Glenwood Springs is planning a lineup of events that could have locals and visitors alike wagging their tails through the dog days of summer. 

In other parts of the world, the space below bridges might be reserved for trolls, but Glenwood Springs Parks And Recreation spokesperson Steve Frederick said the city prefers the more entertaining options. 

On June 23, the city is scheduled to begin the weekly and free Movies Under the Bridge event, which runs through August. Serving as the city’s recreation manager, Frederick said the event, which is scheduled for Thursdays, is about providing an engaging family activity for people to enjoy while perusing the downtown district. 

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The following Friday, June 24, Music Under the Bridge will kick off in Bethel Plaza, beneath the Grand Avenue Bridge. The free and weekly event, which is scheduled for Fridays, makes the most of the downtown location’s unique acoustics and provides the city an opportunity to highlight local musicians. 

Keeping the ball rolling in the fourth week of June, Glenwood Springs is hosting the Dis/Ability Film Festival on June 25, Frederick said. 

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Highlighting the power of inclusive education and presented in partnership with Western Colorado University’s Communication Arts/Film and Education Departments and the Glenwood Vaudeville Revue, this family-friendly film fest is free and open to the public.

“It’s a really cool event,” Frederick said. “The films are made by individuals with disabilities. This will be the first Glenwood is part of the festival, but our goal is to collaborate with the organizers and make this a major stopping point for the film tour in the future.” 

While free, space is limited, so the city requests potential attendees RSVP at http://www.glenwoodrec.com. The film festival starts at 7 p.m., but attendees can purchase dinner and drinks beginning at 6 p.m.

Watching others perform art is fine and dandy, but for those who want to get hands-on and make some art themselves, Frederick said the Glenwood Springs Community Art Center, 601 E. Sixth St., is now open and hosting a variety of summer activities. 

“We have a number of programs throughout the city to help parents with their summer daycare needs,” Frederick said.

Community Center

During the pandemic, the Glenwood Spring Community Center, 100 Wulfsohn Road, bore the brunt of budget cutbacks. But in 2022, the center is coming back strong, public information officer Bryana Starbuck said. 

“We’re in a much better place,” Starbuck said. “And things at the Community Center are hopping.”

This year, the center is focused on reinforcing the idea that “everyone is welcome to participate in everything we do,” Frederick said. 

To further that goal, one of the center’s first summer events is the Inclusive Day of Play from 1-3 p.m. Sunday.  

“We’ve just hired a therapeutic recreation coordinator with the goal of creating programming that is inclusive for all,” Frederick explained. “We’ll be able to take our normal programming and support adaptations creating opportunities for every child and every adult to participate.” 

For the youngest Community Center members (and their caregivers), Starbuck said the center’s Summer Little Rec Events schedule begins June 15 with a dinosaur picnic. Little Rec Events are for children ages 1-7 and occur about twice monthly through the summer. The schedule includes a Touch-a-Truck event, little rodeo, teddy bear picnic and tea party. 

Go to http://www.glenwoodrec.com to learn more about the program, enrollment and costs. 

Have an appetite for something adults can sink their teeth into as well? The Community Center’s Food Truck Fridays are scheduled to fill Glenwood Springs’ evenings with aromas from some of the finest mobile eateries the valleys have to offer. 

Starting June 10, about four to six food trucks will line up at the Community Center from 4-8 p.m. while diners enjoy food and entertainment, Starbuck said. 

The Food Truck Friday entertainment lineup includes:

July 8: The Low End Band, Free Pass Day

July 29: DJ Kaozz, Bounce House Extravaganza

August 12: Feler & Stahl, Nature’s Educators with live raptors

In addition to the events schedule, Starbuck said the Community Center significantly ramped up its number of fitness classes, such as yoga, pilates and piyo. Most fitness classes have drop in availability, she said. 

“We still have the old classes everyone loves,” Starbuck said. “But we are always adding new ways for people to get involved at the Community Center.”