate to themes that still resonate today, such as past epidemics and more recent public health experiences.

“From its inception over three decades ago, Meet the Spirits has been lovingly crafted by dozens of volunteers who write their own scripts and, in many cases, do their own research about the people buried in the cemetery."

—

Melanie Julian Muckle

Some discoveries have changed how people understand Boulder’s history. One is that Columbia Cemetery has no racial segregation, meaning early Black citizens are buried throughout the grounds rather than in a separate section. Another well-known case involved research into a grave marked “Jane Doe,” which ultimately led to her being identified as Dorothy Gay Howard and brought closure to her family. Volunteer research has also extended beyond storytelling, including projects that evolved into published work and audio storytelling.

Some of the spirits have fans who come over and over to see them. The young spirits are really popular. “We’ve seen visitors become very emotional in hearing about the deaths,” Melanie says. “Visitors are encouraged to talk to the spirits. Asking them questions is a sure sign that the story is interesting.”

Melanie says the goal is to connect with the past to enrich our present and inform our future. “We hope visitors will come away with a sense of connection to the special place we live and work in… and a respect for the people who came before us,” she says.

BOULDER CRUISER RIDE

A Weekly Slow-Roll Celebration of Cycling and Community

The Boulder Cruiser Ride proves that not every bike ride has to be about speed. It's a more than 30-year-old Boulder tradition that brings people together for a relaxed ride through town, where the conversation is just as important as the cycling.

Unlike organized races or charity rides, the Cruiser Ride is centered on riding together. Riders roll through Boulder at an easy pace, leaving plenty of time to chat and enjoy the ride. While cruiser bikes inspired the event's name, every kind of bicycle is welcome. The emphasis is on joining the ride, following the rules of the road, and having fun.

The rides take place every Thursday evening from April through October. Riders gather at Greenleaf Park around 7 p.m. before heading out together at 7:30. The vibe is slow-paced, heavily themed, and welcoming to riders of all skill levels. Many rides also wind down with an informal outdoor dance gathering, extending the event after the bikes are parked.

Costumes are one of the ride's biggest draws. A different theme each time gives riders a reason to dig through the closet, raid the costume bin, or get creative with DIY outfits. This year's lineup has included Pride & Rainbows, Roaring '20s, '90s Night, Neon Rave, Animals/Zootopia, and Steampunk Wastelanders. The result is a colorful procession that's just as much fun to watch as it is to join.

Routes vary from week to week, but the spirit stays the same. Riders travel on public streets, obey traffic laws, and regroup along the way to keep everyone together. The relaxed format makes the event approachable for all types of participants.

Over the years, the Cruiser Ride has become a recognizable part of Boulder's cycling culture. It celebrates bicycles as more than transportation or exercise. For many participants, it's a chance to spend time outside, reconnect with friends, and meet new people.

Whether you show up fully decked out or simply wearing a helmet, the Boulder Cruiser Ride is a reminder that community doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes all it takes is a bicycle, a shared route, and a few hundred neighbors ready to spend a Thursday evening together.

25 YEARS OF OUTDOOR LIVING

BUILT BEAUTIFULLY

Thank you Boulder County for trusting us with your sacred spaces for the past 25 years. Invest in your future with a luxury outdoor living space certain to inspire gatherings that will create healthier, happier families.

A CORFU

REVERIE

I flew into Corfu expecting a Greek island and found something closer to a palimpsest—a place where four centuries of Venetian rule left their signature and never quite got painted over. Corfu Town announces this the moment you step into it: pastel facades in faded ochre and rose, shuttered windows, arcaded streets that could be mistaken for a back alley in Venice itself if not for the blaze of bougainvillea spilling over every wall.

The island was never conquered by the Ottomans, a fact locals mention with quiet pride, and the architecture is the proof. Narrow kantounia (alleyways) opening onto campielli, church bell towers standing in for minarets, the old fortresses squatting at either end of town like bookends on a very long, very layered story. The Liston, that arcaded promenade built by the French during their brief occupation, still hosts the same unhurried people-watching it was designed for two centuries ago. Cricket is played on the green beside it, a strange and delightful British leftover, and it captures the whole island in miniature: Venetian bones, French flourishes, British habits, all of it unmistakably Greek in spirit.

But Corfu's real magic, for me, was outside of town. Drive 20 minutes in almost any direction, and the architecture gives way to something wilder. The island is famously green, fed by winter rains most of the Aegean islands never see, and that abundance turns the interior into something close to an enchanted forest. Cypress trees stand sentry up every hillside, silver-leafed olive groves roll on for what feels like miles, some of the trees reportedly hundreds of years old, gnarled and silvery and still bearing fruit. Wild capers grow underfoot without anyone planting them. Villages appear suddenly out of the tree line: a chapel, a taverna, a few houses the color of old parchment, and then disappear again behind the canopy. It is a landscape built for slowness, for long lunches and longer views, and after a few days, I understood why so many people who visit Corfu want to return.

