August is an excellent choice for a month devoted to snagging some last bits of summer adventure. School days are looming, so before the kids’ homework and your end-of-year obligations kick in, try something outside the regular routine. Here are a few ideas to get your wheels turning.
Nature Connects: Art with Lego™ Bricks-Aug. 7-Nov. 1
Boasting a 400 lb. bumblebee, lion, and other creatures built entirely from LEGOs, this traveling exhibit at the Denver Zoo is sure to appeal to animal lovers and diehard fans of the classic toy building blocks. (Many families have both.) This award-winning display of engineering and art prowess features more than 35 life-size-or-larger animal and plant sculptures. Scattered throughout the zoo, the exhibit makes a leisurely summer day even more of a visual treat. Free with admission, which ranges from $12-17. Learn more.
So Long to Summer 5K/10K-Aug. 8, 8am
Run or walk. 5K or 10k. Chase the final days of summer with friends and family in Parker’s lovely Salisbury Park. This sanctioned, professionally-timed event offers prizes to overall male/female finishers, as well as the top finishers in each of the following divisions for both the 5K and 10K: 18 and Under, 19-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and 60+. A free Kids’ Dash follows the race for children ages 8 and under. No pre-registration necessary. $30-40. Learn more.
USA Pro Challenge Bike Race-Aug. 17-23
Kicking off in Steamboat Springs, cruising through eight host cities, and then coming to a grand finale in Denver, this prestigious race offers plenty of places to watch the altitude-busting ways of the world’s top cyclists. New destinations this year include Arapahoe Basin, Loveland Pass, and Copper Mountain, but the Golden-to-Denver stretch makes the viewing easy for us locals. Learn more.
Film on the Rocks: The Breakfast Club-Aug. 26, 7pm
Got your summertime Red Rocks fix yet? Don’t let the season slip by without a trip to this world-renowned venue. Without the hefty price of a concert, Film on the Rocks lets you enjoy a vintage film, live music, and spectacular views. This go-round features music by Jen Korte & the Loss with The Dirty Femmes, a Violent Femmes cover band, followed by The Breakfast Club, the coming-of-age classic about a cross-section of ‘80s high schoolers stuck together in detention. $12. Get tickets here.
Dive-in Movie: Finding Nemo-Aug. 29, Sunset
How perfect is this? Come hang by (or in) the Lantern House pool as you watch Finding Nemo, a funny and sweet underwater tale of a lost clownfish, featuring the comic genius of Ellen DeGeneres and Albert Brooks, on a huge inflatable screen. Finding Dory (expected June of 2016) just can’t get here soon enough. Free to Stepping Stone residents.
