What's up, NOCO Crew?
You know how life gets in the way of your best-laid plans sometimes? That was our whole week. It's Saturday at noon, and I'm only now able to sit down to write to you. So yeah, this one's late, and we’re sorry for that. But it's here, and there's still plenty of weekend left to enjoy.
Grab a coffee, and let's dig in!
– Megan
Water for the High Ground
In the second issue of NOCO Word, we wrote about the first modern irrigation ditch in the Cache la Poudre River basin—the G.R. Sanderson Ditch. Our waterways and water rights are something that really fascinate me and so today, we’re going to talk about another Canal.
Drive south on College Avenue past the Foothills Mall, and you cross it without really noticing… A line of water slips under the road near Monroe Drive, runs west of Lincoln Middle School, and keeps going on the same path it has held since the 1870s. That's the Larimer County Canal No. 2, and it's the reason the dry ground west and south of Fort Collins ever grew anything at all.
The first ditches in the valley, like the Sanderson up near Bellvue, watered the low bottomland right along the Poudre. That was much easier than getting water to the harder ground in the benchland — the higher prairie sitting above the river that stayed brown pretty consistently. Canal No. 2 was the first to reach it. By pulling water out of the river far upstream in Laporte and carrying it along a long, shallow grade, it could put the Poudre onto land that sat well above the river's banks downstream — ground unable to farm previous to this effort.
Construction started in the spring of 1873 and ran into 1874, at a cost of about $15,000. Benjamin Eaton, John Abbott, and a civil engineer named Jack Dow laid it out for the colony's land company. Eaton would go on to make even bigger canals, as well as the governor's office (we told that story back in March); but, this was one of the early proofs the idea worked. Within a decade the canal ran eleven miles and watered roughly 10,000 acres.
It did more than grow crops. In 1882, after a fire tore through the Keystone block downtown, Fort Collins voted to build its first water works three and a half miles out — right beside Canal No. 2 — drawing on it for both firefighting and filtered river water. A hundred and fifty years on, the canal still runs, threading north to south through neighborhoods and parking lots, doing the job it was dug to do.
👉 Want to see it? Go to the corner of S. College Ave and Monroe Drive right by Foothills Mall, and you’ll be at one of the easiest spots to catch the water moving straight through the middle of the city. Bring your fishing pole, because you can catch Largemouth bass, Channel catfish, and Bluegill in its waters!
LaPorte Hardware
Old-school service, screen repairs, bulk grass seed, and stuff the big boxes don’t carry.
Why We Love Them:
The Owner: Pete took over from longtime owner Cathy Thompson; but, he wasn't a stranger to the place. He worked the floor before he bought it, and his family had shopped there for years. He came up through construction and trades work, including a stretch with CSU, so when you describe a problem at the counter, you're talking to someone who's probably fixed it himself.
The Fixes: This is a hardware store that still repairs things. Window and door screens are the big one; but, the team also patches up garden hoses, extension cords, and weed trimmers. They cut keys, hose, and tubing to length too. You’re not gunna get that at a chain store. It's the kind of service that only survives in a small shop that knows its regulars, and its craft.
The Co-op: Here's how a small store keeps so much stuff on hand. LaPorte Corner Hardware is a member of ‘Do It Best,’ a member-owned buying co-op that lets independent stores pool their orders and reach a catalog of more than 67,000 products. It's not a franchise. The store is locally owned, and runs its own way. The co-op is just the part that lets them order that odd piece you need, and often keep it stocked after.
The Seasons: The shelves shift with the weather. Snow shovels and heaters in winter, fencing and irrigation parts come summer, plus livestock and chicken supplies year-round for the folks out on acreage. They put money and time back into the place too — donating to local schools and the volunteer fire department. They also host an annual car show in the parking lot.
How to Support:
Visit: 3333 W County Road 54G, Laporte, CO 80535. (970) 484-0466 (right across from Me Oh My Coffee and Pies)
Hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 AM–6:00 PM, Saturday 8:00 AM–5:30 PM, Sunday 9:00 AM–4:00 PM.
Online: doitbest.com/laporte-corner-hardware.