The swimming, though, is what I'll remember most. Corfu's coastline is cut with coves of impossibly clear, emerald-to-sapphire water tucked beneath limestone cliffs, the kind of color you assume has been enhanced in a photograph until you're standing in it. Paleokastritsa, on the west coast, is the postcard version. Turquoise water framed by cliffs and an old monastery watching from above,  but the real find was a boat trip south to the Blue Caves near Paxos and Antipaxos. The caves themselves are otherworldly, sea-carved chambers where the water glows an almost electric blue, and the marine area is protected as a habitat for Mediterranean monk seals. We swam at Antipaxos afterward, at a cove called Voutoumi, sand so pale and water so clear it's been compared, fairly, to the Caribbean.

>

IT IS A LANDSCAPE BUILT FOR SLOWNESS,

FOR LONG

LUNCHES AND LONGER VIEWS...

Threaded through all of this was a visit to a longtime Boulder friend, Edie Ure, who has settled into a house on the central coast she's named Villa Eumelia. Anyone who knows Edie's eye will recognize the house the moment they see it.  It is unmistakably hers. Villa Eumelia sits in the middle of that same island fecundity, surrounded by kumquats and olives, succulents pushing through cracks in the garden wall, a long laundry line hung with white sheets, a hammock strung under the trees. Inside, it reads as pure Edie: relaxed but never careless, elegant without a hint of stiffness. Anyone who has spent time in her past homes, or knows her textile and surface design work from Calvin Klein to Ralph Lauren to her own botanical-dye practice, will recognize her particular alchemy of comfort and intrigue. A handwoven textile draped just so, a found object given pride of place, a color choice that feels more like instinct than decision.

Edie has begun opening the house to small groups and individual artists for informal residencies. A looser model than the standard retreat, closer to the way artists have always gathered: drawn together by a place and a host with a strong sensibility, then left to find their own way into the work. Sitting with her on the terrace at golden hour, cypress on one side and sea on the other, it was easy to see why she chose this particular corner of a very layered island to finally build a home entirely on her own terms.

Inquiries for residency can be sent to Instagram: @eumelia_corfu

Also stay tuned for a sailing adventure in the Ionian Sea next summer with PeggyMarkel.com

EVENT SCHEDULE

SEPTEMBER, 2026 | BOULDER, COLORADO

Cocktails & Conversations: Designing the Human Experience

Join architects, interior designers, lighting specialists, and window & door experts for a lively conversation about comfort, wellness, and the design choices that shape everyday life. Light bites served. 21+

Homes by Architects Tour

Step inside some of Boulder’s most inspiring homes. This self-guided tour, presented with Historic Boulder, o ers a rare opportunity to experience great residential architecture up close.

Movie Night:

Modernism, Inc. Screening & Discussion

Enjoy a screening of Modernism, Inc., a documentary exploring architect Eliot Noyes and the rise of modern design in corporate America, followed by a discussion with architect and preservationist Leonard Segel.

Cocktails & Conversations:

Modern Living, Illuminated

Go behind the scenes at Ted Bradley Studio for cocktails, live music, a studio tour, and an inside look at how custom lighting is designed and made in Boulder. 21+

Cocktails & Conversations:

Allow Me to Waste Your Time

Inspired by Martin Brodsky’s Allow Me to Waste Your Time, this intimate evening invites guests to unplug, slow down, and connect through cocktails, conversation, and shared curiosity. 21+

2026 Wrap Party

Celebrate the close of Month of Modern with cocktails, food, music, and the presentation of the Landmark of the Future Award. A festive evening with Boulder’s design community.

HUMAN SCALE:

Modern Design, Made Personal

ARTICLE BY STEPHANIE BINGHAM

Design is everywhere.

It shapes the way we gather, the way we move through a space, the objects we surround ourselves with, and the experiences we share. The most meaningful places are not just designed to be seen. They are designed to be lived in, experienced, and remembered.

This September, M onth of Modern 2026 explores Human Scale: Modern Design, Made Personal , a celebration of the spaces, stories, and creative voices that shape our communities.

This year's theme looks at what makes design feel personal. The details that bring people together. The ideas that inspire conversation. The thoughtful choices that transform a space into something more meaningful.

Through architecture, interiors, art, performance, and conversations with the people behind the work, Month of Modern brings the community together for a month of exploration and connection. From intimate conversations to immersive gatherings, each event is thoughtfully curated to celebrate the many ways design influences our everyday lives.

Like the spaces it celebrates, every Month of Modern event is designed with intention. The venues, culinary experiences, artwork, and details throughout each gathering are carefully curated to create memorable moments and bring people together through a shared appreciation of design.

Month of Modern is for everyone. Whether you work in design, appreciate architecture, collect art, enjoy discovering new ideas, or simply love the places that bring people together, there is a place for you in this conversation.

This September, Boulder will come together to explore architecture, interiors, art, performance, and the people behind it all.

Come curious. Leave inspired.

