Events

The experiential exhibit debuts in the Museum’s newly renovated Bill Daniels Gallery of Inspiration and celebrates the athletes, achievements and moments that have shaped one of the most demanding competitions in sport. Presented with support from the Daniels Fund and the Boettcher Foundation, A Legacy of Victory: U.S. Olympic Decathletes highlights the enduring legacy of U.S. Olympic decathletes and the determination required to compete across 10 events over two days.

Visitors can explore artifacts including Jim Thorpe’s reissued Olympic gold medal, the Stockholm 1912 decathlon scorebook, Rafer Johnson’s 1960 Olympic warm-up suit, Dan O’Brien’s 1996 Olympic podium uniform and Bryan Clay’s 2004 uniform top and bib.

The exhibit also features a Champions Mural honoring every U.S. Olympic decathlon champion, interactive video game simulations, athlete footage and tactile experiences.

This calendar listing is brought to you by Peak Radar, the Pikes Peak region's one-stop, online website for arts and entertainment events, powered by the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region.

Join us in November for First Friday!
Friday, November 6th 4-8pm

Lupita Carrasco - Bottom's Up
Sara DeRose - Apology Tour
Susan Quin Horsfall - Kaleidoscope
Melissa Porter - I's, My's & Me's

Melissa Porter Artist Statement:

I’s, My’s & Me’s is a body of work about that contradiction.
My work questions identity and value through distorted beliefs, fragmentation, collage, and self-portraiture. This new body of work is larger, more physically assertive, and more vulnerable than anything I have made before. The scale is intentional. After a lifetime of learning how to make myself smaller, I wanted to make something I could not hide behind.
For much of my life, I was a supporting character in the lives of others. I became who and whatever I needed to be. I learned to anticipate, accommodate, please, and adapt. These were survival skills, and for a long time I mistook them for personality.
It wasn't until my divorce in 2016 that I seriously considered a question that seemed almost embarrassingly simple:
What do I want?
Years later, I have a better answer to that question.
Now I am asking something harder:
Who do I want to be?
Who am I when the people, roles and expectations that once defined me no longer do? Who might I become if nothing is preventing me from becoming her except myself?
-Melissa Porter

Sara DeRose Artist Statement:

Apology Tour is born of my love of slow fiber crafts , the oddness of middlescence , and an unreasonable amount of curiosity about people I will never meet .
I think in words and pictures for others for a living , so my brain naturally orients this way all the time — collecting, crafting, connecting things to make meaning. I was curious — what would doing the same work, in a completely different context, without all the capitalist constraints (fast! make a profit! be original!) produce?
The process became the purpose (slow! cheap! borrowed!): photographs of strangers , someone else's language of confession , and my own hands, slowly, with a needle. Embroidery takes real time — an hour for a line that takes five seconds to say, even less to think — and that intentional friction around the binds that tie us, felt like the point.
I don't know these people or their lives. I don't know what they are sorry for, if they'd want an apology, or from whom, or for what. I created this show anyway, because I think most of us are overdue to slow down and say the things — to someone, to ourself, to no one, to whoever's still looking.
-Sara DeRose

Lupita Carrasco Artist Statement:

This past January, right before a snow storm, an emaciated dog showed up at my son’s house, clearly searching for help. My son couldn’t keep her, so I offered to take her in and search for her owners. She was young, no more than a year old, no microchip, a bag of bones, reeking of urine. Over the next weeks, no owners responded to the Facebook post or Humane Society listing. Our neurotic German shepherd made fast friends with her, they mirrored each other’s poses and chased each other endlessly. My kids named her and she became more ours with each passing week. As she chewed up leashes, obliterated toys, ate through extra bags of dog food, and finally dug holes in my garden, I begged my son to take her back…she remained. In late September, I finally got her scheduled for her spay, shots, and microchip. The appointment confirmation read, “Goose Carrasco.” She was officially ours.

