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 FESTIVAL (OTHER THAN MUSIC FESTIVAL)
Boulder Creek Festival
www.bouldercreekfestival.com
Runner-up: Boulder County Farmers’ Market
Honorable Mention: Bolder Boulder, Colorado Shakespeare Festival
Webster’s New College Dictionary describes a festival as: “An occasion for feasting or celebration.” That’s not a bad description, but the B-dub staff thought it lacked a few details, so we decided to spruce it up a bit. The Boulder Weekly Dictionary of Random Things That We Like describes a festival as: “A totally awesome place where you can pig out on cheap food, drink the best beer in Colorado, watch a dude dressed like a wizard fight a dude dressed like a dragon, party like a rock star, make new friends, help a worthy cause, and then pass out in a quiet corner somewhere for a few hours.”
It just wouldn’t be summer without the annual Boulder Creek Festival to kick-start the season. For 20 years, this event has provided food and entertainment for the masses in the People’s Republic, and there is no community gathering that is more widely attended. And, of course, we would never forget about their Great Rubber Duck Race. Yeah, that’s right, small plastic ducks train all year long to compete for the title of Fastest Rubber Fowl On the Planet Earth (Or Actually Probably On Any Planet, Since It Is Very Unlikely That Other Planets Even Have Rubber Ducks, And If They Do, They Probably Don’t Race).
CLASSICAL
Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra
2995 Wilderness Pl., Ste. 100,
303-449-1343
Runner-up: Colorado Music Festival
Honorable Mention: CU College of Music, Colorado Symphony Orchestra
For half a century, the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, has treated Boulder County to some of the most beautiful music in existence, brightening our winters, enriching our summers and keeping the magic of classical music alive. What keeps them so young and fresh is their constantly shifting programs that feature an eclectic mix of classical themes, with everything from the Classical Mystery Tour, a Beatles-meets-Bach performance, to Shakespearean Fusion, a mixture of music and performances by actors from the Colorado Shakespeare Festival. Combine that with a catalog of guest conductors, and you’ve got yourself the freshest classical scene around. At 50, the Boulder Philharmonic isn’t over the hill; it’s just getting started. The Colorado Music Festival, this year’s runner-up, entertains more than 20,000 people each summer, offering everything from favorite composers like Mozart and Beethoven to contemporary composers and musicians from around the world. The CU College of Music, known for its variety and excellence, and the acclaimed Colorado Symphony Orchestra share honorable mention this year.
 ADVANCED EDUCATION
Naropa University
2130 Arapahoe Ave., 303-444-0202
Runner-up: CU Continuing Education
Honorable Mention: Front Range Community College, Boulder College of Massage Therapy
Boulder takes its education very seriously. With more advanced degrees per capita than any other U.S. city, according to U.S. census data, we just can’t seem to get out of the classroom. And if you’re looking to continue your education, there are several options to consider. When Boulder Weekly readers seek knowledge, they head to Naropa University. In addition to offering four-year undergraduate and graduate programs in the arts, education, environmental leadership, psychology and religious studies, Naropa also offers BA, BFA, MA, MFA and MDiv degrees. And for those who aren’t looking for another degree, but who want to enrich their understanding of certain topics, Naropa offers professional development opportunities, as well as training courses. The approach to higher education at this Boulder institution of learning is called contemplative education, combining elements of a Western liberal arts university with Eastern, Buddhist-inspired traditions. That’s education and enlightenment in one smart package.