- CHRIS SOMMERS, VICE PRESIDENT

COTTONWOOD CUSTOM BUILDERS

Park Hill Peach Boys’ Fresh Peach Pie

ARTICLE BY MEREDITH ROWE

Eliot Lundt turned a failed summer job into a thriving Front Range peach business after partnering with Palisade orchards in 2024. What began with 25 boxes of peaches sold through roadside stands and home deliveries has grown to include multiple farm partnerships, cold storage, hired staff, and distribution at farmers markets across the Front Range. As an environmental science major, Lundt also prioritizes sustainability by using recyclable packaging, exploring carbon offsets, and donating a portion of profits to Colorado River restoration. And most importantly, he has nailed the perfect peach pie.

Park Hill Peach Boys’ Fresh Peach Pie

INGREDIENTS:

• The Very Best Pie Crust* (recipe to follow)

• 1 1/3 cups sugar

• 3/4 cup flour

• 3/4 tsp cinnamon

• 1 1/2 tbsp. Lemon juice, sprinkled over peaches

• 6 cups fresh peaches, peeled, sliced

• 2 tbsp butter

DIRECTIONS:

Combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Stir in sliced peaches, lightly, coating with sugar-flour mixture. Pour into pie shell and dot with butter. Place top crust over pie. Pinch and seal crusts together. Make slashes in top crust. Bake in a 375° F. oven for 40-50 minutes till crust is golden brown.

*The Very Best Pie Crust

Because butter melts fast, use extremely cold water for pie crusts, and never use a food processor, because the friction will heat the butter and cut the chunks too small.

This recipe makes two pie crusts. If the pie you choose to make only calls for one, save the other in the freezer.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2½ cups unbleached flour

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup butter

• ¾ cup ice-cold water

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into your dry ingredients until the butter is divided into marble-sized pieces.

After butter is cut into the mixture, slowly add water, and mix with your hands until the dough sticks together and can be formed into a ball. Chill in the refrigerator for two hours before rolling.

August Around Town

6th - 9th

5th - 9th

BOULDER COUNTY FAIR

Celebrate Colorado’s oldest county fair with carnival rides, rodeos, 4-H exhibits, live entertainment, fair food and plenty of family-friendly fun at the Boulder County Fairgrounds in Longmont. Gate admission and parking are free. For tickets and more information, visit BoulderCountyFair.org

COLORADO BRAZIL FEST

Experience four days of Brazilian music, dance and culture throughout Boulder, from jazz and choro to samba, forró and Carnaval-inspired performances. Enjoy live music, dancing and a lively celebration of Brazil’s rich artistic traditions. For more information, visit ColoradoBrazilFest.org.

8th

THE JAYHAWKS + JAMES MCMURTY

Catch two acclaimed Americana voices at Chautauqua Auditorium as The Jayhawks bring their harmony-rich roots rock to Boulder with singer-songwriter James McMurtry. For more information and tickets, visit Chautauqua.com.

11-12th

HERBIE HANCOCK

Legendary pianist and jazz innovator Herbie Hancock brings two nights of boundary-pushing music to Chautauqua Auditorium. For more information and tickets, visit Chautauqua.com

15th

ADVENTURE JAMS: TRACE & BAERD

Settle in at the A-Lodge Boulder Beer Garden for an outdoor evening of live music from Trace & Baerd. Located at the entrance to Boulder Canyon, Adventure Jams pairs local sounds, cold drinks, and an easygoing mountain-town atmosphere. For more information, visit ALodge.com.

22nd

BOULDER TACO FEST

Come hungry for a Boulder Creek celebration of local tacos, craft beer, tequila, live music, and high-flying lucha libre wrestling. Start the day with the 5K Taco Run, then stay for an afternoon of food, drinks, and entertainment. For more information, visit BoulderTacoFest.com

22nd

BMOCA SUMMER ART MARKET

Shop local art and handmade goods from artisan vendors at Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, then explore the museum’s current exhibitions and the Farmers Market just outside on 13th Street. For more information, visit BMoCA.org

27th - 28th

WALTERS & HOGSETT

JEWELERS PRESENTS: THE JADE TRAU TRUNK SHOW

Walters & Hogsett Jewelers invites you to sip, shop, and meet acclaimed NYC jewelry designer Jade Trau. Her stunning collection redefines fine jewelry by blending vintage soul with a modern, edgy twist. Centered on personal expression, each piece is designed to help you create your own layered "story" of necklaces, rings, and charms.

Exclusive Two-Day Event

• August 27th: 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

(Sip & Shop with Jade)

• August 28th: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Location: Walters & Hogsett Jewelers, 2425 Canyon Boulevard Boulder, CO 80302

27th - 30th

BOULDER ROOTS MUSIC FEST

Boulder’s Pearl Street comes alive with four days of music, art, food and community. Explore performances from local and national artists across a wide range of genres, with venues and unexpected spaces throughout downtown joining the celebration. For more information, visit BoulderRootsMusicFest.org.