For this show, I was originally working on pieces reflecting personal transformation, and identity. Exploring deep changes in my world that have asked me to show up differently in my life over the past three years. This art needed me to move very slowly, to be in spaces of silence. That however, is not my current reality. The beautiful life I tumble through presently has not slowed.
While I’m a believer of letting my art reflect where I am in life, I chose to express a wink of laughter instead.
One day while agonizing about the paintings I was working on for this show, I came across a funny picture of Goose in “sploot” position on my bedroom rug. I laughed and exclaimed, “This is what I should be painting!” I joked with my kids about how I was going to paint a whole show inspired by the dog I didn’t want to keep and that the paintings would all be butts. They laughed and called me a weirdo but as they saw the first handful of studies completed, they began recruiting their friends to send pictures of their dog and cat butts.
The studies were my favorite to paint, quick little moments of silly observation. Joyful gems that worked easily into my busy days. I noticed how each pet butt carried its own energy, guiding my brush in a unique way each time. I am an observer of things, morning light and shadow play, reflections, patterns, textures, angles, colors and how they engage. These are the things that nourish me daily. This has been the most light hearted and delightful collection I’ve ever created and it was just what I needed to help me continue walking through these difficult days. I know these butts will bring smiles and laughter to many more and I hope they inspire countless moments of joyful observation in others. Goose Carrasco is the star of the show! I like dogs. I like dog butts. I like cats. I like (painting) cat butts.
-Lupita Carrasco

This calendar listing is brought to you by Peak Radar, the Pikes Peak region's one-stop, online website for arts and entertainment events, powered by the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region.

The Manitou Springs Heritage Museum is excited to launch a new exhibit, “The Wall — A Montage of First Amendment Rights.” See this incredible and controversial collection showing hundreds of historical buttons, posters, images and ephemera representing our country’s right to Constitutional protections and expression under the First Amendment.

The exhibit also will include Rhonda S. Van Pelt's photos of Manitou Springs protests.

This calendar listing is brought to you by Peak Radar, the Pikes Peak region's one-stop, online website for arts and entertainment events, powered by the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region.

Travel back to 1976, when Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars’ 1973 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon stunned the wine world by earning the highest honor among the red wines in a blind tasting against France’s most prestigious Bordeaux estates. That historic victory helped establish Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars - as icons on the global stage.

This calendar listing is brought to you by Peak Radar, the Pikes Peak region's one-stop, online website for arts and entertainment events, powered by the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region.

The UCCS Visiting Author Series proudly presents writers Keetje Kuipers and Susanna Childress as part of its Fall 2026 line-up. A public reading featuring both will be held in-person at the Heller Center and online, followed by a Q&A session, and booksigning. Light refreshments will be served.

Keetje Kuipers’ fourth collection of poems is Lonely Women Make Good Lovers. She is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship, and her poems have appeared in the Pushcart Prize and Best American Poetry anthologies. She lives in Montana and is Editor of Poetry Northwest.

Susanna Childress is the author, most recently, of Extremely Yours: a Memoir in Fragments. Her creative nonfiction has appeared in The Rumpus, Idaho Review, Indiana Review, Cincinnati Review, and twice been noted in Best American Essays. She lives along the west shore of Michigan and teaches at Hope College.

This event is sponsored by the Office of the Provost, The College of LAS, the UCCS English Department, the Heller Center, the Center for Research Frontiers in the Digital Humanities, and local literary nonprofit Brave Irene's.

This calendar listing is brought to you by Peak Radar, the Pikes Peak region's one-stop, online website for arts and entertainment events, powered by the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region.

This adaptation of the play that inspired the films The Shop Around the Corner and You’ve Got Mail, as well as the musical She Loves Me is a warm, gentle comedy that follows the tangled tale of beleaguered parfumerie employee, George Horvath.

Just days before Christmas, George’s boss fires him, believing (mistakenly) that George has been having an affair with his wife. Meanwhile, George’s own love life goes off the rails when he realizes that the stranger he’s fallen in love with through the exchange of letters is Amalia Balash, a co-worker he cannot stand!

