Finalists for the annual Colorado Book Awards have just been announced. Plus, the multi-day Mountain Words Festival returns to Crested Butte, and venues across the state are preparing for the summer music festival season.
Read on for your weekly arts and culture recap, plus find things to do and places to be.
Finalists for the 34th annual Colorado Book Awards have been selected
It’s the 34th year of the Colorado Book Awards, granted by local nonprofit Colorado Humanities.
Each year, Colorado Humanities calls for submissions. The only criteria for entry is that the book was written by a Colorado resident.
Valerie Eddy, the Colorado Center for the Book programs coordinator, said this year’s submission pool was large – 207 entries in total.
“Then we sort them into categories,” she said. “And I work on selecting judges for the first round of adjudication.”
Those judges, Eddy said, include “historians, librarians, art people, book people, publishers, bookstore owners, and just people who love the written word.”
Judges help narrow the books in each category down to ten finalists.
There are 14 categories, including anthology, creative nonfiction, historical fiction, history, mystery, novel, poetry, romance, children’s literature, and others.
“It's going to be a really great year,” Eddy said. “I think our selectors did an amazing job choosing, and we have a really wide variety of books that I think anyone could enjoy, pick up and find a new favorite.”
This year, Eddy said, the awards feel even more special than usual.
“This is kind of a harder year for us since the funding challenges that we currently have, so being able to still promote the book awards is great.”
Colorado Humanities lost its operating grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. That funding comprises nearly 80 percent of the organization’s budget.
But the 2025 Colorado Book Awards will persevere with a celebration and announcement of this year’s winners at a ceremony on Saturday, July 26, at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House Studio Loft in Denver.
“This joyful celebration of Colorado’s vibrant literary community also serves as a fundraiser in support of Colorado Humanities’ statewide work to connect people to the stories, ideas, and conversations that shape our lives,” officials with Colorado Humanities said in a statement. “We look forward to honoring this year’s outstanding finalists and shining a spotlight on the power of books to connect, inspire, and transform.”
Mountain Words Festival returns to Crested Butte
Authors. Workshops. Parties. Panels.
The sixth-annual Mountain Words Festival is returning to Crested Butte this weekend, bringing literary festivities to the Gunnison Valley from Thursday, May 22, through Sunday, May 25.
The festival welcomes nationally and internationally acclaimed authors and presenters for a three-day celebration with offerings for all ages and interests.
The weekend schedule includes workshops, readings, panel discussions, live theater, trivia, kids’ events and programming, parties, film screenings, gallery receptions, and other happenings, including a long list of free events.
Programming highlights works across genres, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, journalism, nature writing, climate reporting, playwriting and more.
Colorado Matters Senior Host Ryan Warner will also be in attendance, interviewing Craig Childs about his newest work, “The Wild Dark: Finding the Night Sky in the Age of Light.”
Festival passes are $300 for general admission and $100 for students, educators and seniors. Tickets for individual events are $50 each.
It’s summer music festival season in Colorado
Each summer, Colorado offers scores of music festivals, from urban gatherings to remote campouts.
Some festivals feature major national and international talents, and others help to elevate our local scene.Here's a comprehensive list of summer festivals across the state, including indoor and outdoor gatherings, free and ticketed events, massive parties and family-friendly happenings.
Things to do in Colorado this weekend
Thursday, May 22
- “Observer: A Documentary of Perspectives” at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science – A film exploring how various people, including scientists, artists, hunters and others observe the world.
- Peace, Love & Neon: A ’60s vs ’80s Bash in Golden – A retro party to benefit people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Jeffco Fairgrounds.
- “Trails in Motion” in Colorado Springs – A trail running film tour at the Ivywild School, 6 p.m. Tickets are $15 beforehand, $20 at the door.
Friday, May 23
- Opera Meets Rave: Sonic Mashup in Steamboat – Puccini with a drop, Verdi with bass: DJ Justin blends opera and rave from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Wildhorse Cinema & Arts. Tickets are $25.
