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Hi, NOCO Crew!

Border War weekend is here, and there’s more to it than what happens at Canvas Stadium. We're going to talk about the traditions, events, and detours worth knowing about before the weekend officially hits.

Grab a coffee, and let’s dig in!

— Megan

P.S. — Kickoff is 4pm Saturday, and Old Town will be full from noon on. If you’re headed downtown for anything else, park early or park south.

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. If you'd like to add an event to upcoming issues, hit reply and let us know.

August 14 – 19, 2026

The Big One

The Border War: Wyoming at Colorado State

Canvas Stadium (Fort Collins) — Saturday, 4pm

This is meeting number 118.

CSU leads the all-time series 59–52, with five ties. Wyoming has had the better run lately, though, and comes to Fort Collins carrying the Bronze Boot after shutting out the Rams 28–0 last year.

It’s also a strange new chapter in a very old rivalry. This is CSU’s first game as a member of the Pac-12, Jim Mora’s first game as head coach, and the first time CSU and Wyoming have met as non-conference opponents since 1967. The game will air nationally on USA Network.

Then there’s the Bronze Boot Run.

Before the game, ROTC cadets carry the game ball the roughly 65 miles between the two campuses along Highway 287. Wyoming cadets run it about 26 miles from Laramie to the state line. There, the two schools meet for a ceremonial handoff, and CSU cadets take the ball the rest of the way into Fort Collins.

They’ve been doing some version of this since 1968.

That’s also when the Bronze Boot entered the rivalry. And the boot is exactly what it sounds like: an actual combat boot worn in Vietnam by CSU alum Capt. Dan Romero. Not a replica. The leather boot itself was electroplated in bronze, scars, creases and all, then mounted as the trophy the two schools still play for today.

On Saturday it will sit on the sideline, guarded by ROTC cadets, until one of these two teams gets to take it home.

Saturday is also Military Appreciation Day. There’s a pregame flyover, military vehicles around Ram Town north of the stadium, and the return of Super Flag.

One last thing: Canvas is doing a Stripe Out. Check your section before you grab a shirt.

🎪
THE LONG WEEKEND

Ninety artists in Bond Park, a free festival in Fort Morgan, and pancakes in Berthoud on Monday.

Estes Park Labor Day Arts & Crafts Show @ Bond Park (Estes Park) — Saturday and Sunday 9am to 5pm, Monday 9am to 3pm

Ninety-some juried artists from more than fifteen states fill Bond Park and the lot in front of Town Hall for the weekend. Jewelry, photography, pottery, glass, wood carving, metalwork, and plenty of things that don’t fit neatly into a category.

It’s free to wander, with live music every day, kids’ art, face painting, and a silent auction running all weekend.

The Estes Valley Sunrise Rotary has put the show on for decades, mostly with volunteer hands. Money raised goes back into local nonprofits and scholarships for area students. It’s also become something of an unofficial start to fall festival season in Estes.

Monday is the short day, wrapping at 3pm. It’s also when a few vendors start putting markdown signs out.

10th Annual Break The Silence Festival @ Glenn Miller Park (Fort Morgan) — Saturday, 10am to 10pm, free

Ten years ago, a group in Morgan County decided to use music to start conversations about suicide, mental health, and recovery — things that weren’t always being talked about openly there.

They’ve kept showing up every year since.

On Saturday, Glenn Miller Park fills twelve hours with live music, speakers, a memory wall, kids’ games, food and merchandise vendors, a silent auction, and organizations working in prevention and recovery. It’s free and open to all ages.

Fort Morgan is about ninety miles east of Fort Collins. Far enough that a lot of us rarely point the car that direction. This is a good reason to.

If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available by call or text, 24 hours a day.

Saturday 5th

  • Come to the Water @ Foote Lagoon Amphitheater, Downtown (Loveland) — 4 to 8pm — 👉 Head downtown

Sunday 6th

  • Windsor Cruise In Car Show @ Windsor High School (Windsor) — 9am to 12pm — Free to walk, and the parking lot fills early. 👉 Walk the rows

  • Brantley Gilbert: The Tattoos Tour @ The Ranch Events Complex (Loveland) — 7:30 PM — The biggest ticketed show in Loveland this weekend. 👉 Get loud

Monday 7th, Labor Day

  • Flapjack Day @ City Star Brewing (Berthoud) — All Day — City Star's annual free pancake morning (11-3), with flapjack related happenings all day 👉 Show up hungry

  • FCA All Abilities Labor Day 5K @ Mehaffey Park (Loveland) — 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM — Built to be run, walked, rolled, or pushed. 👉 Take the whole 5K