In the end, truths are revealed and happy resolution is reached in this old-fashioned Christmas romance.

E.P. Dowdall adapted the play from the original Hungarian, written by his uncle, Miklos Laszlo.

This calendar listing is brought to you by Peak Radar, the Pikes Peak region's one-stop, online website for arts and entertainment events, powered by the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region.

Enjoy world-class sleight of hand right under your nose, performed by one of the world's top sleight of hand artists.
In this show, the AUDIENCE chooses which "tricks" will be performed, every night is DIFFERENT!

After 20 years in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, native Coloradan Cosmo Solano returned home, opening "Cosmo's Magic Theater LLC" in 2017, to rave reviews!

Enjoy a fun and elegant evening of comedy and magic, in a beautiful Victorian parlour setting.

We offer light desserts and refreshments before the show. Spend a little time with the performer(s) before and after the show. Taking pictures is encouraged! The show is presented with a short intermission approximately half way through.

This calendar listing is brought to you by Peak Radar, the Pikes Peak region's one-stop, online website for arts and entertainment events, powered by the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region.

Join us for Choral Evensong, a traditional Anglican service of evening prayer that beautifully combines chanted prayers, scripture readings, and beautiful choral music sung by the Taylor Choir.

This calendar listing is brought to you by Peak Radar, the Pikes Peak region's one-stop, online website for arts and entertainment events, powered by the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region.

Face The Sanitarium, Haunted Mines, Sinister Manor, and 3-D Carnival in one continuous journey through The Fear Complex. Check in on-site to join the virtual queue, then explore the Midway while you wait.

Recommended for ages 13 and up; children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult.

Midway food, games, and merchandise are sold separately.

November 6–7 feature Lights Out.

This calendar listing is brought to you by Peak Radar, the Pikes Peak region's one-stop, online website for arts and entertainment events, powered by the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region.

Springs Ensemble Theatre presents Will Arbery's "Heroes of the Fourth Turning," a 2020 Pulitzer Prize finalist and winner of the Obie, Lucille Lortel and New York Drama Critics' Circle awards.

It's August 2017 in Wyoming, one week after Charlottesville and two days before a total solar eclipse. Four young conservatives have stayed late after a party honoring their mentor, Dr. Gina Presson, newly inaugurated as president of the small Catholic college that shaped them. As the whiskey runs out and the night gets colder and darker, the friends turn on each other and on what they believe.

SET's staging puts the audience in the backyard, just an arm's length from the characters: right there, witnessing, but helpless to intervene.

Content advisory: contains transphobic and racist language, discussion of abortion and white supremacist violence, depictions of heavy drinking and smoking, strong language, and loud noises including simulated gunshots. Recommended for ages 16+.

This calendar listing is brought to you by Peak Radar, the Pikes Peak region's one-stop, online website for arts and entertainment events, powered by the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region.

Junktique Off-Main
A bigger vision. A new monthly experience.

Junktique Off-Main — a new monthly event located on private property just off downtown Florence. Designed to give both shoppers and vendors more room, more convenience, and more opportunity, Off-Main expands the Junktique experience beyond Main Street while keeping the same spirit of discovery that people love.

This new location creates space for growth and flexibility, with room for vendors who want to participate monthly and room for customers to enjoy an easy, comfortable shopping experience.

Visitors can expect:

A monthly market experience.
Easy access just off downtown Florence.
Free parking (off street, in the front of the property.)
$2 parking (off-street, next to the event gate).
VIP ($5) (on concrete, inside the event gates.)
Free handicapped parking (must have license plate or hanging tag, on concrete, inside the event gates.)

For vendors, Junktique Off-Main offers flexible ways to be part of the event, including full-time vendor spaces and per-event rentals.

Full-time vendor spaces are an especially attractive option for sellers who want to simplify setup and reduce the constant work of moving inventory. Instead of hauling merchandise back and forth for each event, vendors can store their inventory on site and simply open their doors each month.