- “Electric Giz” in Denver – Electric Giz combines modern production and sound design with the history of jazz harmony and improvisation in a groove-forward musical package at Dazzle, 7 p.m. Tickets start at $27.
- “Reconnect 2025: MSU Denver Alumni Exhibition” opening – A vibrant, juried showcase of the diverse artistry of graduates from Metropolitan State University of Denver, including painting, printmaking, photography, metalsmithing, sculpture, ceramics, and multimedia installations. Free and open to the public. “Reconnect 2025” is on view through Aug. 2.
- Opening of “Lotus and Lion: An International Exhibition of Contemporary Buddhist and Hindu Art” in Rollinsville, south of Nederland – An international exhibition showcasing painting, sculpture, printmaking, and mixed media that explores how sacred Buddhist and Hindu iconography continues to inspire, transform and thrive.
Saturday, May 24
- OPEN AR[T] in Louisville – A free, outdoor event showcasing original works from a curated group of local artists.
- Brazilian Shorts: A Latino Film Series in Lakewood – Nine short films from Brazilian filmmakers, plus a live performance from Samba Colorado.
- Screaming at America: Resistance Poetry at the Colorado State Capitol from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Selected reading from the new anthology from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., followed by an open mic. Free and open to the public.
- Brass & Brews in Nederland – Join the Boulder Phil Brass Quintet for a night of live music, local beer and good company. Hear the music of Freddie Mercury, The Beatles, Duke Ellington, and more. This event is at Backdoor Theatre at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 for students and children, $25 for adults.
- “Xanadu” opening night in Creede – A spoof of the 80’s film starring Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly, this hilarious, roller skating, musical adventure is about following your wildest disco pop dreams! Tickets start at $20 for children and $25 for adults.
- Irrational Indigenous Insights in Breckenridge – A thought-provoking body of work that reconsiders and redefines what Native American art is and what it can become. Exhibition opening and artist talk from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Old Masonic Hall. Free and open to the public. The exhibition runs through Aug. 31.
All weekend
- Boulder Creek Festival – Over 30 bands, 200 artisans and 30 restaurants, plus kids activities, a beer fest and more. Free and open to the public.
- Denver Arts Festival – 145 booths, plus live music, a kids art zone, a wine and beer tent, food trucks and more in Denver’s Central Park neighborhood. Saturday, May 24, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, May 25, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- PlanetV Festival in Naturita – A vibrant celebration of art, community, and creativity at CampV, including live music, camping and more. May 23 through May 26. Weekend passes start at $337.
All month
- Phamaly Theatre Company Presents “Pericles: An Adaptive Performance for People with Cognitive Disabilities” at various locations throughout the state. “Pericles” is in Boulder, May 7-10, Colorado Springs, May 15-18 and Aurora, May 22-24.
- Tony Moy’s “The 4Forty2nd” watercolor comic, chronicling the history of Japanese American soldiers in World War II, on display at Ink Comic Art Gallery in Denver. The exhibit runs through May 26. Free and open to the public.
- “Silent Sky,” a play about female astronomical pioneer Henrietta Leavitt, at the Ent Center for the Arts on the UCCS campus in Colorado Springs. Performances take place Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 4:00 p.m. The production runs through Sunday, May 25.
- Catawampus, a new exhibit at the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus, is now open. It will be on view for the next 15-18 months during museum hours, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
- Divine Rest Nests: An Invitation in Boulder – An immersive exhibition at the BMoCA inviting audiences to experience the concept of rest as resistance and the reclamation of imagination and dreams. Runs through Sept. 1.
Some groups mentioned in the Colorado Arts Spotlight may be financial supporters of CPR News. Financial supporters have no editorial influence.
How we pick our events: The Colorado Arts Spotlight highlights events around the state to give readers a sense of the breadth of Colorado’s arts and cultural happenings, it is not — and can not possibly be — a comprehensive list of all weekly events. Entries are not endorsements or reviews. Each week’s list is published on Thursday and is not updated.
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