Hey, neighbors! This week, we’re hunting for ‘alien artifacts’ in the foothills, auditing our irrigation to save the squash, and following a population shift in our neck o’ the woods. We’ll look at your curated guide to a packed NOCO weekend — from the Calder Cup playoffs to the 20th anniversary of Pickin' on the Poudre.

It’s beautiful out there. Let’s dig in!

– Megan

There is an event in NOCO that doesn't typically appear on any calendar. It starts in early May (maybe a little earlier this year), after the soil has absorbed enough warmth and the aspen leaves have pushed out to about the size of a quarter. After a good rain has moved through, and left everything feeling damp and alive. If you know where to look when that window opens, you might find some tiny treasures.

Morel mushrooms are among the most hunted wild foods in Colorado, and for good reason. They’re rare and delicious! They're also unmistakable when you know what you're looking for: a honeycomb-textured, hollow cap that looks somewhere between a sponge and a small alien artifact. They're also ruthlessly seasonal. Blink at the wrong week, and the window is closed (at least for that particular spot).

The window is right about now. Mid-May typically marks peak season at lower elevations, roughly 5,000 to 7,000 feet, in the riparian corridors and aspen groves that thread through the foothills. As the heat climbs, so does the search: by late June, the action shifts upward toward 9,000 to 11,000 feet, following the warming soil into higher country. The trigger is always the same — a warm rain, followed by 24 to 72 hours of patience.

👉 Colorado Mycological Society

👉 Forage Colorado morel guide

Even if you’ve already hired an expert, it can be a good idea to do an irrigation audit on your own. It takes about forty-five minutes of walking your yard and really learning your system. This task can save you a season of not-so-happy surprises.

Work zone by zone. Turn each zone on manually and walk the full run while it's active (might want to wear a bathing suit, cause you’re gunna get wet!). Look for heads spraying sideways into a fence, emitters that have come loose from their tubing (or tubing that got sliced on accident — which I just did 🙄), zones that stall out after thirty seconds (pressure problem or cracked line), and any bubbling at soil level that points to a subsurface break from last winter's freeze.

Check your drip emitters. The small plastic tips that deliver water directly to individual plants crack, clog, and pop off over winter. They cost about fifty cents to replace. Pull each one, check for flow, and swap out anything that looks off. Your tomatoes will thank you!

Find the zones that no longer make sense. If you moved planters around last fall or reorganized beds, there's a good chance at least one zone is now watering something it shouldn't be. A head aimed at a wall. A drip line running to a pot that no longer exists. Catch it now, not in July when your foundation is damp and your squash is wilting.

Check the controller clock. After a winter of power blips and battery drain, your timer might be wrong about the day, the time, or the duration. A controller that thinks it's still November will run your system at 2am for three minutes and call it done. One that thinks every zone needs forty-five minutes will turn your side yard into a retention pond. Dial it in before it’s a problem.

The ~hour you spend on this now is the most useful hour of your whole growing season!

It's official: Weld County is now Northern Colorado's most populous county! Not surprising to the NOCO Crew, we know why we live here 😁 and if you've been watching the cranes, the new subdivisions, and the traffic on I-25, this probably doesn't come as a shock.

But, that means that Weld County just surpassed Larimer County in population growth! Crazy!

According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released in April, Weld County's population grew to 378,426 as of July 1, 2025, edging out Larimer County's 377,292. It's the first time Weld has topped Larimer, and the gap, narrow as it is, represents a genuine shift in the region's center of gravity.

The numbers tell a story. Weld's year-over-year growth rate of 1.92% bumped Douglas County from its long-held title of fastest-growing large county in Colorado. Between 2020 and 2025, Weld grew 14% — compared to 5% for Larimer during the same stretch. Colorado as a whole crossed 6 million residents in 2025, up from just under 5.99 million the year before.

The strongest net migration in the state landed in Weld, Larimer, and Douglas counties, fueled in part by some of the largest increases in residential construction anywhere in Colorado. Not every county is sharing in that momentum: 24 of Colorado's 64 counties have lost population since 2020, with the steepest drops in Jefferson, Boulder, and Eagle counties.

While we watch Northern Colorado change in real time, the numbers confirm what's been visible on the ground for years: Weld is growing fast, and the growth race between our two counties will be fun to watch as we move through time.

We live in NOCO because we like to move — whether that’s hitting the Devil's Backbone, or just keeping up with the garden. When something hurts or just isn't ‘tracking’ right, Choice City Physical Therapy is where you go to stop guessing. Sam Fischer and his team run a down-to-earth Fort Collins clinic that skips the corporate ‘patient-as-a-number’ vibe. From dry needling to sports rehab, they focus on evidence-based care that actually gets you back to the trails. It’s honest, hands-on work designed to keep the NOCO Crew in motion.