FUNDRAISING EVENT
KBCO Studio C
Runner-up: Chocolate Lovers’ Fling
Honorable Mention: Dairy Center’s
Nuts ‘n’ Bolts
One of Boulder’s premier radio stations, KBCO, whose slogan is “World Class Rock,” has been in the adult rock business since it signed on in June 1977. KBCO Studio C was born in 1988 with a performance by Melissa Etheridge in a hallway. Studio C has since upgraded, and they now feature live on-air performances from bands that are touring in Colorado. The station releases a CD every year featuring the best or most memorable Studio C performances. The CDs sell out in a matter of hours, and all proceeds from the album are donated to the Boulder County AIDS Project (BCAP). Program Director Scott Arbough was pleased to learn that his station won this year’s top honors. “KBCO has always been committed to making a positive impact on our local community. The annual sale of the KBCO Studio C CDs supports the valuable work that the Boulder County AIDS Project does. It is the efforts of BCAP that deserve the praise. KBCO is honored to be recognized by the Boulder Weekly.” Our runner-up, the Chocolate Lovers’ Fling, is an annual event to benefit the Safehouse Progressive alliance for Non-Violence (SPAN). The Chocolate Lovers’ Fling features food, entertainment, raffles and, most of all, chocolate — all for a great cause.
LIVE DANCE GROUP
Frequent Flyers Productions: Aerial Dance Theater
Classes held at the Dairy Center for the Arts, 2590 Walnut St., 303-245-8272
Runner-up: Boulder Ballet
Honorable Mention: Ballet Nouveau
Most cities are usually content with watching ballet or break dancing groups perform. Boulder, in keeping with its spirit of originality, prefers something more off the wall — or off the floor, if you will. Frequent Flyers Productions, the winner of the Live Dance Group category, belongs in its own class entirely. The group’s unique style, which combines low-flying trapeze and aerial work with dance, has won numerous awards for its cutting-edge take on the kinetic art. Frequent Flyers Productions is among only a handful of such groups in the country and organizes the only festival devoted to aerial dance in the world. The spectacular performances by Frequent Flyers, held indoors and outdoors, are made to complement specific locations and have been held in a church, a drive-in theater and a gallery, as well as in conventional performance theaters. Before watching some gravity-bound dance group perform, see the high-flying spectacle of Boulder’s most unique dance company.
Boulder Ballet, founded in 1982, is known for superior performances, its dance school and for brightening the holidays each year with its performance of The Nutcracker. Broomfield-based Ballet Nouveau takes honorable mention this year with its approach, which joins contemporary dance with 21st-century technology.
LIVE THEATER
Boulder’s Dinner Theatre
5501 Arapahoe Ave., 303-449-6000
Runner-up: Dairy Center for the Arts
William Shakespeare once wrote, “All the world’s a stage. And all the men and women merely players.” That may be true, Bill, but some stages are definitely better than others. For instance, you can walk down a dark alley in any big city and discover an extremely provocative stage filled with interesting players, but some of those players might be dangerous jerk-wads who might knock you down and take your lunch money and leave you lying on the stage by yourself bleeding and crying for your mommy. Of course, that might not be the kind of drama you’re looking for. But one thing is certain: at Boulder’s Dinner Theatre, they will never take your lunch money. That is a company policy. In fact, if you go to a performance at BDT, they will fill your belly with great food and put on a Broadway-caliber performance, leaving you gastronomically and culturally satisfied. That’s a much better deal than getting beaten up in an alley, don’t you think? Another stage that offers talented, non-alley-beating performances is the Dairy Center for the Arts. The Dairy supports local and national artists of all kinds, and they’re known for promoting cutting-edge performances that push the boundaries of form and content.
LOCAL CELEBRITY
Zipcode Man
Staff Pick: Hippieman
Runner-up: Dan Hawkins
Honorable Mention: Otis Taylor, Ukulele Loki
As we all know, Hollywood celebrities are the kindest, smartest, most beautiful people in the world, and we should all worship them unconditionally and watch their movies and try to emulate them in every way possible. Right? OK, perhaps that’s taking it a little too far. Perhaps Hollywood celebrities are not perfect after all. Perhaps they’re just a bunch of attention-starved narcissists who spend their time obsessing about their body fat and injecting the bubonic plague into their lips. However, our local celebrities are not soulless fame whores. They are the artists, musicians and personalities who represent what we love most about our quirky, eccentric community. And no one exemplifies this description more than David Rosdeitcher, aka the Zipcode Man, aka the Why The Hell Do You Know That Guy. Zipcode Man has been a fixture on Pearl Street for more than 20 years, but there are few things you might not know about him. For instance, were you aware that Zipcode Man has a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Tulane? It’s true. He was also a star attraction at Walt Disneyworld’s Epcot Center in 1996, and he holds the Guinness World Record for most zip codes consecutively identified at random. And he juggles. Paris Hilton can’t even spell “juggle.” Our staff pick this year is a very talented local comedian named John “Hippieman” Novosad. Hippieman survived a lot of, ahem, recreational activities in the ’60s, and now he uses those experiences to entertain the masses. He has been on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson; he’s a regular at Comedy Works in Denver; and you can often catch him hanging out on Thursday nights with other reprobate comedians at Albums on the Hill here in Boulder.