Every contribution keeps us out in the field, digging into local history, and showing up for the towns we cover. We're grateful for every bit of support. Thanks for being part of this.
— Megan & David
From Berthoud to the Wyoming state line, Fort Morgan to Estes, each week we pull together a list of the top events happening all over Northern Colorado.
May 30 - June 1, 2026
SATURDAY May 30th
Second Chance Market @ Kinston at Centerra (Loveland) — 7am to 2pm — Secondhand finds and resale vendors out in the Kinston neighborhood. 👉 Give it a second life
Barnes & Noble Bookfair @ Barnes & Noble (Loveland) — 9am to 9pm — A day of sales that sends a cut to Friends of the Loveland Public Library. 👉 Buy a book, back the library
Blues & Cruise: Blues Festival and Classic Car Show @ Downtown Loveland (Loveland) — 10am to 3pm — Live blues and a street full of chrome. 👉 Cruise the blues
Homecoming: Adam & Jon Live @ The Rialto (Loveland) — 7 to 10pm 👉 Welcome them home
Mantra Mountain Walk for World Peace & Community Picnic @ Lory State Park Timber Picnic Area (Fort Collins) — 9am to noon — A guided meditation walk, then a picnic. 👉 Walk it out
NBB Summer Makers Market @ New Belgium Brewing (Fort Collins) — 11am to 5pm — Local makers set up shop on the brewery grounds. 👉 Shop and sip
Tack Sale and Country Market @ Gordon Creek RV Park & Cabins (Fort Collins) — 11am to 2pm — Used tack and country goods for the buying. 👉 Saddle up
NoCo Wildlife Book Fair @ Northern Colorado Wildlife Center (Fort Collins) — noon to 3pm — A book fair that feeds the wildlife center's work. 👉 Read for the wild
Mobb Mountain 10 Year Get Down @ Mobb Mountain Distillers (Fort Collins) — 2 to 8pm — The distillery marks a decade. 👉 Toast ten years
Silvertones Presents Star Spangled Showcase @ CSU School of the Arts (Fort Collins) — 2pm — The Larimer Chorale's Silvertones ensemble takes on a patriotic program. 👉 Sing along
Global Sounds feat. The Wailers, Dengue Fever + more @ Old Town Square and Linden Street (Fort Collins) — noon to 6:30pm — A stacked outdoor bill anchored by reggae institution The Wailers and Cambodian-American psych band Dengue Fever. The big one this weekend. 👉 Catch the groove
Great Futures Gala @ Lory Student Center, CSU (Fort Collins) — 6pm — An evening fundraiser dinner at CSU. 👉 Fund the future
Lyric Comedy Show @ The Lyric (Fort Collins) — 8pm — Standup night at the indie cinema and bar. 👉 Laugh in the dark
K.L.O w/ Humandala, Restraint, and Arcturus @ Mishawaka Amphitheatre (Bellvue) — 8pm — Live music up the Poudre Canyon at the Mish. 👉 Head up the canyon
Matthew Wilburn Skinner @ The Tavern at Red Feather Lakes (Red Feather Lakes) — 7 to 9pm 👉 Drive up for it
Free Day and Garage Sale @ Estes Valley Community Center (Estes Park) — 9am to 6pm — Free building access paired with a community garage sale. 👉 Roam for free
Hummingbird Flower Pot Class @ Estes Valley Community Center (Estes Park) — 9:30 to 11am — Paint up a hummingbird-themed pot for the season. 👉 Pot something pretty
Sarah Minto-Sparks @ The Rock Inn Mountain Tavern (Estes Park) — 5 to 8pm 👉 Settle in
Live Music with Jeremy Smith @ Bogey's Sport Bar (Estes Park) — 7 to 10pm 👉 Pull up a stool
Rachel Alena Duo @ City Star (Berthoud) — 6 to 8:30pm 👉 Catch the duo
Brett Hendrix @ Mighty River Brewing (Windsor) — 6 to 9pm 👉 Float on over
