4 upcoming Colorado festivals: Boulder Taco Fest, Headless Chicken and more
Boulder Taco Festival
Time to plan on hitting the road for some upcoming Colorado festivals.
Mike the Headless Chicken Festival, Fruita, Aug. 27-28
Mike was planned as the main course for supper on Sept. 10, 1945, in Fruita, but the chosen rooster was wandering around the barnyard without his head instead.
The farmer’s ax had hit its mark, but Mike was quite alive and hungry. So they started feeding him and even visited puzzled university veterinary doctors.
There was never an answer, nor explanation for his name, but the farmer and Mike became famous traveling sideshow stars for almost 18 months. And the “Headless Wonder Chicken” became a Guinness World Record.
On one of their trips, to Arizona, Mike choked on food in his esophagus and died unexpectedly. So in true Colorado fashion, an annual festival was begun. This one has bands, disc golf and a 5K.
Boulder Taco Fest, Foothills Park, Aug. 28
Go hungry and thirsty. This popular event has won best-festival awards. Gourmet tacos, margaritas, craft breweries, tequila. Vote for the yummiest tacos.
Wild Lucha Libre Wrestling action. 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Advance tickets $25, $30 at the door. VIP tickets for 10 tacos.
Brew’Au, Avon Pavilion at Harry A. Nottingham Park, Aug. 21
How about a brewfest combined with a lu’au and 25 years raising funds for Vail Valley Charitable Fund.
Add to that a professional sandcastle building contest, live music and lawn games. Samples from 40 breweries.
Because of crowds, no pets except service dogs on leashes.
brewfestevents.com/brew-au-avon
Mahlerfest XXXIV – The Return, Boulder, Aug. 24-28
Celebrating the Austrian composer, conductor and pianist, days and evenings of Gustav Mahler including the world premiere of a five-movement Fifth, chamber music, Jason Starr movies and a symposium with Mahler scholars. Multiple locations around Boulder.
The festival had been canceled in 2020 and is returning.
Tickets and schedules: mahler fest.org/mf34
LINDA NAVARRO, THE GAZETTE
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