 ART GALLERY
The Dairy Center for the Arts
2590 Walnut St., 303-440-7826
Staff Pick: Boulder Museum of
Contemporary Art
1750 13th St., 303-443-2122
Runner-up: Art & Soul Gallery
Honorable Mention: Boulder Arts & Crafts, Blink Gallery
Pablo Picasso once said, “The artist is a receptacle for the emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider’s web.” And with the picture-perfect landscape, an eclectic population and a mass of cultural celebrations, Boulder pours itself into its artists. In turn, they bring us visions that help make our city even more vibrant. The Dairy Center for the Arts (known to locals simply as “The Dairy”) captures our readers’ hearts with its constant rotation of artist exhibits. A nonprofit committed to the appreciation and advancement of the arts, The Dairy — housed in a building that used to be the old Watts-Hardy Dairy — brings Boulder’s artists together with the community for the betterment of both. B-dub’s staff pick, Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (also lovingly referred to by a moniker, “BMoCA” — pronounced “Bee-mocha”), deserves recognition for its ability to bring the world of modern art to our fair city. With exhibits that challenge our perception of the world, anything is fair game at BMoCA. Expect to see the most unnerving and thought-provoking in art, including several multi-media pieces. In addition, BMoCA gives back to our community by hosting its Young Artists programs for our future Van Goghs.
LOCAL MUSICIAN/GROUP
Yonder Mountain String Band
www.yondermountain.com
Runner-up: Rose Hill Drive
Honorable Mention: Girls On Top
You can learn a lot about a city by listening to the music it inspires. For instance, if you pop a Bruce Springsteen album in the CD player, you know that New Jersey folk are hard-working, blue-collar types that don’t take no crap from nobody. Similarly, if you listen to Queen, you will discover that the citizens of London are all fabulous homosexual glam-rockers with porn star mustaches, and they love to sing about girls with fat bottoms. OK, perhaps that’s not entirely accurate. After all, not all Londoners have mustaches.
However, it is true that certain bands sometimes begin to represent the artistic and cultural aesthetic of a city, and in Boulder, at this moment, Yonder Mountain String Band is our group. Their ability to take a traditional roots genre like bluegrass and make it feel brand new is something that the Boulder community can identify with. YMSB’s music is all about recycling, sustainability and good clean fun. On the other hand, the city of Boulder has always been a bit of a paradox, and that fact is made apparent by the selection of our runner-up, the hard rockin’, long-haired hooligans, Rose Hill Drive. Talk about an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other. You wouldn’t think Boulderites would go for this type of gritty guitar rock, but this place can surprise you sometimes.
MUSEUM
Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art
1750 13th St., 303-443-2122
Runner-up: Boulder History Museum
Honorable Mention: University of Colorado Museum, Leanin’ Tree
You can put almost anything in a museum — cars, underwear, statues, wigs, medical instruments, old skis, books, false teeth. You name it, and someone somewhere is about to open an exhibit. For the second year in a row, the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art has been selected by our readers as the best museum in town. BMoCA has been in operation for more than 30 years, and in that time, it has featured a wide variety of acclaimed local and international artists, while opening up its space for theater, music and gallery exhibits. BMoCA is a Boulder institution, and it continues to make art come alive in our city. This year, the Boulder History Museum steps into the runner-up position. Hidden away in a residential neighborhood on University Hill, the BHM is a lovely facility that showcases local history, while simultaneously providing space for rotating exhibits. There is no better spot in town to learn about the life and times of Boulder. We are also fortunate to have a world-class educational facility at the University of Colorado Museum, and a venue that features western art and culture, the Leanin’ Tree.
