Colorado Springs Events

Electronic entries will be accepted in three categories: Visual Art, Photography, and Short Story/Poetry.

$200 in total prizes will be awarded, including two $25 gift certificates in each category: one winner from grades K-5, and one winner from grades 6-12. A special $50 gift certificate for Best-of-Show will also be awarded by the judges. All contest entries will be displayed online in a virtual art exhibition.

The entire event will culminate with a self-guided walk along the Pikes Peak Greenway Trail on Saturday, October 31 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. starting at America the Beautiful Park. In honor of Halloween, everyone is invited to come out (costumed or not) and walk the trail, experiencing the temporary planet markers that represent our amazing solar system--starting with the marker for the Sun, which is located in America the Beautiful Park.

Musicians will stroll the trail playing space-inspired musical selections, and winning art entries will be displayed at Mars (and on the Planet Walk website throughout the coming year) for all to appreciate our community creativity inspired by Space!

All entries must be emailed as JPG, WORD, or PDF files by October 25th to planetwalkcs@gmail.com. Please put “Art Contest” in the email subject line, and be sure to include the following information:

• Student Artist Name
• Age
• School Name
• Contest Category (i.e., Visual Art, Photography, or Short Story/Poetry)
• Phone and/or Email Contact

The strings of the Chamber Orchestra bring their artistry to the far reaches of the string repertoire, from the joyful dances of Holst’s “St. Paul’s Suite,” to the mesmerizing flow of Pärt’s “Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten,” the otherworldly beauty of Tippett’s “Fantasia Concertante on a Theme of Corelli,” and the youthful energy of Mendelssohn’s “Swiss” String Symphony, composed when he was only fourteen years old.  The strings are the heart of the orchestra; repertoire like this shows why.

How will our virtual concerts work?
Our musicians will be recording in a private, physically-distanced session at First Christian Church. The final recording will include information about the repertoire, reflections on what it is like to perform in this time of Covid-19, and more! The concert videos will be made available via private link beginning on Sunday, September 27 and you will be able to watch them at your convenience in the comfort of your own home. Access will be available for 3 months. We hope you’ll sit and relax, grab something to eat and drink, and enjoy these performances, made just for you!

Starting on October 1st, Arts Month 2020 will launch a new feature called "Artist-a-Day!" During each of the 31 days in October, you'll be introduced to a different artist, performer, or creative from our local community. In addition to photos and brief bios on ArtsOctober.com, there will also be links to the artists' personal websites and social media pages, as well as more in-depth profiles written by the Cultural Office, Humanitou and My Black Colorado. In addition, many of these amazing artists will be showcasing specially created digital content on PeakRadar.com's Facebook and Instagram pages throughout the month of October!

This October, arts & culture takes center stage in Colorado Springs and across the Pikes Peak region, as our community celebrates Arts Month 2020! Orchestrated annually by the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region, Arts Month elevates the visibility of arts & culture across El Paso and Teller Counties by showcasing local talent, providing opportunities for arts advocacy, supporting cross-sector collaborations, and creating new avenues for arts engagement and cultural enrichment.

Despite the challenges of COVID-19, our seventh annual Arts Month celebration promises to be one of our biggest and best ever, with lots of new and exciting ways for community members and visitors to: “Have at least one new cultural experience [virtual or in-person] with family or friends this October!”

Visit ArtsOctober.com and follow Peak Radar on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube to make sure you don't miss a beat of this year's campaign.

This is a self-guided exhibit, up all month long. Enjoy this Tejon St. window display of 4 impressive Theaterworks stage costumes.

Each ensemble has a QR code to allow viewers to learn more about the actor, the costume designer or even view a clip of the costume in action on stage.

Join the Theaterworks newsletter by subscribing here http://uccspresents.org/subscribe.

Find us on the Southeast side of the Pioneer’s Museum every Wednesday, June through October, from 3pm to 7pm–opening day June 10th!

Pre-orders for pickup at the market for those wanting/needing it will be open from Fridays at noon until Mondays at midnight on our online store on Open Food Network.

This cozy afternoon market features local farms and ranches, artisanal food vendors, artists and more. There’s metered street parking available along Nevada, Vermijo or across the street on Pueblo, or you can easily park in the garage on Nevada for less than $1.

