As we usher in a new season of cozy scarfs and changing leaves, I find myself nursing the heartache of having to say goodbye to the long, hot days of summer. Don’t get me wrong. I’m just as excited as the next gal to celebrate all the fall shenanigans yet to come, but a Fort Collins summer is hard to part with.
A piece of me will always long for the kiss of warm sun on my cheek and stream of endless activities right at my finger tips here in town. There’s never a dull moment in Fort Collins during the summer. There’s always a festival to attend or an event to check out. One event I’m happy to have made it out to was New Belgium’s Bike-In Cinema Night.
This long-standing tradition invites people to ditch their car keys and bike on down to enjoy a night of watching movies and drinking beer. With a brand new lawn area replacing the parking lot they hosted the event on in summer’s past, there was all the more reason to come out and set up camp on the grass. This year’s line up included four feature movies on Thursday nights such as “Field of Dreams” and “Neighbors.” But before the film reels rolled there was a variety of interactive excitement to join in on.
“For this year, we wanted to encourage participation,” Emily Dufficy, an in-house events coordinator, said. She went on to give me a rundown of all of the happenings of the evening.
They kick off the night at six with live performances from local bands. That went on until about 8 p.m. Brave New Wheel, a local bike shop, set up a station at the brewery offering up free bike repairs. Throughout the event, two food trucks were available for people to buy food. Favorites such as Corndoggies and Taco Stop are among some of the trucks to make an appearance. And if you were to feel a sweet tooth coming on you were in luck; Blue Bird Bake Shop was there to provide for your delicious desert needs, and all of this was only for an entry fee of two dollars. All the proceeds go to Wolverine Farm, a local publisher and bookstore. They even give you a coupon for the store on the way in to the venue.
Don’t fret if you missed the event this summer. Dufficy reassured that this event will take place in years to come, in addition to other events that New Belgium puts on throughout the year.
“There’s no point of stopping in the future, so check us out next summer time. We’ll definitely have this in years to come,” Dufficy said.
According to Dufficy, the events lawn is far from seeing it’s last bit of excitement before the snow banishes us indoor. There will be occasions such as Live Music Fridays and Yoga on the Lawn.
For more information on more fun, up-and-coming New Belgium events, visit their events page.