MUSIC FESTIVAL
Colorado Music Festival
Chautauqua Auditorium
900 Baseline Rd., 303-449-1397
Staff Pick: Telluride Bluegrass Festival
Telluride, Colorado
http://www.bluegrass.com/telluride/
303-823-0848
Runner-up: RockyGrass
Honorable Mention: Folks Festival
The Colorado Music Festival’s steady ascent in the BOB readers’ poll during the past few years — culminating in its success this year in supplanting the perennially winning Planet Bluegrass festivals — speaks volumes about the outstanding quality of this world-class six-week festival. More than that, though, it stands as evidence that a new generation of classical music lovers has arrived, and that the beauty and elegance of classical music truly transcends generational trends. But while acknowledging that CMF may be the best music festival in Boulder, the Telluride Bluegrass Festival — celebrating its 35th year — is simply the best music festival in the world. And, hence, it receives a staff pick. As usual, the local Planet Bluegrass festivals at the lovely Planet Bluegrass ranch in Lyons round out this year’s awards.
NONPROFIT
Boulder Valley Humane Society
2323 55th St., 303-442-4030
Runner-up: EcoCycle
Honorable Mention: Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Non-violence, Community Food Share
Boulder loves its pets. They take those pets with them wherever they go — hiking, into restaurants, to the mall. They love them like they love their children. They provide safe and loving homes for these K-9 and feline friends. Which is why, when it comes time to pick a favorite nonprofit, our readers chose the organization that helps to facilitate finding fabulous homes for luckless cats and dogs in Boulder County. But adoption services are just the tip of the iceberg at the Boulder Valley Humane Society. The organization also offers veterinary services, puppy classes, a pets’ lost and found to reunite lost pets with their loving guardians and an animal care and control division that is dedicated to animal welfare and public education. They also respond to hundreds of calls each week regarding sick, injured, distressed or aggressive animals. So if you’re looking for an addition to your family, or if you find a lost or injured animal, the Boulder Valley Humane Society is the place to go. EcoCycle helps Boulder County residents clean up their environmental act, aggressively pursuing better ways to achieve zero waste. Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Non-Violence addresses domestic violence and the sources of violence in our society, while offering shelter and advocacy for women and children in need. Community Food Share distributes healthful meals the hungry in our community.
 LIVE JAZZ CLUB
St. Julien Hotel & Spa
900 Walnut St., 720-406-9696
Runner-up: Trilogy
Honorable Mention: Redfish New Orleans Brewhouse
The traditional jazz joint is all but extinct in the United States these days. Go to Paris or Prague, and you can still find crowded, smoke-filled bars where professional musicians gather and play everything from Dixieland to bebop. But such venues are few and far between in the country that invented the genre. Over the years, Americans have traded in the jazz standards for Top 40 pop songs and rock ballads. And with the recent catastrophe in New Orleans, jazz suffered another difficult blow to its history and legacy.
Fortunately, there are still people in Boulder who care passionately about this amazing musical form. CU has an excellent jazz program, and The People’s Republic has some internationally known musicians living right here among us. St. Julien Hotel & Spa consistently features live performances from these hep cats and solid daddy-Os, varying in styles from swing and Latin jazz to the more free-form techniques made popular by Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis. After the show, you can often find the musicians hanging out at St. Julien’s classy little bar, having a few drinks and chatting about the gig.