We are in our 22nd Season of opera magic and, even though our season does not look exactly as we had imagined, we find we have much to celebrate and much to anticipate for the future. Please join us for a fun Virtual Season of Memories. We hope you will enjoy this ride down Opera Theatre Memory Lane and that you will accept our continued gratitude for your friendship. We anticipate a face to face reunion with you soon. In the meantime, please be safe and healthy!

Please join us for a fun virtual season of memories including: The Magic Flute (814-8/28), The Barber of Seville (8/28-9/11), Puccini Double Bill (9/11-9/25), Let’s Make a Scene (9/25-10/9), Trouble in Tahiti (10/9-10/23), and Carmen (10/23-11/6)!

In celebration of Arts Month 2020, the Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance, Fountain Creek Watershed Flood Control & Greenway District, Creek Week, and the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region have joined forces once again to orchestrate the 3rd annual Pikes Peak Litter Letter Project. Each year, our local Litter Letter Project produces a unique piece of sculptural art that is constructed with trash collected from public lands and waterways during Creek Week. Modeled after the national Litter Letter Project, and with permission to use their logo and concept, our local Litter Letter Project is fun annual event that signals the official start of Arts Month. It’s also a wonderful cross-sector collaboration between the Arts, Outdoor Recreation, and Environmental sectors that truly benefits the entire community! In 2018, our word was “INSPIRE.” Last year’s word was “PRISTINE.” The new word for 2020 is “RESILIENT. The litter letters, constructed by local nonprofit Concrete Couch, will be on display throughout the month of October in celebration of Arts Month.

American Presidency has changed over the last 200 years and in more recent years, what roles race, gender, and celebrity have played in these dynamics.

Now in 2020, during one of the most important and unique Presidential elections in history, Theatreworks is bringing the investigation to life. Streaming October 22 through November 1, 2020 in celebration of Arts Month and in anticipation of the 2020 Presidential election.

Enjoy a new exhibit at the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, Una Familia Grande: The Conejos Neighborhood Project that displays artifacts, photographs, and stories that puts this once vibrant neighborhood back on the map.

Through this community-based history project, neighbors will tell their own stories and visitors will gain insight into the Conejos Neighborhood’s unique community identity, history, and culture.

Rockrimmon Library is hosting an ongoing pen pal program for adults over age 18 beginning in September.

Interested participants may register online or with PPLD staff; pen pals will be randomly assigned. Pen pals may use the Rockrimmon Library as a drop-off point for handwritten letters and postcards (pen pals are free to exchange addresses to have mail delivered directly).

After a quarantine period, staff will notify the intended recipients that they have mail to pick up. All pen pals assume responsibility for the contents of their own correspondence and communication.

Each pen pal participant will receive a starter kit with stationery, envelopes, postcards, a pen, and tips on how to get started. Those wishing to change or request additional pen pals may do so after a period of one month.

A lot of us have been hit by COVID. We cant gather inside like before, and that has a direct impact on the creative world.

Our gallery is open to any creative who wants to get out and create. It is free to the artist as well as the public. We will be opening up on Oct. 22 and again on the 24 with live music and food trucks.

On Thursday, October 22, join TGR at the Stargazers Theatre to get hyped for winter with their new ski and snowboard film "Make Believe" on the big screen. This is a limited capacity event with social distancing protocols in place - each group will have their own private area for 2 or 4 people.

Consistent with current regulations and for the safety of everyone involved, masks are required when you are not at your table. We are committed to providing a safe atmosphere for watching our films; but that doesn't mean that the party can't go on, and skiers and snowboarders are as prepared as anyone to pull this off.

So dig into those winter closets and grab your Sunday finest in buffs, balaclavas and face masks; break out the goggles and gloves, rock the helmets, and for the ultimate in protection, dust off those one pieces. It's all about physical distancing + social stoke as we get ready for winter with TGR on the big screen.

As always, there will be a ton of prize giveaways from our partners at Sierra Nevada, The North Face, Atomic, Volkl, YETI and more. Plus, all attendees will have a shot at the tour grand prizes, including a trip to our hometown Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, a trip to Whistler with Tourism Whistler, an outerwear set up from The North Face, the ultimate apres setup from Sierra Nevada, or prize packs from YETI or Atomic.

We aim to provide a safe, fun event for those that choose to join us, and are tracking CDC and local public health guidelines for indoor events. For the safety and comfort of everyone involved, please come prepared to have a good time but be respectful of other groups at the event.

