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The mantra “there’s no place like Boulder” is frequently heard in this part of Colorado. Some of the best evidence for this claim lies in the events that are unique to Boulder County. Whether it be enjoying an Irish Car Bomb at Conor O’Neil’s on St. Patrick’s Day or running in the Bolder Boulder on Memorial Day, no tenure in Boulder is complete without experiencing all of the events below.
To paraphrase “Boondock Saints,” everybody can be Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, even if you are a college student in the middle of Colorado. The most popular place to celebrate this holiday in Boulder is at Conor O’Neil’s.
“People come here on St. Patrick’s Day because we are a real Irish bar in Boulder,” Manager Richard Scossier said.
Scossier said this year every table was full of people indulging in Guinness and chips starting at 8:30 a.m.
“Most of Boulder comes through our door at some point during that week,” he said.
The Bolder Boulder is a reason to stay around until Memorial Day weekend. Held every year since 1978, it is the second largest road race in the United States and the sixth largest in the world, Bolder Boulder employee Victoria Gillen said. According to the race’s Web site, each year approximately 50, 000 people participate. Serious runners are welcome to compete, but the 10K is also open to those in the mood for a brisk walk.
“A lot of people get really excited about it. It’s not just a competition, it’s a celebration,” Gillen said.
Every year, on the first Saturday in May, the Kinetics Challenge ensures that Boulder will, in fact, be kept weird. Every year, teams build sculptures and vehicles to transport these sculptures across the prairies surrounding Boulder and the waters of the Boulder Reservoir. The catch: no motors allowed. Movement and force have to be accomplished through the sweat and turmoil of human labor alone.
Judges assess each team for style, engineering, costume and the quality of the sculpture. The “Helpful Hints” guide found on the radio sponsor 97.3 KBCO’s Web site recommends first-time contestants — referred to as virgins — start small and add to their sculpture year by year. It also recommends bringing food and drink bribes for the judges.
Tickets for the event can be purchased at Ticketmaster, and on the day of the event, shuttles run from Williams Village to the reservoir. Ryan Kingsbury, the internet operations manager for 97.3 KBCO, recommends students come to the event “with an open mind.”