  • Nature Cabin Open @ Viestenz-Smith Mountain Park (Loveland) — from 10am — Open on the holiday, up the Big Thompson Canyon. 👉 Stop at the cabin

🎨
FIRST FRIDAY (and Sunday)

Friday 4th

  • First Friday Art Walk @ Downtown Fort Collins — 6 to 9pm — Galleries and shops across Old Town stay open and put work on the walls. Free, self-guided, no route required. 👉 Walk it

  • First Friday Art Walk @ Downtown Greeley — 5 to 8pm — Run by the Greeley Creative District, and it starts an hour earlier than Fort Collins, which means you could do both if you're determined. 👉 Start in Greeley

  • First Friday! Art Groove @ Various Locations (Estes Park) — 5 to 8 pm — 👉 Groove uphill

  • First Friday Art Walk: Back to School Open Mic @ Global Village Museum (Fort Collins) — 6 to 9pm — The museum's art walk stop is an open mic this month. 👉 Take the mic

  • First Friday at the Publick House @ Wolverine Farm (Fort Collins) — 6 to 9pm — 👉 Print, drink, repeat

  • First Fridays at Rosie's with DJ TIMBR @ Rosie's (Loveland) — 7 to 10pm — 👉 Get the barbershop dancing

  • Poudre River Irregulars @ Avogadro's Number (Fort Collins) — 4 to 7pm — The first-Friday standing gig at Avo's. 👉 Catch the Irregulars

  • Beginner's Luck D&D @ The Love Shack (Loveland) — 6 to 10pm — Monthly first-Friday session for people who've never rolled a d20. 18 and up. 👉 Start at level one

Sunday 6th

  • Anti-MFA: A Writing Workshop for the Rest of Us @ Wolverine Farm (Fort Collins) — 1 to 4pm — First Sundays, for writers without a degree in it and no interest in getting one. 👉 Write it anyway

  • First Sunday Rooted Mornings @ The Neighbor (Fort Collins) — 8am — 👉 Start the month slow

  • Chicken Sh!t Bingo @ Pour Brothers Community Tavern (Fort Collins) — 1 to 5pm — 🔴 The source says first and third Sundays but isn't certain this is one. 👉 Watch the chicken

🍺
EATS & DRINKS

A sixth anniversary, an Oktoberfest release three weeks early, three farmers markets, and fifteen food trucks.

Friday 4th

  • Beer Release: West Coast Classic IPA @ City Star Brewing (Berthoud) — 3 to 10pm — 👉 Go west

  • Friday Happy Hour @ MeadKrieger Meadery (Loveland) — 4 to 6pm — 👉 Mead the moment

  • Clock Out Hour @ Mighty River Brewing (Windsor) — 3 to 6pm — 👉 Punch out early

Saturday 5th

  • Stodgy's 6th Year Anniversary @ Stodgy Brewing (Fort Collins) — 11am to 10pm — Eleven hours of it. Stodgy has turned into one of the more reliably interesting rooms in town, and six years is worth marking. 👉 Raise six

  • Okberfest Release @ Verboten Brewing (Loveland) — 12 to 5pm — Oktoberfest beer in the first week of September, which is roughly when Munich actually starts. 👉 Prost early

  • Larimer County Farmers' Market @ 200 W. Oak Street (Fort Collins) — 9am to 1pm — Peak season. Corn, peaches, and tomatoes are all landing at once. 👉 Fill the tote

  • Windsor Farmers Market @ Boardwalk Community Park (Windsor) — 8am to 12:30pm — 👉 Beat the heat

  • Yoga + Brunch @ Odell Brewing (Fort Collins) — 10am — 👉 Stretch, then eat

  • Bottomless Mimosas @ Pour Brothers (Fort Collins) — 12 to 2pm — Also Sunday. 👉 Bottom the bottomless

Sunday 6th

Monday 7th

Tuesday 8th

Wednesday 9th

The truck lineup

Who's parked where this week.

Maxline (Fort Collins) — Fri Pig Pickin' BBQ, 3–8pm · Sat Mi Colombia, 12–8pm · Sun Huka Sushi, 12–6pm · Mon The Goodness, 4–7pm · Tue El Torito Loko, 4–7pm · Wed Jersey Cowboy, 4–8pm

City Star (Berthoud) — Fri Corndoggies, 4–8pm · Sat Bayou Smokehouse, 12–8pm · Sun Passport Food Truck, 12–8pm · Mon Chaulkboard Express, 3–6pm · Tue Bohemian Wurst, 12–8pm · Wed Nacho Mama's Tacos, 4–8pm

Estes Park — Fri Akido Sushi Truck @ Lumpy Ridge Brewing · Sat Cocina De Mama @ Lumpy Ridge Brewing

Tuesday, everyone at onceFoCo Food Truck Rally @ City Park, weekly

📚
WORDS & TALK

Two book launches, a poetry collective, and three libraries quietly running a social safety net.

