Ignite Boulder 4: How Not to Suck

Well, I survived my first Ignite Boulder intact and without combusting too much (though it was dang hot it that chem lab). Last night, 430 techies and their better halves made the trek up from the pre-party in b.side lounge's back room where they had quickly emptied three kegs of Dechutes Brewing's frothy nectar.

Up at CU, the evenings' presentations began with a bang - starting with: My Mom Just Joined Facebook. Now What? by Ryan Wanger which got the crowd off to rollicking start. I learned 20 slides at 15 seconds each goes by quickly, perfect for our Gen X/Y attention span. Wagner's graph showing that the phrase "mom joining Facebook" just outpaced "is there a god" summed it all up nicely.

The two screens in CU's Chem 140 allowed us to see both the presenting PowerPoint and a britekite wall of cyber heckling (cyeckling? Tweckeling?) which reached its apex about midway through the night, with an earnest young lady's rather impassioned deck on Peak Oil.

Perhaps it was the lack of fermented bevies, but the brightkite wall of heckling was better then the audience shouts for the most part. All in all though, the event was full of wit and wonder, from the hula hoop/copywriter's treatise on how not to suck, the dance ninja's booty shaking lesson (though she shoulda jumped on the table to coach us through those fly moves), to an inspiring trip on bike through New Zealand and the finale: a re-imaging of The Fresh Prince's theme song in ye olde english (oh that we had some Old E ourselves...).

Sure, they need a better venue, one where the beer coincides with presentations and the sound system is intelligible, but for my first foray into techie/startup/meetup culture, I have to say, I was impressed. As the gang trickled back down the hill to take in Hapa's happy hour on the bricks, I was glad I lived in Boulder, where else could I find all this?

- Eli

Downtown Boulder’s weekend lineup: Tulips, Buffaloes, Farmers and Fairies

If you haven’t seen Downtown Boulder during ‘tulip time,’ you don’t know what you are missing! Since 1987, the city of Boulder plants 15,000 tulip bulbs along the Pearl Street Mall. With a little help from Mother Nature and a lot of work by the city’s Parks Department, Downtown Boulder is as vibrant and colorful as ever. This weekend is the perfect time to visit the heart of the city to enjoy the tulips and all the other free activities that are happening:

Tomorrow (Fri. 4/24), Colorado Children’s Day at Boulder sets up on the 1300 block. From noon until 4 p.m., children and their guardians will have the opportunity to engage in free age appropriate activities including the exploration of emergency vehicles, interactive live music, face painting and other games. More

Following Colorado Children’s Day, Downtown Boulder turns black and gold for a special Pearl Street Stampede. Starting at 7 p.m. (in front of the Boulder County Court House) and led by Stephen Tebo’s vintage 1948 fire truck, cheer on the CU football team as members of CU’s Golden Buffalo Marching Band perform for fans starting on the 1300 block of Pearl Street moving west, stopping along the 1200 block and 1100 block to entertain with a finale at the Camera parking lot (1048 Pearl St.). More

Saturday (4/25), brings the wildly popular Boulder County Farmers’ Market alive starting at 8 a.m. In addition to over 60 farmers showcasing the finest in produce and other goods, the Market also offers a full food court and live entrainment. More

Sunday (4/26), celebrate spring with Downtown Boulder’s annual Tulip Fairy and Elf Parade. At 2 p.m., the parade will start on the 1100 block of Pearl Street and head west to the St Julien Hotel & Spa for a special reception. Dress your little ones up as fairies and elves and bring them out to enjoy this free activity. More

For other events and happenings in Downtown Boulder, please visit BoulderDowntown.com

Free ice cream in Downtown Boulder

Looking out my office window, I see hundreds of beautiful tulips in full bloom along the Bricks. I also see a line of a hundred or more people waiting for their free ice cream cone from Ben and Jerry's. Today is free cone day courtesy of our friends on the 1200 block of Pearl Street.

All donations collected at our Ben and Jerry's during today's event (April 21) will be donated to the People's Clinic. The weather is absolutely perfect and the ice cream never tasted so good! Stop by before 8 p.m. tonight for a little taste of heaven and to support an wonderful organization. Ben and Jerry's is located at 1203 Pearl Street in the heart of Downtown Boulder. Don't forget to say 'thanks' and tell all of the Ben and Jerry's workers/volunteers what an excellent job they are doing. Life never tasted so good!

Springtime happenings in Downtown Boulder

The biggest snowflakes I've ever seen are falling right now on the bricks of the Pearl Street Mall. Our beautiful tulips are covered in white but as we all know, this is Colorado and by the middle of next week, we will have our 70 degree weather back! Perfect timing because next weekend is jammed packed with free activities for everyone to enjoy.

On April 24 from noon to 4 p.m., Colorado Children's Day will bring over 1,000 kids and parents to the heart of the city (1300 block of Pearl Street). The event is an afternoon of FREE activities for children through elementary school age and their guardians designed to celebrate children and engage them in age appropriate activities. Planned activities include exploration of emergency vehicles, interactive live music, face painting, games with Colorado University student athletes, dancing in a water fountain and more. This will also be an opportunity for parents to learn about the many services available to them in Boulder.

Three hours later (at 7 p.m.), the spring Pearl Street Stampede will take place in celebration of CU's Spring Game. Led by Stephen Tebo’s vintage 1948 fire truck, members of the Golden Buffalo Marching Band will perform for fans starting on the 1300 block of Pearl Street moving west, stopping along the 1200 block and 1100 block to entertain. Along the Stampede route, fans will have the chance to cheer on the CU football team. The Stampede starts in front of the Boulder County Court House on the 1300 block of Pearl Street. The Stampede’s finale takes place in the Camera parking lot (1048 Pearl St.).