Less hauling. Less hassle. More selling.

Junktique Off-Main is built for growth, convenience, and a new kind of market experience in Florence — one that gives vendors more flexibility and gives shoppers more reasons to come back again and again.

This calendar listing is brought to you by Peak Radar, the Pikes Peak region's one-stop, online website for arts and entertainment events, powered by the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region.

Winterlude is a two-month long holiday pop-up extravaganza located on the west end of town at Tubby's Turn Around. The Manitou Art Center has transformed the former mini-mart into a holiday market, complete with art by local artists, handmade ornaments, Christmas tree/Christmas wreath sales, warm beverages, other locally-made gifts, music, DIY craft experiences and more.

Sponsored by the Manitou Springs Penny Arcade and the soon-to-be-realized Tubby's 2027, opportunities like this are not to be missed. Winterlude will be open Friday-Sunday with a full calendar of events. It combines experiences with shopping opportunities, neighborhood magic, and supports various local nonprofits.

We kicked off the fun with a soft launch on November 1st. The official launch will be on Friday, November 6th for First Friday Art Walk. Winterlude concludes on Sunday, December 27th with a small end-of year-celebration.

Winterlude traditionally refers to a winter festival in Canada. This is Manitou Springs' version of this cozy, holiday jubilee.

This calendar listing is brought to you by Peak Radar, the Pikes Peak region's one-stop, online website for arts and entertainment events, powered by the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region.

Join Woodland Park in celebrating Arts Month in October. We have activities that begin on October 2 during First Friday Art Walk from 4 - 7 p.m. and you can continue the program through November 15. This gives you a chance to experience everything this quaint mountain town has to offer!

Visit Reserve Our Gallery for the first step in the art projects. There are activities for kids and adults. Some people may prefer the sketchbook with art lessons. You learn step by step drawing as you visit each of the locations, which are park of Woodland Park Art Gallery. Or, for the younger generation, they can make a card or decorate a tree as kids visit the locations with their parents. Reserve Our Gallery has materials to begin the progressive art experience AND provides a map for where you want to go.

Woodland Park Art Gallery has 8 locations in town. These are businesses who also sell other items, besides art. There's outdoor recreation, a coffee shop, two western clothing and hat shops, home decor, and vintage clothing.

This calendar listing is brought to you by Peak Radar, the Pikes Peak region's one-stop, online website for arts and entertainment events, powered by the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region.

Join us on November 6th from 5–9 p.m. for a night of art, music, and community! This opening will also include a performance from Miss Massive Snowflake, Shane de Leon’s band! These shows will run until November 29th during business hours or by appointment.

Artist Information:

“Every person wages war on multiple fronts each day. The struggle to survive, to create, and to thrive is thrust haphazardly against one’s usually deplorable economic situation within an increasingly hostile and authoritarian regime. Surveillance crowds our sensibilities. Prices rise. Jobs scale down without benefits or security. Elders dressed. Children die. Our wealth trickles up, while the working class is continually under attack.
“These paintings are a shot fired back against the cowardice and cruelty of Capital, alongside its myriad of stooges. The mindless pigs, corrupt judges, and broken systems constrain everyone’s personal liberties and freedoms, from prisoners to pensioners alike.
“Educate. Congregate. Expand yr mind. Community and Art are barriers to an encroaching mindless hegemony. Life is worth the fight. Viva la Revolution. ACAB. Anarchy, Peace, Respect.” -Shane de Leon

“Reconnecting is an exploration of the process of allowing one’s inner child a seat at the table we call ‘me.’ As children, we view the world through curiosity and wonder; we shape our little worlds through imagination and play. Most importantly, we weren’t afraid of our emotions or of doing things that made us look silly or foolish; we simply felt, did and dreamed. But at some point, we’re all told to grow up and put away those things which gave us joy as children. We pack away the toys and books in boxes stored in crawlspaces and attics, to gather dust, unloved and forgotten for decades. At the same time, we sequester the child that was behind the mask of adulthood, to be respectable and welcomed into society. Reconnecting is an acceptance of the emotion, curiosity, imagination and exploration of our most deeply guarded selves. It is permission to dream again. For if the past informs the presents, which in turn dictates the future and our most formative years are spent as children, should not then the boy inform the man?” -Blake Laue

This calendar listing is brought to you by Peak Radar, the Pikes Peak region's one-stop, online website for arts and entertainment events, powered by the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region.

