Things to Do in Longmont

Inspired by the idea that creativity should be not only about expression but also about having fun in the process, the staff at Whimsy Paint and Sip Art Studio shows groups how to make colorful works of art with easy-to-follow steps. Layering colorful paints on canvases provided by the studio, students build compositions ranging from re-creations of modern masterpieces to landscapes and still lifes. During painting events, guests can sip on signature martinis mixed behind the 40-foot stainless-steel bar or a variety of Colorado wines available by the glass or bottle. Beyond the weekly events, the staff maintains a selection of canvases and frames in their boutique and also hosts birthday parties where children have fun playing with paint and parents can figure out if the tuition to that preschool of the arts is paying off.

Children and teens engage their imaginations during dynamic adventures set in a fantastical time filled with dashing knights questing in the name of good. Groups of four to seven young heroes must overcome challenging puzzles and duel with foam swords as they work together to complete tasks such as saving their village, solving a mystery, or developing the technique of crop rotation. While swinging a Swasher sword, children learn how to compete and act fairly according to the rules of swordplay. The interactive play teaches kids creative problem solving and conflict-resolution skills that incorporate negotiation and compromises to solve complex disputes.

At amphitheaters, parks, and ice rinks throughout the city, Boulder Creek Events organizes get-togethers to inspire and connect community members. Each year, they bring more than 500 food vendors together with musicians and carnival rides for the Boulder Creek Festival. They also coordinate classic car shows and outdoor skating events. During the winter, BCE Productions fuels ice skaters with warm concessions, and during the summer the crew transforms the Twenty Ninth Street Plaza into a rink ideal for roller skates and guests with the latest trend in wheeled pedicures.

At five Chipper's Lanes Bowling Center locations, colorful balls sail down glossy lanes, overseen during weekends and birthday parties by the center's mascot, Chipper the Chipmunk. During special events, guests can go to Chipper for a hug as warm and fuzzy as teddy-bear-skin gloves, and supplement bowling fun with occasional live music performances and cosmic bowling at select locations. Between frames, players restore energy with burgers or pizza at the full-service, onsite restaurant.

Teammates skirt the abandoned RV, dart through the open door of a downed helicopter, and duck for cover behind a concrete bunker. After a pause, a player stands to check for enemies on the landscape of dusty huts and fences—only to have paint splatter across his chest. On Blitz Paintball's five recreational paintball fields, players immerse themselves in the thrill of paint-based combat through a range of scenarios. The staff designs regularly changing games for each field, including the traditional Capture the Flag or UN treaty signing, and also allows players to create their own styles of play.

Players rent standard semi-automatic, Tippmann A5, or high-end markers, pressurized tanks, and masks, and they prep for combat in a 5,000-square-foot shaded staging area. They're then turned loose to compete on the football-field-size Hyperball field, the Spool field, or themed Urban Combat, Fort, and Black Hawk Down fields, upon which elevated fortresses allow players to duck for cover from the aggressive native pigeon population. Projectiles whisper through the air in a two-story, 7,000-square-foot castle, where warriors work their way into an interior courtyard and massive throne room. Two regulation PSP tournament fields host more competitive play with astroturf and padded barriers.