May 12th, Sunday, is the day we all have set aside to appreciate the moms in our lives–all the mothers and mother figures and the otherwise maternal that make our lives better. In 2019, there are so many fun and engaging things to do in Boulder to celebrate all things Mom.
We’re fortunate in Boulder–we’ve got a plethora of amazing places to eat any number of foods. Of course, brunch is the usual main event at most people’s Mother’s Day extravaganzas, but Boulder has become quite a hub for fascinating foodstuffs, from the upper echelon of fine dining, to gourmet food trucks of all flavors (at Mom’s favorite brewery, right?), to fun-filled hands-on food creation experiences.
Boulder is an artsy town, and all you’d really have to do is walk down Pearl Street Mall to experience any number of art galleries, culinary arts achievements, and performing arts of any and all kinds. But there will be some special exhibits and activities in some of our museums on Mother’s Day to enjoy, too.
Of course, Boulderites wouldn’t be Boulderites without an appreciation and enjoyment of the outdoors. After all, just look out the window–what an outdoors, amirite? Whether your maternal friend is a top athlete (entirely possible in this town of the top fittest peeps in the country), or getting a little older and needing a gentler outside experience, Boulder’s outside possibilities are endless.
Here are some of the funnest and best things to do in Boulder to celebrate Mother’s Day. Have favorites we haven’t mentioned? Lay em on us in the comments!
Brunch
Everyone and their mother (see what I did there) will be out to brunch for the traditional way to celebrate our Moms, so anywhere you have your sights set on, you’ll want to make sure to get reservations. Of course, famous and fancy downtown hotels, Boulderado and St. Julien have beautiful brunches happening on Mother’s Day.
Is mom more a fan of the flavors of the Southwest and Mexico? Take her to Zolo Grill for their unique take on what makes a killer brunch. I mean, hello: tequila cured salmon? Whaa? Count me in.
Chautauqua dining hall is a beautiful place to have a stellar brunch, with patio seating to die for. They’re well known for their excellent brunch on a normal Sunday, and Mother’s Day ought to be something special. They’re also hosting a high tea later that day, for an extra special English way to celebrate fancy.
Of course, the number of fine restaurants in Boulder doing special Mother’s Day brunches is nearly countless. River & Woods, the Med, Brasserie TenTen, Salt, Shine, and posh places like the Greenbriar and Flagstaff House all are in on the Mother’s Day scene. Here’s a list, but it’s by no means complete–just call your favorite Boulder place to eat, and you can bet they’ll have something special going on.
Or, if you’re feeling more like being hands-on than waited on, you could do no worse than to attend FoodLab’s Mother’s Day Brunch instructional experience. Take a cooking class (it looks like sweet potato and brussels sprout hash and lemon ricotta pancakes are on the menu), sip on mimosas (natch), and end your morning with eating your delicious creations! And hey, you’ll have the recipes and abilities to make all this stuff yourself afterwards–win/win!
Creative Endeavors
Culinary arts aren’t the only creative activities to engage in on Mother’s Day: Adult coloring is happening at Settembre Cellars’ tasting room in the afternoon–don’t worry; the subject matter isn’t adult, it’s the fact that you can engage in the therapeutic activity of coloring over a glass or two of Settembre’s delectable vintages. Sounds like a relaxing and soothing way to start a Mother’s Day afternoon!
Family paint day is always a blast over at Pearl Street’s PoshSplat!, and this Mother’s Day is no different. From 9-11 in the morning, enjoy a special family fun time, with step by step instructions by a talented and professional local artist. The shared art piece ought to find a special place on Mom’s fridge afterwards, too…
We’ve got several museums in Boulder, you know–arts and nature and all kinds of other galleries. The Museum of Boulder has multiple exhibits happening right now, with some fascinating interactive fare, and our very own Boulder Museum of Modern Art celebrates performance art, makers, and more. Speaking of,
Family Fun
The Museum of Boulder and BMoCA both are featuring family-friendly exhibits on and around Mother’s Day. The former has an amazing dinosaurs exhibit: touchable dinos, learning, hands-on discovery, and interaction are all the name of the game at the Museum of Boulder’s Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice exhibit. BMoCA is hosting MediaLive that weekend: a multimedia smorgasbord of digital, visual, performing, and media arts to stir and stimulate the imagination.
Chautauqua has so much to offer a family wanting a fun outing. There’s the park: play on the playground, toss your frisbees and hacky sacks on the big lawns, picnic there or indulge in the aforementioned dining hall experience. There’s plenty of trailheads nearby for your hiking needs, too, not far at all from the Chautauqua area.
Outdoors Enjoyment
Speaking of hikes: If Boulder is known for anything in the outdoorsy arena, it’s got to be the plethora of gorgeous hiking opportunities all over the place. You can’t toss a craft beer and not hit a trailhead of some kind, even down in town. Hiking on any of the trails of any walker’s level that begin at Chautauqua, then pop into the dining hall for recovery and celebratory meal and beverage afterward is one of my family’s historically favorite things to do together on any Sunday, let alone this special one. Here’s a good reliable list of 5 hikes on the easier side of things, that any Boulderite you ask would approve of. I myself actually went up to the NCAR site with my Mom recently–we looked at a new gallery exhibit and then the science museum inside NCAR itself–going on a hike around that area either before or after same sounds like a delightful way to spend a Sunday to me.
For outdoors enjoyment with the added bonus of a benefit, the Title 9 Mermaid Run is a great way to enjoy exercise and support a good cause all in one! This is a Boulder Mother’s Day tradition in its 16th year and runs the gamut (see what I did there) of a few different distances for all ages and abilities to be able to be involved in a way that they can. Youth athletes under 19 get to register at a discount, and senior athletes over 70 can run for free! Come race and then celebrate with a rocking party for all runners and moms after.
What will you do to celebrate Mother’s Day, Boulder?