An Unforgettable Night for an Unforgettable Cause

The Evening Includes:

Professional casino-style gaming
Heavy hors d'oeuvres and unlimited beverages
DJ, magician, specialty experiences, and silent auction
Networking with Colorado Springs leaders and changemakers

Join Colorado Springs business leaders, community advocates, survivors, caregivers, and friends for an evening of casino-style gaming, great food and drinks, entertainment, connection, and giving back. Guests will enjoy professional casino tables, a live DJ, magician, silent auction, specialty experiences, gourmet bites, cocktails, and plenty of opportunities to win big—all while supporting two vital cancer organizations.

This event is designed to bring people together for an incredible evening with a purpose far greater than the game. Every spin of the wheel, bid in the silent auction, and sponsorship commitment helps support Sue’s Gift and ZERO Prostate Cancer—organizations providing financial assistance, peer support, education, advocacy, and resources for people impacted by gynecologic and prostate cancers.

This is more than a fundraiser. It is a celebration of resilience, a show of support for those facing cancer, and a reminder that no one should have to navigate this journey alone.

When the house wins, cancer loses.

Tickets are $99 per person and include heavy hors d'oeuvres prepared by our featured chefs, UNLIMITED drinks, dessert, and $200 in gaming chips.

This calendar listing is brought to you by Peak Radar, the Pikes Peak region's one-stop, online website for arts and entertainment events, powered by the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region.

It’s easy to offer compassion to the people we love while holding ourselves to a much harder standard. This World Kindness Day, join Singing Bowls of the Rockies for an evening dedicated to turning that kindness inward.

This sound bath experience invites you to pause, loosen the pressure to do more, and give yourself permission to rest. Through a brief guided reflection, we’ll explore what it might feel like to meet ourselves with greater patience and care.

Then, settle into an immersive sound bath featuring crystal and Tibetan singing bowls, gongs, chimes, and other soothing instruments. Let the layers of sound become a gentle place to rest your attention as you unwind in our tranquil studio.

You don’t need to arrive feeling peaceful or positive. Whether you’re feeling stretched thin or simply craving a quiet moment, you’re welcome exactly as you are!

This calendar listing is brought to you by Peak Radar, the Pikes Peak region's one-stop, online website for arts and entertainment events, powered by the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region.

Embark on an unforgettable journey of adventure, mystery, and self-discovery with Anastasia: The Musical - Youth Edition. Inspired by the beloved animated film and the acclaimed Broadway production, this enchanting musical follows a brave young woman named Anya as she sets out to uncover the truth about her past and discover where she truly belongs.

Filled with soaring music, captivating characters, and themes of courage, hope, and resilience, Anastasia transports audiences from the twilight of Imperial Russia to the excitement of Paris in the 1920s. Along the way, students and families will experience a heartwarming story that celebrates the importance of friendship and believing in the possibilities of the future.

This calendar listing is brought to you by Peak Radar, the Pikes Peak region's one-stop, online website for arts and entertainment events, powered by the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region.

"Out of Our Minds" was written and designed to encourage the audience to get out of their "analytical minds".

Continuing in our tradition of storytelling, light and fun presentation and comedy, this show includes brand new, original material created specifically for this performance.

The audience will even be "taught" and participate in telekinesis (moving objects with your mind) during the performance!

"Out of Our Minds" opened to sellout crowds for several weeks starting in June of 2022 to rave reviews!

This show is subtitled, "The show that can't be done without you".

