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Boulder Creek Festival kicks off Friday and promises a slew of live music, a drag show, art vendors, live painting, delicious food, carnival rides and more.

Last year’s festival was pushed from its typical Memorial Day weekend dates to mid-July due to pandemic woes.

“We are thrilled to be back on Memorial Day Weekend and at full strength,” said Ryan Slater, director of operations for Team Player Productions, a group that puts on Creek Fest. “We’ve had to adjust the festival over the past few years, so to be able to have all of our vendors, sponsors and partners back — along with expanded music and entertainment options — is a great feeling.”

It’s no secret that Boulder has a thing for jam bands. Starting off a weekend of incredible live music will be headliners DeadPhish Orchestra, a four-member band that plays Grateful Dead and Phish covers with all the passionate spontaneity one would expect.

DeadPhish Orchestra has been playing together for 12 years, but members have been jamming together in different configurations for two decades.

“We literally have a couple thousand shows under our belts together, in various bands over the years,” said Paul Murin, guitarist of DeadPhish Orchestra.

DeadPhish Orchestra is known for inviting musical peers to take the stage. The group has performed with the late Jeff Austin, of Yonder Mountain String Band, Michael Kang, of String Cheese Incident, and over a dozen others.

While the group has taken the stage at venues in Key West and Charleston, S.C., playing close to home has an even greater appeal.

“The band first got together in Boulder, and I have personally lived in Boulder for almost long enough to be referred to as a local, so Creek Fest is a hometown show for me, probably the single show that I look forward to the most every year,” Murin said

This will be DeadPhish Orchestra’s fifth time performing at Creek Fest.

“We have a lot of friends who are also playing the fest,” Murin said. “Brian Adams, our bass player, is part of the Boulder Sound Machine on Sunday, which is going to be a big all-star kind of show. I also always look forward to hearing Danny Shafer, who has been around town longer than I have and who is a huge supporter of the music scene in the area.”

Also taking the Bandshell stage at the three-day event will be Foxfeather, Emelise, The Alcapones, Teresa Storch, John McKay, Antonio Lopez, Hazel Miller & the Collective, Lion Souljahs and many others.

“I am personally a big bluegrass fan, so I also very much look forward to hearing bands like Chain Station,” Murin said. Denver’s Chain Station performs at 6 p.m.  Friday at the Bandshell. “We also happen to be playing with them at Cervantes, in Denver, on Saturday.”

Murin said he also looks forward to hearing Jake Leg on Saturday afternoon at the Bandshell — a local band, he said, that’s “made up of absolute badasses.”

New this year is the Street Wise Art Battle. Put on by Street Wise Arts, a grassroots nonprofit that hosts a mural festival every year throughout Boulder, the battle will feature 10 selected artists who will use benches as their canvases.

From 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, folks can witness the exquisite transformations of ordinary pieces of furniture into works of art.

“We’ve always wanted to bring in a live art activation to the event and partnering with Street Wise was a great way to make that happen,” Slater said. “We love what they have done throughout the Boulder community.”

Nearly 40 artists applied to an open call. Organizers chose 10 artists based on their relationship to Boulder and their artistic aesthetic. Voting will begin on Saturday and will be open throughout the weekend. Winners will be announced Monday, with cash prizes awarded to the top three artists.

“We came up with the Art Battle because it’s a super fun format that brings artists together to live paint side-by-side over the course of a day,” said Leah Brenner Clack, founder of Street Wise Arts. “Anytime artists get to paint with each other in a live setting, there’s always good vibes and healthy competition. By using benches as the canvas, people can continue to enjoy them and the artists get more exposure after the event.”

Participating in the battle is Denver-based creative Kaylee Bender, a self-taught artist known for her bold and vibrantly hued work.

“I’ll be creating among some wicked talented artists for the Art Battle,” Bender said. “It’s inspiring me to step my game up in every way, as well as reminding me of what I am capable of. This will also be my first time working with a bench, so I’m interested to see exactly how my style translates to this new canvas.”

From Detroit to Denver, Bender has created large-scale murals with a message. She’s even dressed up windows of storefronts, from Orchard Town Center in Westminster, to the Lawrence and Larimer boutique in Denver.

“My work often surrounds my own healing journey, using art to reclaim my mind and body,” Bender said. “Lately, I am inspired by Black joy and my relationship with music, my community and my ancestors.”

In addition to watching the creativity unfold in real time, festival attendees will have the opportunity to purchase work from the 10 participants.