PERFORMING ARTS VENUE
Boulder Theater
2032 14th St., 303-786-7030
Runner-up: Dairy Center for the Arts
Honorable Mention: Macky Auditorium, Boulder’s Dinner Theatre
Given that Boulder is home to a thriving fine arts community and many of the finest performance venues in the region, it is no small praise to place Boulder Theater above the rest. Opened in 1906 as the Curran Opera House, it was redesigned in 1936 in the art-deco style popular at the time. This shift in style brought the theater’s famous façade, 25-foot tall murals and ceiling frescoes that Boulderites know and love today. In 1988, the theater changed once again to become a multi-use hall that could accommodate a variety of events, from dances to live band performances to film screenings. Today, Boulder Theater continues to be a hub of cultural activity in Boulder, offering numerous fine arts events year-round. Enjoy the theater’s rich Boulder history and unique style, while savoring first-class entertainment of just about every type. Those who may be interested in renting Boulder Theater can find the appropriate information on the theater’s website, www.bouldertheater.com, or simply visit the theater in person.
The Dairy Center for the Arts is home to numerous dance and theater companies, offering a rich array of classes, exhibits and concerts year round. Macky Auditorium, which presents numerous major concert events each year, and Boulder’s Dinner Theatre, which offers some of the best theater in the region, share an honorable mention this year.
PLACE OF WORSHIP
Shambhala Meditation Center
1345 Spruce St., 303-444-0190
Runner-up: Unity of Boulder
Honorable Mention: Har Hashem
As of the most recent U.S. census, 1,082,000 Americans described themselves as Buddhists. Boulder, it seems, has the highest ratio of Buddhists to non-Buddhists in the country. So it’s no huge surprise that the Shambhala Meditation Center — part of an international community of urban meditation and rural retreat centers — would be voted the favorite place of worship by Boulder Weekly readers. The only real surprise is that our usual winner — the mountains/the outdoors — didn’t even claim an honorable mention this year. Maybe all the hippies moved away from Boulder — wait, that couldn’t be. Or perhaps these nature worshippers are so busy hiking trails, picnicking in the mountains, praising the sun and the earth that they forgot to vote this year. Or maybe they traded walking trails for following the Dharma.
PLACE TO DANCE
Trilogy
2017 13th St., 303-473-9463
Runner-up: Avalon Ballroom
Honorable Mention: ’Round Midnight, Fox Theatre
According to an informal survey conducted by the Boulder Weekly research team (i.e., an unpaid intern who never gets his name in the paper), there are certain places in Boulder where humans gather together and gyrate their buttocks to and fro whilst listening to loud music. Given that we rarely leave our desks unless to imbibe caffeine, we were fascinated by this. Thanks to our readers, we are happy to report that the most popular spot for shaking one’s posterior seems to be Trilogy, where folks “get their groove on” with the help of live music and outstanding DJs. Avalon Ballroom offers a large, cushioned dance floor where locals go to work out their best contradance, swing, salsa and waltz moves. ’Round Midnight gets crowds on their feet with underground hip-hop, dancehall, dub and roots reggae, while the Fox Theatre brings in a range of acts from around the world to keep everyone from the hip-hop fan to the world-class noodle-dancer happy.
PLACE TO WI-FI
Laughing Goat
1709 Pearl St., 303-440-4628
Runner-up: Amante
Honorable Mention: Caffé Sole, The Cup Espresso Cafe
These days, it’s not easy to find a coffee shop that doesn’t make you pull out your credit card if you want wireless Internet access. To this we say: WTF? When you’re paying $4 for a latte, the wireless should be free like the sugar, the napkin and the vanilla sprinkles. Fortunately, our locally owned coffee shops understand that their patrons want to surf while they sip. Among the many options in the county, our readers tell us that The Laughing Goat is their favorite. With its poetry readings, comedy nights and its hip downtown location, it has quickly become an important meeting place. Amante is this year’s runner up, with its Italian coffees, panini, patries and gelato. B-dub editorial staffers tend to hang at this year’s honorable mention, Caffé Sole, which is our office away from the office. Plus we like their baristas, their coffee and the way they compost our cups. Sharing honorable mention this year is The Cup Espresso Café.