Friday 4th

  • Mobile Laundry Library @ Loveland Public Library parking lot — from 8:30am — A laundry truck parks at the library and you wash your clothes for free. It's one of the least-publicized and most useful things happening in Loveland this week. 👉 Bring a bag

  • PAWS for Reading @ Windsor Library, Pikes Peak (Windsor) — 10 to 11am — Kids read out loud to a therapy dog, which never corrects pronunciation and never gets bored. Loveland runs the same idea as Waggin' Tales on Tuesday at 4pm. 👉 Read to a dog

Saturday 5th

  • Haven and the Fallen Giants Book Signing @ Old Firehouse Books (Fort Collins) — 1 to 2pm — 👉 Get it signed

  • Digital Navigator Drop-Ins @ Loveland Public Library — from 11am — Free, no appointment, and whoever's on shift will sit with you and sort out the phone, the laptop, or the form you can't get through. 👉 Bring the broken thing

Tuesday 8th

  • Fighting Edge Book Launch with Margaret Mizushima and Kathleen Donnelly @ Old Town Library (Fort Collins) — 7 to 8pm — Two Colorado crime writers, both of whom set their books in country you'll recognize. Hosted by Old Firehouse at the library. 👉 Meet the authors

  • Shut Up & Write! @ Stodgy Brewing (Fort Collins) — 6:30 to 8pm — No workshopping, no feedback, no talking. 👉 Shut up and write

  • Gulo Gulo Poetry Collective Editing Meet Up @ Wolverine Farm (Fort Collins) — 6 to 8pm — 👉 Cut a line

  • The Work Beneath: Artist Talk Series @ Wolverine Farm (Fort Collins) — 6:30 to 8:30pm — Second Tuesdays, on the part of the practice nobody photographs. 👉 Hear the process

  • Teen Cookbook Club @ Severance Library, Cottonwood (Severance) — 4:30 to 5:45pm — Teenagers cooking out of actual cookbooks, in Severance, at the library. 👉 Cook the book

  • Larimer County Workforce @ Loveland Public Library — from 10am — Job search help, in person, free. 👉 Sit down with someone

Wednesday 9th

  • Question Persuade Refer: Suicide Prevention Training @ Windsor Library, Pikes Peak (Windsor) — 5:30 to 7pm — Free ninety-minute training in how to recognize warning signs and connect someone to help. 👉 Learn the three steps

  • Adaptive Storytime with ASL @ Windsor Library, Pikes Peak (Windsor) — 10 to 10:30am — Storytime interpreted in American Sign Language. 👉 Sign along

  • The Science of Sourdough @ Fort Collins Welcome Center — 5 to 6:30pm — On what the wild microbes are actually doing in there. 👉 Feed the starter

Also all week — Windsor, Severance, and Loveland libraries are running the usual full slate of baby, toddler, and preschool storytimes, plus Lego club, chess club, and a teen crafternoon. The Clearview bookmobile hits eight Windsor parks Tuesday and Wednesday and Mountain Shadows Park in Greeley Tuesday morning.

🎲
CARDS, DICE & PINS

Eight trivia nights, four bingos, two poker tables, mahjong twice, and speed puzzling.

Saturday 5th

  • Mahjong at Stodgy @ Stodgy Brewing (Fort Collins) — 2 to 5pm — 👉 Build a wall

  • Dungeons & Dragons for Adults @ Windsor Library, James Peak (Windsor) — 12 to 4pm — Free, at the library, four hours. 👉 Roll for initiative

  • Teen Dungeons & Dragons @ Windsor Library, Pikes Peak (Windsor) — 12 to 4pm — Same afternoon, different room, teen table. 👉 Teen party, assemble

Monday 7th

Tuesday 8th

  • Humdinger Trivia @ City Star Brewing (Berthoud) — 6 to 8pm — 👉 Humdinger it

  • Trivia Tuesdays @ Maxline Brewing (Fort Collins) — 6 to 8pm — 👉 Know a thing or two

  • Trivia Night @ Konstruct Brewing (Fort Collins) — 6:30 to 8:30pm — 👉 Build a winning team

  • Trivia Night Tuesdays @ Pour Brothers (Fort Collins) — 7 to 9pm — 👉 Four rounds deep

  • Geeks Who Drink @ Mighty River Brewing (Windsor) — 7 to 9pm — 👉 Out-geek the room

  • BINGO 4 BEER @ Verboten Brewing (Loveland) — 6 to 8pm — Second Tuesdays. 👉 Win a pint