Starting her twelfth year remaining unadopted, Pearl never expected her story to be anything special. Then she meets Clarence, a curious boy in a top hat, and finds herself swept into a world of enchanted wonders, peculiar friends, and secrets hidden between the pages of a forgotten tale. As a mysterious outsider's strange magic spreads across the land, Pearl must discover where she belongs in the story before its too late.

Bring your family, bring your friends, and step into the story with us! Whether your kids are ready to discover the magic of theatre for the first time or you're an adult who still believes in a little wonder, there’s something waiting for you!

This calendar listing is brought to you by Peak Radar, the Pikes Peak region's one-stop, online website for arts and entertainment events, powered by the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region.

One of the Rocky Mountain Region's most beloved string bands, the ultra-popular group Stray Grass delivers a high-energy take on acoustic music. Though they play traditional instruments, Grand Junction’s Stray Grass sounds anything but traditional!

GARRY TULLIO

As Stray Grass's lead vocalist and mandolin player, Garry Tullio brings infectious energy and heartfelt authenticity to the stage. His soulful voice and expressive mandolin style are central to the band’s signature sound—rooted in bluegrass tradition yet alive with a fresh, contemporary spirit.

GUY STEPHENS

Guy Stephens is one of the founding members of Stray Grass and has been part of the Western Colorado music scene since the 1980’s as a member of various rock, blues, and jazz groups in Grand Junction and Crested Butte. Originally inspired to pick up the guitar by watching Glen Campbell, Guy loves performing onstage and making people smile.

BYRON WALCHER

A Grand Valley native, Byron began performing professionally after college. He first gained local exposure with standout bluegrass band The Ridgerunners as a banjo player, then switched to pedal steel guitar and spent the next few years touring the “sagebrush circuit” in the Western US and Canada. In 1986, he joined Chuck Wagon and the Wheels and moved to Sun Valley, Idaho. During the next 28 years, the calendar was kept full with hotel and convention dates, road trips, recording and club dates in the very busy, upscale resort area. “Really too many bands to remember them all, everything from a doo-wop cabaret show to spaghetti western punk”. In 2008, Byron returned to his acoustic roots by forming Dewey Pickette and Howe, returning to banjo and bringing the dobro onstage. When he returned to Grand Junction, CO, in 2014, he was “lucky enough” to meet Garry and join Stray Grass.

DAVE ROWLEY

Dave has been in the Grand Valley almost his entire life. He began playing the upright bass in the school orchestra as a sixth grader and continued through high school. He didn’t join his first local band, Dem Bones, until a few years after graduating. Since then, he’s hopped from band to band, sometimes playing in as many as three groups at once, ranging from ragtime to alternative rock. Having played music across the Grand Valley, Northwest, and parts of the Eastern US, he holds true to a driving principle: “Playing music with others affords an opportunity to learn from and communicate with them unlike any other.”

Website: www.straygrass.com

Opening Acts: Sara Van Hecke, Grace Morrison

This calendar listing is brought to you by Peak Radar, the Pikes Peak region's one-stop, online website for arts and entertainment events, powered by the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region.

EAT PRAY CULT is a one-woman stand-up comedy show about getting divorced and joining a cult. Well…
almost a cult. Amy Brown Carver left her marriage of 12 years, hit rock bottom living in a pole dancing studio, and bounced into an off-grid experimental intentional community in the California desert. Her show is about how to decide when it’s time to leave (a marriage, society) and what to do in a (relationship) apocalypse. Amy developed this show at Mars College, the “cult” in question. Her involvement in which was featured in The
Guardian.

EAT PRAY CULT premiered internationally at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2026 – a run of 22 performances in 25 days – following shows at the Hollywood Fringe, the Bombay Beach Biennale, and at Wolverine Farm Publick House in Fort Collins, CO.

The show was directed by comedian and writer Alice Fraser (The Bugle, BBC Radio 4, Amazon Prime), an Edinburgh Fringe veteran.

This calendar listing is brought to you by Peak Radar, the Pikes Peak region's one-stop, online website for arts and entertainment events, powered by the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region.