The historic district of Old Town Fort Collins is one of the most active areas in town, with events and activities occurring nearly every week. Summer is summer here, and Old Town Fort Collins is gearing up for an exciting season full of events and activities, both old and new. Events that will be coming to Old Town in the summer of 2023 include food and drink tastings, art exhibits, and numerous concerts by local musical talent. In this article, we’ll shine a spotlight on some of the most anticipated events of the season, from monthly self-guided art tours to huge concerts in Washington Park.
One of the many benefits of working at Cohere is being just blocks from Old Town. Curious to know more? Book a tour today!
FoCoMX—April 28 & 29
Hosted by Fort Collins Music Association (FoCoMA) and Odell Brewing Company, FoCoMX is the largest live music event in Colorado. Over 40 venues will be taken over by the festival in order to accommodate more than 400 amazing musical artists, covering a multitude of genres including bluegrass, indie music, hardcore rock, experimental, and many, many others.
*Tickets are in the form of a wristband that will grant you access to any of the venues until they reach capacity. Pricing for 2023 is $50 if purchased in advance of the event and $60 the weekend of the event.
Sculpture in the Square—Ongoing starting late April
Each year six new sculptures, chosen by the fine people at the Downtown Development Authority of Fort Collins, are installed in Old Town Square, to be voted on by the people who visit the square. The artist whose piece gets the most popular votes will be selected as the 2023 People’s Choice Winner, and receive $1000.00. Artists are given a stipend for their work and each of the pieces is for sale as well. The sculptures for 2023 are scheduled to be placed this Saturday, April 22nd.
Art Week—April 29-May7
From April 29 to May 7 Old Town Fort Collins becomes a treasure trove of creativity. Several self-guided tours are featured throughout the week, including a tour of the downtown transformer cabinet murals, the FoCo Art Tour for Music Lovers, and the Fort Collins Mural Project. There are also numerous classes and workshops happening, and if you follow Downtown Fort Collins on Instagram or Facebook, you’ll find clues to locate tiny hidden works of art for people to seek, find, and keep.
Art Walk—First Friday of each month
While this isn’t just a summer event—it takes place throughout the year—it is a great event to take in during the summer months. From 6-9 pm on the first Friday of each month, this self-guided walking tour features displays and activities at several of the shops and restaurants in Old Town Fort Collins. The tour offers a rotating selection of featured artists covering a wide array of creative pursuits.
*The First Friday Art Walk and Art Week will converge this year on May 7th
Foodie Walk—Third Friday of each month
Like the Art Walk, the Foodie Walk is a year-round event, held in the evening, but it is an hour earlier, from 5-8 pm, and on the third Friday rather than the first. It showcases fantastic food and drink creations by several of the eateries downtown, many of whom offer samples and specials during the event. The samples offered are frequently seasonal and focus on unique and often locally sourced ingredients.
Bohemian Nights
Although the NewWestFest in August was canceled for 2023 and beyond, the folks at Bohemian Nights are keeping busy. Here are the summertime offerings available from Bohemian Nights:
Global Sounds—May 20
Music from around the world will be celebrated on not just one, but two venues on May 20 of this year: Old Town Square and Linden Street. This one-day event called Global Sounds gets going at 12:15 pm and continues on until 6:30 pm.
Thursday Night Live
Each Thursday night from 7-9 pm, Bohemian Nights will present free live performances on the outdoor stage in Old Town Fort Collins. The 2023 lineup will be released soon!
Taste of Fort Collins—June 10th & 11th
This popular annual event takes place over two days at Washington Park on Maple Street, offering participants an opportunity to try new foods, enjoy live music, and . While the feature of the event is the food, including entrees, snacks, desserts, and beverages, there is no shortage of entertainment. A variety of musical artists will also be featured on stage at Washington Park in 2023, headlined by both The All-American Rejects and Lil Jon.
*Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased on the Taste of Fort Collins website.
Tour de Fat—Unannounced
The annual Tour de Fat event is a highly anticipated event and one of the last of the summer in Old Town Fort Collins. This costumed bike parade, hosted by New Belgium Brewing, is a fantastic way to celebrate the end of summer and enjoy some good craft beer and see interesting bikes and colorful costumes.
While this event was canceled in 2020 and 2021, it returned in September of 2022. No dates have been announced for the 2023 Tour de Fat as of yet, however.
Planning on visiting Old Town for an event soon? Book a quick tour with Cohere Coworking on the way!
The unique blend of history, art, and music that can be found in the Historic Old Town district of Fort Collins it an exceptionally vital and vibrant part of our community. Whether you’re a long-time resident of Fort Collins or are just passing through our idyllic town, there’s always something extraordinary to see, hear, or taste in Old Town and summer is no exception.
“Gin Blossoms at Taste of Fort Collins 2009” by charkesw is licensed under CC BY 2.0.