MOVIE HOUSE/THEATER
Boulder Theater
2032 14th St., 303-786-7030
Runner-up: AMC Flatiron Crossing
Honorable Mention: Century Theatres, International Film Series
There is nothing quite like sitting in a roomful of strangers watching your favorite chiseled actor or silicon actress deliver scintillating dialogue while you munch on hot, greasy popcorn. Home entertainment technology has come a long way over the years, but nothing compares to the big screen. The first theater that was specifically built for cinema opened in 1905 in Pittsburgh. Since that time, movie theaters have continued to expand and grow around the world. The favorite place to participate in this American tradition in town is the Boulder Theater, which opened in 1906 as an opera house. The venue was converted into a movie house in 1927, the same year the first “talkie” came out. Not only does the Boulder Theater provide an intimate, social atmosphere for cineastes; it also serves alcohol. With regular showings of local favorites like The Big Lebowski and new classics such as Juno and There Will Be Blood, this is the premiere cinematic gathering spot in town. Century Theatres, a California-based chain, is a newcomer to Boulder. To catch all the best international and independent films that are often ignored by the corporate movie moguls, check out the International Film Series at CU, a long-time Boulder tradition.
 MUSIC VENUE
Boulder Theater
2032 14th St., 303-786-7030
Runner-up: Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Honorable Mention: Fox Theatre, Chautauqua
For the past couple of years, the top two music venues on our list have been engaged in a Best of Boulder cage match. In 2006, Boulder Theater defeated Red Rocks Amphitheatre in an epic battle and totally earned the BOB Belt. However, in 2007, Red Rocks beefed up on steroids and surprised Boulder Theater with a crushing victory. This year, the two faced off in the Thunderdome to decide who would rule the roost. “Two music venues enter. One music venue leaves.” While Tina Turner watched on with her peroxide-soaked Afro (we really hope you’re getting these references to Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome), Boulder Theater picked up its sledgehammer and knocked the holy crap out of Red Rocks.
However, don’t get cocky Boulder Theater; we hear Red Rocks has already started training for the 2009 showdown. Meanwhile, the Fox Theatre and Chautauqua have found a much less violent way to resolve their differences. Instead of attacking each other in a post-apocalyptic dystopia, these two venues have decided to share the honorable mention position for the second year in a row.
All of these venues are passionate about international and local music, and we owe them a debt of gratitude for making the Front Range a harmonious haven.
PRIVATE SCHOOL
Shining Mountain Waldorf School
999 Violet Ave., 303-444-7697
Runner-up: Eastern Sun Academy
Honorable Mention: Alexander Dawson School, September School
Rooted in the methods and philosophy of Austrian-born scientist, educator and philosopher Rudolf Steiner, Shining Mountain Waldorf School reflects Steiner’s emphasis on achieving balance between intelligence, emotion and physical activity. Although it excels in a number of areas, Shining Mountain focuses on the arts, including painting, sculpting, drawing, singing, instrumental ensembles, woodwork, handwork, drama and movement. Long before educational research confirmed the idea of “multiple intelligences,” Steiner understood the need to balance the head, heart and hands. Admissions Director Debby Wilson is accustomed to hearing people sing the praises of Shining Mountain, but she still appreciates winning this Best of Boulder award. “We are delighted to have been honored in this way for the fourth consecutive year,” she says. “We wish to thank our wonderful community of parents, faculty and staff who support and enliven our school every day for the students.” Eastern Sun Academy, this year’s runner-up, is a unique educational establishment focused on the contemplative aspects of young people’s development, and it emphasizes a diverse mix of students from all cultural, religions and socio-economic backgrounds. Their goal is to encourage students to develop “clear thinking, empathic feeling and skillful action.” Alexander Dawson School, known for its academics, shares an honorable mention this year with September High School, the city’s only independent high school.