Two days later, on Sunday, April 26 starting at 2 p.m., Downtown Boulder hosts our annual Tulip Fairy and Elf Parade. Bring your little ones out to meet the Tulip Fairy and join us for a parade that starts at Broadway and Pearl Streets going west then south to the St Julien Hotel and Spa where there will be special activities and events for your little fairies and elves to enjoy. Don't forget your cameras! With the tulips in full bloom, our community is more vibrant and alive than ever!

*All of these events are free and open to the public!

Communikey Decends on Boulder & Downtown

Communikey Festival of Electronic Arts is happening in Boulder from April 17-19 and includes works from "35 new media artists and electronic musicians that represent the forefront of the industry. " Held at various locales over the weekend, including the b.side lounge, Boulder Civic Plaza, and the New Foundry in Downtown Boulder, this festival is chance to expand your mind with the latest in music, trends, media and global arts technology.

"Communikey events provide creative forums for the exploration of electronic music and new media arts in intimate environments, reflecting the global organism that is technology based fine-arts. The Festival hosts a 3-day contribution to these arts. Software workshops, installations, a film screening and panel discussion lay the ground-work for thought and discourse. Campus activities are followed by evening showcases, children's program, parade, picnic and finale.

Held on Earth Day weekend, the question is continually asked: "Are technology based fine arts sustainable?" We examine this issue and foster change by supporting sustainable resources in a digital world. A zero waste program, bio-fueled picnic, and pedestrian/cyclist transportation methods bind the electronic arts to sustainable lifestyle." - Communikey

Click here for more

A Crocs of an opportunity in Downtown Boulder

Soon, my two little boys will be in a friend's wedding. Their tuxedos have been purchased as well as their dress shoes. I flinched as I put out the cash for the dress shoes because I know they will only be worn once. Why? Because my little ones live in Crocs - all year round. Right now, they are sporting the Mammoth style, lined with fleece, to keep their tootsies warm. Crocs are the only footwear that go on their feet easily and without a fight and trust me, in the morning when you are running late, footwear that slips on quick and doesn't cause melt downs of epic proportions is essential!

Today, I was excited to learn that Downtown Boulder's Pedestrian Shops and Boulder Arts and Crafts Gallery were teaming up for a great cause. On Friday, April 24 (in celebration of Colorado Children's Day), I can purchase a pair of kids' Crocs at the Pedestrian Shops and take them next door to the Boulder Arts & Crafts Gallery for my little Van Goghs to decorate.

One hundred percent of the proceeds from the sale of Kids' Classic Crocs and donations for decorating them will be given to the Boulder Mountainbike Alliance and designated for the Kids' Learning Loop at the Valmont Bike Park. The Pedestrian Shops, Boulder Arts & Crafts, Crocs and Jibbitz are teaming up to sponsor this event.

What makes this even sweeter is that at the same time (now through April 26), Pedestrian Shops is holding a shoe drive to celebrate Earth Day and help those in need. By dropping off gently worn shoes (think wedding dress shoes that will be worn only once), customers will receive a 10 percent discount on any shoe purchase. How great is that? For the past 20 years that Pedestrian Shops has hosted their twice annual shoe drives (Earth Day & Thanksgiving), over 26,000 shoes have been collected and distributed to local assistance organizations.

Join the Pedestrian Shops and Boulder Arts and Crafts Gallery as they raise money to help local area kids and change the world, one Crocs at a time!

Another Sunny Beautiful Day on the Pearl Street Mall!

Conference on World Affairs happening this week in Boulder

This week, Roger Ebert, the iconic, Chicago-Sun-Times, Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic is here in Boulder! Ebert, along with over 100 other participants, is here for the the sixty-first annual Conference on World Affairs (CWA) held at CU. This week-long event includes over 200 panels, plenaries and performances. Topics range from international affairs, the arts, science, diplomacy, technology, human rights, the environment and politics, just to name a few. Issues are discussed by conference participants on an impromptu basis. Audience attendees include student, faculty, staff, alumni, members of the media, locals and visitors from around the nation. All events are free and open to the public. Downtown Boulder businesses who are sponsoring the CWA include the Hotel Boulderado and the Camera.

Click here for a schedule
For streaming & video-on-demand, click here
Read Camera reporter, Ryan Morgan's daily blog entries here

Melting Snow & a Cup of Joe

There's something about a cup of good coffee: a richness, a boldness and a taste that makes you close your eyes and just inhale the aroma; The quality and the feeling of that tan ambrosia as it fills your mouth with life. This morning's brew is from Unseen Bean (2052 Broadway), whose proprietor, Gerry Leary, although sightless, roasts his coffee with care and precision that is adamantly evident in every cup of joe. It's making my morning full of dripping snow and mile-high sunshine get rolling in just the right way.

Of course Downtown Boulder is full of coffee shops and coffeehouses: ones that sell tea, smoothies, breakfast, panninis, cupcakes, t-shirts and a hundred varieties of coffee. In fact there are 18 coffee shops in our 49 square blocks of Downtown Boulder, offering no shortage of destinations for java seekers of any ilk. In the upcoming edition of Downtown: Local Shops Local Stories Magazine, find out our readers' top five choices for their favorite coffee shop, and any time visit BoulderDowntown.com to view all of our coffee listing. Viva Caffeine!

Click here for Downtown Coffee shops listings

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