Boulder Arts Week

Would you ban it?

Head to CU Boulder on Wednesday, September 30 from 1–3:30 PM for Read at Your Own Risk: A Banned Books Experience during the Culture Crawl.

Browse a selection of books, cast your vote to Ban It, Keep It, or It Depends... and then find out why those books have actually been challenged or banned.

Enjoy some cookies and cupcakes, chat about censorship and free expression, and enter to win a banned book in the raffle!

Free and open to all.

This Saturday is all about ballet!

Boulder Ballet is kicking off its new season at Chautauqua Auditorium with [In]Human, a program featuring three contemporary dance works set to music ranging from Philip Glass to Andrew Bird. Expect bold choreography, impressive movement, and three very different takes on what it means to be human.

Come see what they've been working on Saturday, September 19 at 7:30 PM.

Tickets available here: https://www.chautauqua.com/event/boulder-ballet-inhuman/

Come hungry and ready to dance!

The Cultural Caravan is kicking off its 2026–27 season with a block party at The Read Queen Bookstore & Cafe on Wednesday, September 16 starting at 5 PM.

There will be Brazilian music, dancing, local food trucks, drinks, and plenty to do. Come grab some food, check out the books, make something at the Craft Place, and listen to some live Brazilian music from Gabriel Santiago and his ensemble.

The Upstart Crow Theatre Co. is bringing Much Ado About Nothing to the Dairy Arts Center!

Shakespeare’s classic comedy follows Beatrice and Benedick, a pair who seem much more interested in arguing than falling in love. Add a few lies, some matchmaking, and a very memorable constable named Dogberry, and you've got Much Ado About Nothing.

Catch the show September 3–6 at the Dairy Arts Center, with performances Thursday–Saturday at 7 PM and Sunday at 2 PM.

Tickets are $27–$32.

13 suspects. 2 actors. 1 piano.

You read that right… Murder for 2 is a madcap musical whodunit where one actor plays the detective, the other plays all 13 suspects, and both play the piano the entire time.

Catch one of the remaining performances at the Dairy Arts Center Thursday August 27 at 7:30 PM, Friday, August 28 at 7:30 PM, or Saturday, August 29 at 2:00PM or 7:30 PM.

Tickets are $25–$30, with student pricing available. Rated 12+.

Discover your next summer reads at the Boulder Book Swap!

The Boulder Book Swap Society is bringing readers together at the Dairy Arts Center on Tuesday, August 25 from 5–8 PM. Bring some books you’ve loved, swap with fellow book lovers, and take home up to 4 new reads.

This special book swap will take place alongside Off The Page, an exhibition exploring storytelling, literature, and the written word in contemporary art.

New stories PLUS art, what could be better?

$10 RSVP required. All ages welcome.

Info: https://www.bouldercountyarts.org/event/boulder-book-swap-dairy

Farmers Market Saturday... why not add some art?

While you’re grabbing your goodies at the Boulder Farmers Market, make a stop at the Boulder Museum Of Contemporary Art and check out Tres Voces, Un Corazón.

The exhibition brings together the work of three members of one family: Sylvia Montero, Tony Ortega, and their son, Cipriano Ortega. Together, their work explores family, identity, cultural memory, and the ways artistic ideas are carried forward and shaped across generations.

Tres Voces, Un Corazón is on view at BMoCA through September 13, so make a stop the next time you’re at the Farmers Market—or whenever you find yourself nearby.

Celebrate the music, dance, and culture of Brazil!

Colorado Brazil Fest is back! Head to Junkyard Social Club August 6–9 for four days of live performances bringing the music and spirit of Brazil to Boulder.

From choro and forró to samba, bossa nova, and the vibrant rhythms of Bahia, the festival features incredible musicians, dancers, and cultural experiences throughout the weekend.

Tickets: $10 - $25
More info at: coloradobrazilfest.org.

Your mission: find the poet.
Your clue? A lace umbrella.

On Saturday, August 1 from 11:00 AM–1:00 PM, the poet will be visiting Boulder’s Civic Area Park. Find her, and she’ll create a personalized poem just for you.

Bring your family, invite your friends, or set out on your own poetic quest. This free experience is open to all ages... just follow the clues and see what poem awaits.

Come explore the art of movement.

Join the Mariposa Collective for an All Levels Contemporary Dance Class at Mi Chantli Movement & Art Sanctuary on Wednesday, July 29, from 10:00–11:30 AM.

Led by guest artist ShawnT Stone, this welcoming class explores movement through creativity, expression, and play. Whether you're new to contemporary dance or have years of experience, all levels are welcome.

Classes are $20 to drop in, and if it's your first time at the studio, you can join for just $5.