PUBLIC SCHOOL
Boulder High School
1604 Arapahoe Ave., 303-442-2430
Runner-up: Fairview High School
Honorable Mention: New Vista High School,
Eisenhower Elementary
Oh, Boulder. Where would you be without controversy? With everyone from Ward Churchill to JonBenet Ramsey in the headlines, this city never seems to be without a moment in the national spotlight. Even kids in our community get in on the act, generating their share of controversy. Boulder High, the winner yet again of Best Public School honors, has done this a number of times. While Boulder High prides itself on excellent academics, it also is a school of free-thinking rebels. Students at Boulder High aren’t scared to put their sharp minds to use trying to change the world in ways that irk conservative media types. This year’s best example was a protest by the school’s Student Worker club concerning the Pledge of Allegiance. The young activists insisted that the Pledge needed a lexical tuning if it were to continue taking up time each school day. This past year also saw a visit to Boulder High by newsmaker Joel Becker. Becker’s controversial lecture that encouraged students to safely experiment with sex and drugs put Boulder High yet again at the center of national scrutiny. Regardless of where you stand on these topics, we can’t help but tip our hats to these youngsters for having the courage to challenge the status quo. Fairview High School, with its unbeatable academic offerings, is again our runner-up.
 PLACE TO PLAY POOL
The Foundry
1109 Walnut St., 303-447-1803
Runner-up: Sundown Saloon
Honorable Mention: Catacombs
There are few activities that one can participate in while getting fall-down, blackout drunk: bowling, darts, sex. Billiards is one of the great international pastimes because any fool can play pool (that totally rhymes), but it’s actually a very complicated, precise game for those who want to take it seriously (read: the dudes who bring their own pool cues with them to the bar). Also, pool has helped make the bar-fight scenes in movies so much better. Just check out Roadhouse, Out for Justice or basically any Jackie Chan flick. Boulder has some excellent venues for practicing this game of mathematics, physics and chance. The Foundry has more pool tables than you can shake a stick at. Near-professional hustlers play right alongside ambitious amateurs and drunken losers, which also makes pool at The Foundry a great spectator’s sport. Coming in second and third respectively are the Sundown Saloon and Catacombs, a favorite haunt of B-dub staffers.
SPORTS BAR
Lazy Dog
2032 14th St., 303-786-7030
Runner-up: Walnut Brewery
Honorable Mention: Dark Horse,
Old Chicago
There’s nothing better than gathering together at a local watering hole, blowing the foam off a cold mug of brew and watching the big game with hundreds of other screaming fans. Whether you want to see Allen Iverson perform his almost-preternatural crossover or Jay Cutler hit the open receiver on the fly, the place to be in Boulder is the Lazy Dog. This lethargic canine has dominated this category for years. They have a rooftop deck, televisions galore and enough hardy food to satiate any armchair quarterback. The Walnut Brewery gets the runner-up spot this year by competing with a great selection of microbrews made right there in the restaurant. Their Indian Peaks Pale Ale is a local favorite, and the Devil’s Thumb Stout will put hair on your chest. You can also purchase a pint glass and participate in their Mug Club. The Dark Horse and Old Chicago are battling it out for honorable mention. The Dark Horse is probably the only sports bar in town that has taxidermied mammals on the walls and Elton John on the jukebox. A definite plus. And Old Chicago is the place to get a great slice of Windy City pizza, while you cheer for the Broncos to beat Da Bears.
SUMMER CAMP
YMCA Summer Camps
www.ymcabv.org
Staff Pick: Dog House Music Rock and
Roll Camp
525 Courtney Way, 303-664-1600
Runner-up: Colorado
Mountain Ranch
Honorable Mention: Colorado Day Camp
Summer camp is often a kid’s first chance at a taste of independence. It’s a time when kids can embrace the activities of youth in a safe environment away from their parents. This year’s Best of Boulder winner, YMCA Summer Camps, offer traditional day camps, residential camps, specialty camps, technology camps, skateboard camps, adventure camps and teen camps, among others. These camps give Boulder County kids excellent opportunities to try new things and learn and play in a new environment.
But our staff thinks that the camp we would have liked to have attended as a kid is the Dog House Music Rock and Roll Camp. Run by Gary Lennox, who wins the Coolest Guy Over the Age of 40 category, Dog House offers teens ages 11 through 17 the chance to learn how to be rock stars. The groups study technique, write original songs and learn music promotion. By the end of the camp session, those groups have been transformed into bands. The camp culminates in a live show at a local venue where the band members perform on stage in front of friends and family. Sorry, but that’s way cooler than arts and crafts or technology camp, don’t you think?
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