“I’ll be bringing some of my favorite prints, including some abstract work,” Bender said.

This collaboration brings yet another lively element to a longstanding Boulder tradition.

“We are really looking forward to seeing what these amazing 10 artists can come up with,” Slater said. “We also wanted the artwork to be functional and something that the Boulder community can use throughout the year, so the park benches were a great way to make that objective come to life.”

After the completion, benches will be found in the park, at Avery Brewing Company, Rayback Collective, Upslope Brewing and Avanti Food and Beverage.

The Creekside Beer Fest will be hosted at Boulder Creek Festival for the second year in a row. With four weekend sessions, from noon-2 p.m. and 3-5 pm. both Saturday and Sunday, those over 21 years old can enjoy tastings by local breweries like Avery, Upslope, Bootstrap and more. Tickets are $25, and one ticket allows access to one session. The Creekside Beer Festival will be held along the Boulder Creek, accessible from Arapahoe Avenue and 11th Street.

In addition to a fabulous selection of adult beverages, Boulder Creek Fest also provides a whole children-centric area with performances by nature- and science-based singers Jeff and Paige, a bounce house, a rock wall, face painting, a puppet show and more.

So much of what draws attendees to Boulder Creek Festival is the food. While folks can savor powdered sugar-dusted funnel cakes and other traditional fair eats, there are also plenty of options beyond cotton candy.

“Some of our most anticipated food trucks include a DIY ‘hamster wheel’ snow cone station from Big Wheel Beverages,” Slater said. “And FED food truck, which supports farmers by purchasing surplus goods from producers, then creates beautiful dishes sold in the mobile food truck, like a Sprouted Granola Goji Bowl and Cauli’Flour Flatbread.”

Greek, Cajun and Mexican cuisine is all on the weekend menu, as well.

“We also booked cult-favorite Hot Bamboo, who will be serving up homemade steamed buns,” Slater said.

Closing out the festival on Sunday will be a jam like no other, featuring members of The Motet, Magic Beans and others.

“We are ending the event with the Boulder Bandshell Sound Machine, which is a collection of awesome Boulder musicians playing various covers and jams,” Slater said.

Bolder Boulder — named America’s “All-Time Best 10K” by Runner’s World — is going down on Memorial Day Monday.

While runners have been known to dress up as everything from dinosaurs to hair-metal rockers, there is also plenty of entertainment going on along the course of the famed race.

Sure, the athleticism is to be commended, but the amount of randomness happening as folks race to the finish line is an equally great spectator sport. From Elvis impersonator Aaron Black to the Beledi Dance Caravan, this year’s offerings are sure to entertain.

Music is always an integral part of Bolder Boulder. Among the acts in this year’s lineup are Confluence Music Group, Boulder Bluegrass Pickers, Boulder Samba, Famous Men and many others.

There’s even a Green Day tribute band, American Idiot. Centennial Pipe Band and Boulder High School Pep Band will also be contributing to the unique mix of sounds.

A bacon station, waterslides and hula dancers are among race day’s offerings. Keep those eyes peeled for majestic skydivers overhead, and participate in one of the largest Memorial Day tributes in the U.S. Post-race, head to the Bolder Boulder Expo for food, drinks and sponsor swag.

Arts in the Park — a solid series bringing a ton of talent to the Boulder Bandshell — is back.

What started in 2021 in Boulder as a response to the lack of events happening in indoor venues continues to gain momentum.

Through September, folks can enjoy free and ticketed events at Boulder’s Civic Area, 1212 Canyon Boulevard.

Arts in the Park: May 28 Street Wise Art Battle, free, June 2 Cultural Caravan’s ZiMbria Concert, $5, June 3-5 Public Domain Theater Festival, $15 (outside Boulder Library), June 10-11 Boulder Ballet, $5-$10, June 24 Butterfly Effect Theatre, “Amelia’s Big Idea” at 10 a.m. and “Dorothy’s Dictionary” at 7 p.m., free, July 2-3 DIY Casual Fest, July 4 Boulder Symphony, $5-$10, July 29-30 Boulder Opera, $5-$10, Aug. 12-13 Colorado Brazil Festival, Aug. 26-27 Boulder Philharmonic, $5-$10.

Boulder Arts Outdoors: Various acts (TBD) will perform at the Bandshell on July 21, 28 and Aug. 4, 11 and 18.

Ongoing: Bandshell Boogie on Fridays from July-August, Figures in Literature Painting on Thursdays from June-September, Boulder County Farmers Market Artisan Marketplace on Saturdays through October.

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