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Fort Collins Entertainment
Fort Collins,
being the large college town that it is, has many exciting
entertainment choices available. Shopping, dining, and checking out the
local microbreweries are all popular activities. Due to its large
college-age crowd, the city also has a thriving music circuit. Many
local, regional and national acts perform at the downtown Lincoln Center.
The 1,180 seat performance hall and 220 seat mini-theater are home to
numerous local art groups, such as the Fort Collins Symphony, Opera
Fort Collins, OpenStage Theater, Canyon Concert Ballet and the Fort
Collins Children’s Theater. Ticket prices generally range from $5 to
$40, depending on the event.
Shopping in Old Town Fort Collins
Old Town is the historic part of Fort Collins
that has been restored and turned into a modern shopping plaza. A
redbrick pedestrian walkway takes visitors by a bubbling fountain and
many small shops and boutiques. The main plaza was actually the
inspiration for several of the buildings on Disneyland’s Main Street. During the summertime, Old Town is kept lively with outdoor concerts and special events. The Fort Collins museum offers guided tours of the historic district on Saturdays during the summer.
For other fans of shopping, the large, ultra-modern Centura Mall in nearby Loveland
provides a great shopping experience. Numerous name brand shops and
stores are located at the mall, which is mainly outdoors, allowing
shoppers to browse from store to store in the warm Colorado sunshine.
Local Breweries in Fort Collins
There
are three local microbreweries in the city. The largest and most well
known is the New Belgium Brewing Company, which has regional
distribution to many areas west of the Mississippi.
Their most famous beer is their Fat Tire Ale. The other two breweries
are the Odell Brewing Company and the Fort Collins Brewery. Tours of
all of these facilities are available. There are also several prominent
beer pubs in Fort Collins,
such as the original C.B. and Potts Restaurant and accompanying Big
Horn Brewery. The city is also host to the annual Colorado Brewer’s
Festival in late June. This outdoor event usually attracts around
30,000 people and is held in the Old Town part of the city.
Colorado State University: for the Sports Fanatic in You!
Colorado State University,
home to about 25,000 students, offers outstanding athletic
entertainment for both students and local sports fans. The CSU Rams
field a Division I football team, volleyball team, baseball team,
hockey team and lacrosse team. Polo, archery and swimming are among the
other sports played by students. Hockey fans will also want to check
out the Colorado Eagles professional team, which plays at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland. The Eagles play in the Central Hockey League and won the championship in 2005 and 2007.
Swetsville Zoo
Art lovers and fans of quirkiness in general will definitely want to visit the Swetsville Zoo in Fort Collins.
This is no ordinary zoo, as the animals are all made out of scrap
metal, including old farm machinery and car parts. The animals, built
by a retired farmer named Bill, now number over 160. A winding wooded
path takes visitors around the property and through the various
creations. Everything from dinosaurs to birds to trains can be found in
these intricate, clever sculptures.
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