May Events through Historic Larimer County

Historical Larimer County has a lot of great events scheduled around Northern Colorado in May, so mark your calendar and get registered! 

May 7

Fort Collins/Wellington: Spring on the Farm. Come enjoy the baby animals, tour the Bee Family Farm, and learn what makes Spring a great time on the farm. There will be local artisans and vendors in attendance, along with free seed planting kits, trolley rides, snacks for sale, and much more. 10 am – 3 pm. The cost for the event is the price of admission to the farm: $8 for Adults, $6 for Seniors 60+, $4 for Children 3-12, under 3 are free.

Berthoud: Join the Berthoud Historical Society at the 6th Annual Spring Festival and Plant Sale! We will have 1000+ plant starts – herbs, vegetables, and flowers. A Master Gardener will be on-hand to answer your garden questions. In addition, we will have several vendors selling hand-crafted items! Pioneer Courtyard (224 Mountain Avenue, in Berthoud) from 9 am to 12 pm.

Soapstone Prairie: Bison-Archaeology Connection. After a brief history and orientation to Soapstone Prairie’s resources at the shelter of the south parking lot, you will hear and see the story of this unique bison herd present there. It first begins with their past dominance on our continent, their almost total elimination during the late 1800s, and their successful recovery exemplified here at Soapstone Prairie. From that shelter, we will all drive to the north parking lot (3 miles) where we will take a 0.25-mile walk up a gentle slope to the Lindenmeier Archaeological Site. Here we will tell the amazing story of the ancient Folsom culture re-discovered at this location. 9 – 11:30 am. Registration required. 

Centennial: 2022 Layton Hooper Indian Wars Symposium. Join us on May 7 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, doors opening at 8:30. Featuring well-known speakers, morning coffee, juice & doughnuts, full buffet lunch, authors, and booksellers. The price per person is $40 if paid by May 3 or $50 at the door. This year our no-host party will be held at the Greenwood Village LaQuinta Inn. Speaker List: Eli Paul, All Because of a Morman Cow. John Monnett, Whiskey Trails, the Frontier Army and Outlaws Dressed as Indians. Carol Bruer, Emmet Crawford. Bill Cavaliere, Photo Essay of the Apache Surrender. John Wesley Anderson, Juan Batista de Anza vs. Cuerno Verde: 1779 Comanche Campaign. Colorado National Guard Headquarters, 6868 South Revere Parkway, Centennial.

May 12

Loveland: Lest We Forget: Veterans Memorials and Monuments in Larimer County. There are many veterans’ burial sites and memorials that have been nearly forgotten or are rather hidden and hard to find. Ron Sladek has researched all of them and has a very interesting presentation about them. This meeting will be proceeded by a member’s meeting at 6 pm during which board members for the Loveland Historical Society will be elected. The presentation will begin at 6:30 pm and is being hosted by the Loveland Historical Society at the Loveland Museum, 503 N Lincoln Ave.

May 17

Loveland: Rialto Theater Open House. As part of the Rialto’s Centennial Celebration, the theater will be open from Noon to 7 pm for tours and a historical overview of the theater. Tours start on the hour. No ticket is needed. Free. The Rialto Theater is located at 228 E. 4th Street.

May 20

Loveland: Silent Film Features at the Rialto Theater: The Kid (featuring Charlie Chaplin) and Dew Drop Inn (the first film shown at the Rialto Theater in 1920). Tickets are required, but they’re free. This event is part of the Rialto Theater’s Centennial Celebration at 7 pm. The Rialto Theater is located at 228 E. 4th Street.

May 21

Soapstone Prairie: A Hike Through the Ages. Experts in geology, ecology, and history show how Soapstone Prairie was formed, the creatures that keep it functioning, and the homesteading and ranching history that is part of our heritage. The hikes offer participants unique off-trail experiences. This hike will head east towards a spring wetland area, with moderate difficulty. We will parallel the Pronghorn Loop and Plover trails but will be hiking off-trail over uneven terrain. 9 am – 2 pm. Registration required. 

Fort Collins: History Hootenanny and Mid-Century Modern Tour. Join Historic Larimer County for a 1-hour meeting in which we review HLC’s past year as well as look forward to the future of the organization. We’ll also have a quick vote on board members. We currently have three open positions, so if you know of someone that would be particularly well suited to the board, please let us know! We’re especially looking for people who will help to run the membership side of things as well as ramp up our fundraising efforts. Following the meeting, Ron Sladek will take us on a tour of three Mid-Century Modern buildings that were part of Fort Collins’s “Urban Renewal” in the 1960s. 1 pm. Meeting location TBD. 

Loveland: Rialto Theater Centennial Celebration. To celebrate over 100 years in Loveland, the Rialto Theater will host a once-in-a-lifetime Centennial Celebration event on May 21, 2022. Saturday evening’s concert will feature Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Mark Cohn! The Centennial Celebration will be a FREE event (no tickets needed) open to the general public and be held on 4th street outside of the Rialto Theater with an overflow area in the Foundry. Marc Cohn is an American folk-rock singer-songwriter and musician. He won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1992. Cohn is best known for his song, “Walking in Memphis” from his 1991 album. The song, which was a Top 40 hit, has been described as an “iconic part of the Great American Songbook”. with support from Colorado’s own Face Vocal Band. Internationally acclaimed Face Vocal Band has been captivating audiences with their infectious energy and endearing love of performance. The closed-off section of 4th street opens at 4 pm to the public. Face Vocal Band goes on at 7:30 pm. Marc Cohn begins at 8:15 pm. 

May 28

Greeley: Celebrate the opening of Centennial Village Museum’s 2022 summer season! Visit Greeley’s 8-acre living history museum. Check out heritage skills demonstrations, historic house tours, and more. At 2 pm there will be a Buffalo Soldiers performance. Opened during the nation’s bicentennial in 1976, Centennial Village Museum preserves and interprets American western heritage in the Colorado high plains region over the last 150 years. Some of Weld County’s oldest structures are located in this museum. 10 am – 4 pm. 1475 A Street. $3 – $8.

To sign up for the newsletters, or find out what else is happening, visit historiclarimercounty.org.