Folks Festival. Photo by Benko Photographics

"Be you thespian, banjo-lover, acrobat or anything in between, Boulder has a festival right up your alley. From verdant Chautauqua to the heart of downtown, local venues hum throughout the summer with music, theater, opera and more. Boulder’s rich and famously eclectic culture shines during these once-a-year events. For more listings, see our Dance, Film, Music, Theater, Visual Arts and Local Events/Art Events sections under "Things to Do".

The COLORADO MUSIC FESTIVAL welcomes back Michael Christie, recently given the Emerging Director Award by the American Symphony Orchestra League, for his seventh year as the festival’s music director. The CMF kicks off its evening concerts at Chautauqua Auditorium with Carl Orff’s masterwork Carmina Burana June 24, and continues through Aug. 3, exploring a range of styles from percussion performances to marches, from Latin to klezmer sounds. The festival also features a flamenco opera, a gold-medal pianist and a Bach vs. Telemann battle of the composers. In addition to its main concert series, the CMF hosts Young People’s Concerts (June 23 and 25), workshops and dinners. 303-449-1397; www.coloradomusicfest.org. [Read Boulder Magazine's review of the Colorado Music Festival's "Rhythms and Tones" program on the GetBoulder Blog]

Look up—it’s the AERIAL DANCE FESTIVAL, now in its ninth year. Between Aug. 5-17 classes in the art of trapeze, bungee, stilt, rope and fabric dancing as well as performances by Frequent Flyers Productions (the nonprofit company that hosts the festival) and local, national and international aerial artists. Performances defy gravity, adding ropes, pulleys and hanging fabric to the disciplines of dance. 303-245-8272; www.frequentflyers.org.

Colorado Music Festival, courtesy CMF

One of Boulder’s most famous institutions, the COLORADO SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL inaugurates its 50th year with a new producing artistic director, Philip Sneed, and an expanded schedule of events June 22-Aug. 18. Traditional Shakespeare abounds, of course—Julius Caesar and A Midsummer Night’s Dream run at the Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre, while All’s Well that Ends Well shows at the University Theatre Main Stage. But for the first time, the festival also presents classics from other playwrights inspired by Shakespeare, including a new adaptation of Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days that opens here before heading to its off-Broadway premiere later this year. Carlo Goldoni’s The Servant of Two Masters offers a feast of mistaken identities, confused instructions and ridiculous obstacles to love that only Shakespeare himself could equal. The festival also offers discussions of the plays with expert dramaturgs in its Classics 101 series; presentations by directors and designers; a Children’s Shakespeare Camp; and Continuing Education courses at CU. You can also check out alternative adaptations of Shakespeare plays in the Shakespearean Film Series at the Boulder Public Library Auditorium. 303-492-0554; www.coloradoshakes.org.

Bringing a wealth of far less traditional performance, the BOULDER FRINGE FESTIVAL erupts August 16 to 27. The festival, an offshoot of a 60-year-old event held in Edinburgh, Scotland, exhibits the work of inventive and avant-garde artists, both local and global, to stimulate creativity in Boulder. More than 70 artists present dance, theater, cinema, circus, spoken word, puppetry, visual art and more during the unjuried and uncensored festival. Performances and events are held indoors and out, all over town; proceeds benefit the artists and go toward next year’s festival. 720-563-9950; www.boulderfringe.com.

Once again, the CHAUTAUQUA SUMMER SERIES provides Boulder with an eclectic mix of local, national and international talent in its picturesque auditorium at the base of the Flatirons. Leo Kottke, Gordon Lightfoot, Mesgana Dancers, Indigo Girls, storyteller Odds Bodkin and a taping of NPR’s “Wait Wait ... Don’t Tell Me!” are just a few of the many headline acts. Shows run through mid-September. 303-442-3282, www.chautauqua.com.

Aerial Dance Festival, courtesy Frequent Flyers Productions

If you’re a bluegrass fan, you have plenty to look forward to this summer in Boulder County. Planet Bluegrass Ranch, loc-ated along the wooded banks of the St. Vrain River in Lyons, hosts ROCKYGRASS July 27-29. Pass the time with camping, kids’ activities, instrument contests and jam circles, or just watch the headliners all day. This year’s acts include Sam Bush, David Grisman, Nickel Creek, Del McCoury and Marty Stuart.

Later, the SONG SCHOOL hits Planet Bluegrass Aug. 12 -16. Instructors with a variety of music-business backgrounds help develop the songwriting and performing skills of students at all levels. Learn to find your muse, experiment with live performance or get music-business tips from touring professionals. Stick around afterwards for The Folks Festival Aug. 17-19. It is considered a bit more laid back than the fast-pickin’ RockyGrass festival, with a preliminary lineup featuring Ray LaMontagne, the Ditty Bops, Brett Dennen, Gillian Welch and many more. As usual at the Ranch, concertgoers can be assured of on- and offsite camping madness, fun times in the river and plenty of impromptu jamming. For information on all Planet Bluegrass events: 303-823-0848; www.bluegrass.com.

Boulder County rounds out its bluegrass festivals with NEDFEST, which also offers jazz and world-beat music. For the first time, the fest lasts three days (Aug. 24-26), meaning more acts and longer sets by artists like Sam Bush and local favorites The Motet, the Ethereal Plane, and Leftover Salmon’s Vince Herman. The shows take place on the shores of Barker Reservoir, with late-night performances hosted throughout town. Family camping is available onsite in Chipeta Park, and there are many offsite camping locations throughout the area. Additionally, NedFest offers local arts and crafts and a microbrew festival. www.nedfest.com.

The CENTRAL CITY OPERA is keeping an eye on both the past and the future during its season-long 75th- anniversary celebration June 30-Aug. 16. The season opens with Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata, based on the same novel (La Dame aux camélias) as Camille, which opened Central City Opera’s inaugural season in 1932. Also featured are the world premiere of Guo Wenjing’s Poet Li Bai, Jules Massenet’s Cinderella, and Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Saint of Bleecker Street. To ensure generations of opera fans to come, the “Take Your Child to the Opera” program hosts special matinées during August (adults must be accompanied by at least one child aged 6 or older). 303-292-6700; www.centralcityopera.org.

The more playful productions of the COLORADO LIGHT OPERA run the month of July: Man of La Mancha, by Mitch Leigh, Dale Wasserman and Joe Darion, based on the classic novel Don Quixote; and Rodgers & Hammerstein’s wildly popular South Pacific. Both the musical and the James A. Michener short stories it was based on won Pulitzer Prizes. Performances are held on the CU-Boulder campus, and promise lively, tuneful musicals to round out your summer. 303-492-8008; www.cuconcerts.org.

Alan Rex, a Wild Oats meat-market clerk with no experience writing, holds a degree in astronomy from CU-Boulder. He recently returned to Boulder after a year backpacking from Buenos Aires to Mexico City.