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

👉 MAKE A CONTRIBUTION

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.

Debut Theatre Company: The Odyssey @ The Lincoln Center (Fort Collins) — Fri 7pm / runs all weekend — Homer, reimagined by local youth theater. Still going, still worth it. 👉 It's a long way home — get tickets

The Environmental Film Festival @ Historic Park Theatre (Estes Park) — Fri–Sat, times vary — Environmental storytelling on the big screen in one of Colorado's best small theaters. 👉 See the lineup

Shaped by the Land: Dara Weyna & Jai Cochran @ Cornerstone Gallery (Fort Collins) — No event, but an exibit worth seeing — A two-artist opening rooted in landscape and place. Worth the stop on a Friday night. 👉 See the work

Venardos Circus @ The Promenade Shops at Centerra (Loveland) — All Weekend, Various Times — A boutique touring circus — no animals, lots of skill, genuinely impressive. 👉 Grab seats

Let It Go: A Tale of Two Sisters @ The Lincoln Center (Fort Collins) — Sat, times vary — You know the songs. So do the kids. A Lincoln Center production means it's done right. 👉 Get tickets

Summer Kickoff @ Loveland Yards (Loveland) — All day — Loveland's outdoor gathering space opens up the season. A long day with room to wander in and out. 👉 Mark the calendar

Fort Collins Foodie Walk @ Downtown Fort Collins (Fort Collins) — 5–8pm — Bite your way through Old Town. Local restaurants, walkable format, no reservation required. 👉 Come hungry

Algorhythm ft. members of Stick Figure, SOJA, Three Legged Fox w/ Stylie @ Aggie Theatre (Fort Collins) — 7pm — Reggae-influenced and late-night ready. The Aggie does this well. 👉 Get in

Five Month Journey @ Chipper's Lanes (Fort Collins) — 8pm — Live music at an underrated Fort Collins venue. 👉 Show up

Pottery Wheel Throwing — 3 Day Immersion Series @ The Artisan Shop and Studio (Loveland) — 6:30–8:30pm — Night one of three. If you've been meaning to try the wheel, this is the commitment that actually teaches you something. 👉 Start here

LoCo Country @ Tom Davis Saloon (Loveland) — 8pm–12am — Country music, a proper saloon, and a Friday night that doesn't need explaining. 👉 Two-step on in

A Night w/ Snowbelt Bluegrass @ Lumpy Ridge Brewing Co. Publick House (Estes Park) — 6–8pm — Mountain bluegrass at the Publick House. A genuinely good Friday night in Estes. 👉 Pull up a stool

Friday Live Music: Denny Driscoll @ Snowy Peaks Winery (Estes Park) — 4:30–6:30pm — Clock out, drive up, pour a glass. 👉 The mountain office awaits

Jack Yoder @ City Star Brewing (Berthoud) — 6–8:30pm — Live music at Berthoud's favorite taproom. A Friday night that doesn't require a drive. 👉 Grab a pint

HPEC Restoration Ecology Class @ High Plains Environmental Center (Loveland) — 9am–12pm — Three hours with ecologists who actually know what's happening to the land around us. Free and genuinely useful. 👉 Sign up

Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado — Loveland Youth Gardeners Farm Prep & Planting @ Loveland Youth Gardeners (Loveland) — 9am–1pm — Get your hands in the soil for a cause. Youth garden prep with VOC — good work, good people. 👉 Volunteer

2026 Spring Shred Event @ Forge Campus (Loveland) — 10am–2pm — Bring your old documents, skip the identity theft risk. Community shred events are underrated. 👉 Shred it

Meet the Artists — Week 4 @ Loveland Museum (Loveland) — 2-4pm — Four weeks in and the conversation keeps going. Come meet the people behind the work. 👉 Drop in

Timberline Liquor's 10 Hidden Gems — Allocation Mystery Draw @ Timberline Liquor (Loveland) — 3pm — A mystery draw for rare bottles. This one rewards showing up in person. 👉 Take your chances

Live Music: Flattop Rider Trio @ Loveland Aleworks (Loveland) — 6–8pm — Good trio, good pints, downtown Loveland on a Saturday evening. 👉 Settle in

Larimer County Farmers' Market @ 200 W. Oak Street (Fort Collins) — 9am–1pm — The Saturday market is back in full swing. Go early for the good stuff. 👉 Shop local