Blues Sinners @ Avogadro's Number (Fort Collins) — 7 to 9pm — $15 at the door. Blues on the Avo's stage. 👉 Sin a little
SUNDAY May 31st
Hand Knitting Chunky Throw Pillow @ The Artisan Shop and Studio (Loveland) — 1:30 to 3:30pm — Same arm-knit method as Saturday's blanket class, scaled down to a pillow. No needles. 👉 Plump it up
Bug Spray & Bug Bite Salve Workshop @ The Artisan Shop and Studio (Loveland) — 2:30 to 4:30pm — Mix your own natural bug spray and bite salve before the mosquitoes get serious. 👉 Bug off
Peaked Motor Car Show @ Foothills (Fort Collins) — 11am — Cars on display in the Foothills lot. 👉 Pop the hood
2026 Sustainable Swap Series @ New Belgium Brewing (Fort Collins) — noon to 5pm — Bring what you don't need, take what you do. A community swap at the brewery. 👉 Swap, don't shop
The Gadfly: True Stories and Stand-Up Philosophy @ Slyce Pizza Co. (Fort Collins) — 5:30 to 7pm — Cori Wong works the line between true stories and stand-up philosophy over a pizza counter. 👉 Question everything
Live Music with Douglas James @ Bogey's Sport Bar (Estes Park) — 3 to 5pm 👉 Catch the afternoon set
Poet's Row @ The Rock Inn Mountain Tavern (Estes Park) — 5 to 8pm 👉 Pour one, stay awhile
Edison's Ice Cream Grand Opening @ Edison's Ice Cream (Greeley) — noon to 11pm — A new ice cream shop opens its doors on 8th Ave. 👉 Get the first scoop
Blast N Bowl w/ Radical Eyes, Disnogginize & Steal the Scepter @ Chippers Lanes (Greeley) — 7 to 9pm — Three bands and a lane full of pins. 👉 Strike up the band
Willis Alan Ramsey @ Avogadro's Number (Fort Collins) — 5 to 7pm — The Texas singer-songwriter with a long cult following, in for an early-evening set at Avo's. 👉 Hear it live
Backyard Rock! @ Backyard Tap (Loveland) — 4pm — Live rock out back. 👉 Rock the backyard
DIY Stress Ball @ Estes Valley Library Makerspace (Estes Park) — 4 to 4:45pm — Make your own stress ball in the library makerspace. Free. 👉 Squeeze the stress out
David Miner @ Swing Station (Laporte) — 3pm to midnight — Live music at the Laporte honky-tonk. 👉 Two-step on in
Sunday Strike Pot League @ Main Event (Windsor) — 6:30 to 9pm — A weekly bowling pot game. 👉 Bowl for the pot
The Wizard of Oz @ The Lincoln Center (Fort Collins) — 11am — Dorothy and company at the Lincoln Center. 👉 Follow the yellow brick road
Sugar Britches @ City Star (Berthoud) — 5 to 7:30pm 👉 Sip and sway
Visible Mending at Love Shack @ The Love Shack (Loveland) — 2 to 4pm — Learn visible mending and leave with the repair done. Bring a "holy" pair of pants; thread, hoop, and fabric are included. 👉 Patch it up
Chicken Sh*t Bingo @ Pour Brothers Community Tavern (Fort Collins) — 1 to 5pm — A chicken, a numbered grid, and a bet on where it does its business. Distinctly NOCO. 👉 Place your cluck
Giant Walking Robots @ Odell Brewing (Fort Collins) — 1pm — Live music at Odell. 👉 Stomp on over
MONDAY June 1st
(How is it June already!)
Fit4Baby Open House @ Grace Yoga (Loveland) — 6pm — An open house for the prenatal fitness program. 👉 Stretch your legs
Average Joe & Jane League: Summer @ Chippers Lanes (Fort Collins) — 6:30 to 9:30pm — A low-stakes summer bowling league kicking off. 👉 Roll into summer
Vintage Vibes @ The Lincoln Center Performance Hall (Fort Collins) — 6pm 👉 Catch the show
Live Jazz @ The 120 Bar and Grill (Loveland) — 6:30 to 9:30pm 👉 Let it swing