  • Speed Puzzling @ Odell Brewing (Fort Collins) — 5:30pm — A thousand pieces against the clock, which is a stranger kind of competitive than it sounds. 👉 Race the box

Wednesday 9th

  • Cribbage Night @ City Star Brewing (Berthoud) — 6 to 8:30pm — Fifteen-two, fifteen-four, and a room that takes the peg board seriously. 👉 Count your crib

  • Tween Time: Honey Heist @ Windsor Library, Castle Peak (Windsor) — 4:30 to 6pm — Honey Heist is a one-page roleplaying game in which you are a bear, you are stealing honey, and you have two stats. Free, at the library, for tweens. 👉 Be a bear

  • Becky's Badass Bingo @ Loveland Aleworks (Loveland) — 6 to 8pm — 👉 Answer to Becky

  • Mahj & Mocktails @ The Love Shack (Loveland) — 5:30 to 7:30pm — 👉 Tile up sober

✂️
MADE BY HAND

A woodturning club takes over the makerspace, and Studio Vino runs classes six days straight.

Friday 4th

  • Rocky Mountain Woodturning Club @ Loveland CreatorSpace (Loveland) — 9am to 5:30pm — The club sets up ahead of the weekend's bowl turning sessions. 👉 Watch the lathe

  • Happy Little Aspens @ Studio Vino (Loveland) — 8 to 10pm — 👉 Paint a little forest

  • Sunflower Skies @ Studio Vino (Loveland) — 9 to 11pm — 👉 Chase the light

  • Beginning Alcohol Ink @ Greeley Creative Arts Center (Greeley) — 6 to 8pm — 👉 Let it bleed

Saturday 5th

Sunday 6th

  • Autumn Lantern @ Studio Vino (Loveland) — 5 to 7pm — $29, $19 for kids ten and under. 👉 Make a small light

  • Bowl Turning, second session @ Loveland CreatorSpace — 9am to 5:30pm — Waiting list only. 👉 Join the list

Monday 7th

  • Tight Knit Fiber Art Meet Up @ Wolverine Farm (Fort Collins) — 6 to 8pm — 👉 Bring your yarn

  • Dead Pen Drawing Club @ Wolverine Farm (Fort Collins) — 6 to 9pm — Bring a pen that's nearly out and draw until it is. 👉 Drain the pen

Tuesday 8th

  • e-NABLE Prosthetics @ Loveland CreatorSpace (Loveland) — 6 to 7:30pm — Volunteers 3D-print prosthetic hands and ship them free to people who need them. 👉 Lend a hand

Wednesday 9th

  • Fused Glass Night Class & Open Studio @ Loveland CreatorSpace (Loveland) — 5 to 8pm — 👉 Fire it up

🥾
OUTSIDE

Five run clubs, a nature cabin open all weekend, and lichens.

  • Nature Cabin Open @ Viestenz-Smith Mountain Park (Loveland) — Sat, Sun, Mon and Wed from 10am — Up the Big Thompson, open through the holiday. 👉 Stop at the cabin

  • Lichens of Rocky Mountain National Park @ Fall River Visitor Center (Estes Park) — Fri, 9am-3pm — The most overlooked organism in the park, explained by people who study it. 👉 Look closer at the rock

  • Run & Walk Club @ Konstruct Brewing (Fort Collins) — Mon 6 to 7:30pm — 👉 Pick your pace

  • GYTC Monday Run Club @ The Neighbor (Fort Collins) — Mon 5:45pm — 👉 Clock a Monday mile

  • Monday Night Run Club @ Loveland Aleworks (Loveland) — Mon 5:30pm — 👉 Run to the taproom

  • Forbidden Run Club @ Verboten Brewing North (Fort Collins) — Tue 5:30pm — At the Fort Collins taproom. 👉 Break the rules slowly

  • EE Training: Critter Scene Investigation @ Viestenz-Smith Mountain Park (Loveland) — Wed 9am — The Case of the Flattened Frog, which is a real title of a real program. 👉 Investigate the frog

🎭
STAGE & SCREEN

Five films running all week at the Lyric, stand-up, and a séance.

🎸
LIVE MUSIC

Sabrina Carpenter reimagined as jazz school, a Corrido speakeasy night, and a full Friday.

Friday 4th

Saturday 5th

Sunday 6th

Monday 7th

  • Bella Metz @ The Rock Inn (Estes Park) — 5 to 8pm

Tuesday 8th

Wednesday 9th

SUBMIT AN EVENT

Running something, or know somebody who is? Hit reply. We're especially short on Greeley this week, the smaller Weld towns, and anything east of Highway 85. If it's happening out there, we want it in here.

That’s it for this one! Stay Curious, NOCO!

See you next week!

✌️