Aaron Foster "Mostly Jokes" Stand Up Comedy @ Bas Bleu Theatre (Fort Collins) — 8–9:30pm — Stand-up in a black box theater, which is always the right room for it. 👉 Laugh accordingly

Ethan Regan with Emma Andersen @ Aggie Theatre (Fort Collins) — 7pm — Singer-songwriter night at the Aggie. Good for the ears, easy on the evening. 👉 Get tickets

Head for the Hills (Original Lineup) — Pickin' on the Poudre 20th Anniversary @ Mishawaka Amphitheatre (Bellvue) — 7pm — Twenty years of Pickin' on the Poudre, the original lineup, the canyon. This one's a genuine milestone. 👉 Don't miss it

Estes Park Car Club Cars & Coffee @ Estes Valley Community Center (Estes Park) — 9–11am — Coffee, cars, and the particular pleasure of people who really care about both. 👉 Kick a tire

Sarah Minto-Sparks @ The Rock Inn Mountain Tavern (Estes Park) — 5–8pm — Live music at one of the best rooms in the foothills. 👉 Head up early

Greeley Farmers' Market @ Lincoln Park (Greeley) — 8am–12pm — Greeley's weekly market in full spring stride. Go early, go often. 👉 Shop your corner of NOCO

Button Sun Catcher Workshop @ Cobblestone Corner Vintage Marketplace (Berthoud) — 2–4pm — Make a sun catcher from vintage buttons. Charming, quick, and very Cobblestone Corner. 👉 Grab a spot

Kelly Aspen and Branden Sipes @ City Star Brewing (Berthoud) — 6–8:30pm — Two voices, one room, a Saturday well spent. 👉 Come listen

Treasure Island Demonstration Garden Clean-Up (Windsor) — 9-noon — Get your hands dirty for a good cause. Windsor's demonstration garden gets its spring prep with community volunteers. 👉 Find details

Fruit Foraging in Colorado with Orion Aon @ Orion's Apothecary (Loveland) — 10:30am–12pm — Learn what's actually edible out there and where to find it. A genuinely useful couple of hours. 👉 Sign up

Flavors de Mayo Foodie Walk @ Downtown Loveland (Loveland) — 3–6pm — A downtown Loveland stroll with Latin-inspired food and drink at local spots. A good Sunday afternoon. 👉 Walk it off

Colorado Eagles vs. Coachella Valley Firebirds — Calder Cup Playoffs Game 3 @ Blue Arena (Loveland) — 6:05pm (doors at 5pm) — Round 3 is underway and the Eagles are in it. Sunday playoff hockey in Loveland. 👉 Get loud

FCS Up Close: Chamber Concert 3 @ Fort Collins Symphony (Fort Collins) — 2pm — An intimate chamber format from the Fort Collins Symphony. The kind of Sunday afternoon that resets everything. 👉 Reserve your seat

Larimer Chorale Presents: French Connection @ CSU School of the Arts (Fort Collins) — 4–6pm — French choral repertoire from one of NOCO's best community ensembles. 👉 Oui, go

Magic Sunset Series w/ Alfredo Muro @ Magic Rat (Fort Collins) — 1:30–4pm — An afternoon set at one of Fort Collins' better-kept music rooms. 👉 Catch the light

Paint Your Own Flower Frog @ Petrichor Collective (Fort Collins) — 1–3pm — A flower frog is a small ceramic grid that holds stems in place. Paint one, use it all summer. Quietly satisfying. 👉 Make something pretty

Visiting Author: Megan O'Grady @ Berthoud Community Library (Berthoud) — 2–3pm — Megan will read from her debut, How It Feels to Be Alive: Encounters with Art and Our Selves. 👉 Reserve a seat

John McKay @ City Star Brewing (Berthoud) — 5–7:30pm — Close the weekend with live music in Berthoud. Easy, local, no cover. 👉 Wind down right

Issues on Tap — May 2026 @ Verboten Brewery (Loveland) — 4:30–6pm — A community conversation over craft beer. Come with opinions, leave with a better understanding of what's happening locally. 👉 Pull up a stool

Meditation as a Tool for Change @ FoCo Cafe (Fort Collins) — 6:30–7:30pm — A free, drop-in session at one of Fort Collins' most community-minded spots. Worth an hour on a Monday. 👉 Show up

Loveland Boss Babes — Coffee Babes @ Top of the Lake Coffee Co. (Loveland) — Mon, 10:30–11:30am — A come-as-you-are women's networking group that skips the elevator pitch and starts with coffee. First Monday of the month, free, no membership required. 👉 Pull up a chair