Poetry 719 and UCCS Mosaic Office are partnering together to celebrate October Disability Awareness Month.

We will have an open mic dedicated to people with visible and invisible disabilities to share their art through poetry, music, song, etc.

We will follow the open mic with an incredible feature by a local artist.

This event is a part of the Poetry 719 Cyber Festival.

We are celebrating Queer identities. Join us for an open mic for Queer voices to perform poetry, music, dance, and etc.

After the open mic there will be a guess feature.

In celebration of #ArtsOctober, local artist Sarah Searle has been chosen to paint a mural at the Monument Skate Park. Thank you to The Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region and Fire Team Skateboards for sponsoring this event!

The community is invited to attend and participate anytime 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (or until dark) on Friday, October 23.

Bring a canned food item for Tri-Lakes Cares for a chance to win a deck donated by Fire Team Skateboards.

You’ve found it – the original Colorado Springs food tour that started in 2010!

Explore Colorado Springs on the #1 Rated Food and Drink Attraction!

This established and popular tour highlights five distinctive local destinations that are the best in their class.

We’ll visit some of the most loved restaurants in downtown Colorado Springs while sharing local history and fun facts. Each locale has a unique flavor with food that is both delicious and approachable.

Highlights of this tour include:

Enjoy 8-10 generous tastings from five local restaurants, hole-in-the-walls, and artisan food shops in downtown Colorado Springs
Visit the historic Antlers Hotel and enjoy historical storytelling of Pikes Peak, William Jackson Palmer, the railroad, and more
Try one of Colorado’s eight famous foods, the delicious and mild Pueblo Green Chile
Experience one of downtown Colorado Springs’ most sought-after restaurants, which is hidden underground (Sundays only)
Dine at the restaurant of a Food Network Chopped Champion and get a sneak peek at its secret speakeasy

Bring your little superhero, princess, or pirate to Boo at the Zoo Oct. 17-18, 23-25, and 30-31, 3:40-8:30 p.m. (last admission at 7:20 p.m.), when Cheyenne Mountain Zoo comes alive with the spirit of Halloween.

Boo at the Zoo is a fun trick-or-treating event for local families, and COVID-19 precautions will be in place. Set in a unique environment, attendee will enjoy all the Zoo has to offer, while feeling good about collecting candy made with sustainable palm oil to help protect wild orangutans!

Put on your costume and bring your trick-or-treat bag to the wildest Halloween event in town. It’ll be a frightfully good time!

Online timed ticketing only; no walk-up tickets available.  Buy today, as nights are likely to sell out due to limited capacity.

Discounted tickets (senior and military) purchased online will only be valid at the front gate when accompanied by a valid form of identification. (For a list of accepted military identifiers, please visit cmzoo.org/boo)

For all the details, please visit cmzoo.org/boo.

The walking tours will be a family friendly event that all ages can enjoy. Come hear spooky stories from Manitou Springs’ haunted past. This year THEATREdART features the writing talents of local playwrights to bring you characters such as Emma Crawford, Dr. Isaac Davis, Soapy Smith, William Cooper, and more!

Experience the deadly plague that has plunged Manitou Springs into chaos and thinned the veil of the supernatural and living worlds. Tours will depart in limits of 8 from the Manitou Springs Heritage center and tourists will cross over into the world of the spirits in Manitou’s Memorial Park.

Masks are mandatory when social distancing is not available outdoors.

THEATREdART (TdA) is committed to introducing a new audience to the Colorado Springs theatre scene by producing avant-garde, provocative works performed by local artists and by specializing in works from local playwrights.

The dazzling female electric string quartet Spinphony is breaking down barriers between classical, rock, and pop music, mixing and mashing catchy melodies into their own unique arrangements.

Whether you're a fan of Bach, ACDC, Journey, or Mozart, the virtuosic ladies will have you rocking out to the greatest melodies of all time.

The Hispanic Chamber’s “An Evening With ……” Series will feature local and national musicians from various genre of music to include Ryan Flores, Latin Gypsy guitarist, Tony Exum, Jr., and Gregory Goodloe, national smooth jazz recording artists and much more.

Take your shoes off, wind down to end the work week and enjoy live music in the comforts of your home with your favorite cocktail!