5 Best Performing Arts in Boulder and North Central Colorado, Colorado

The 1930s art deco–style Boulder Theater is a gem of a venue that hosts more than 200 events annually with national, international, and local artists, comedians, speakers, and a range of film events.

Boulder's professional orchestra presents its own concert season, frequently including some of the biggest names in classical music. The "Boulder Phil" also collaborates with the Boulder Ballet Ensemble to present the Nutcracker each holiday season.

Concerts and more take place throughout the summer at this historic auditorium. Performers have included B. B. King, Melissa Etheridge, Lucinda Williams, the Indigo Girls, and Lyle Lovett. Former vice president Al Gore and the Reverend Jesse Jackson are among those who have spoken here.

The University of Colorado's superb College of Music presents hundreds of concerts each year, including chamber music by the internationally renowned Takács String Quartet and performances by a range of large and small orchestral, choral, new music, world music, and jazz ensembles.

At the end of July, Planet Bluegrass presents RockyGrass—an internationally renowned bluegrass festival that features a combination of legendary artists as well as up-and-comers. The venue—an idyllic outdoor setting under red-rock cliffs on the banks of the St. Vrain River—is also host to FolksFest in August. In addition, Planet Bluegrass's indoor Wildflower Pavilion stages about a dozen concerts in the spring and fall.