Let It Flow

A handmade waterway, a rooftop concert, and the threads that connect us across NOCO.

Author

Megan Latta
July 10, 2025 • Est. Reading Time: 13 minutes

Here we go (again)!

Hey, Northern Colorado 👋

If you’re reading this, thank you. Whether you just signed up or stumbled across it from a friend, I’m really glad you’re here.

I started NOCO Word with my partner, David, because we both believe something simple but important: knowing what’s going on around you—who’s creating, what’s blooming, where to gather—makes life feel fuller. It turns a town into a community.

This little newsletter is our way of sharing the good stuff. The kind of things you might not hear about unless someone points them out. Events that bring people together, businesses doing great things, stories tucked into mountain corners or main streets.

If it helps you feel more connected to this place we call home, then it’s doing exactly what it’s meant to.

Let’s get into it. ⬇️

Bellvue & the River That Built a Valley

Long before Colorado became a state, a quiet bend in the Cache la Poudre River near Bellvue helped spark one of the most important changes in the region’s history: irrigation.

In 1860, settlers built what is widely considered the first modern irrigation ditch in the Cache la Poudre River basin—the G.R. Sanderson Ditch, later called the Yeager Ditch. Dug by hand and horse, the ditch diverted water from the Poudre to nearby fields, making the high desert bloom as farmland for the first time in what’s now Larimer County.

The work was simple but revolutionary: shovels, horse-drawn scrapers, and a deep understanding of slope and season. In a region where rainfall couldn’t be trusted, this handmade waterway changed everything—kicking off a new era of farming, settlement, and engineering.

Just over a decade later, in 1873, a more ambitious canal was dug—Larimer County Canal No. 2—starting in Laporte and running southeast through Fort Collins. That one deserves its own deep dive (don’t worry, we’ll get to it in a future issue 😉).

Today, Bellvue still plays a vital role. Utilizing modern water innovation, the Bellvue Water Treatment Plant, nestled in the same hills that hosted those first diversion ditches, now treats most of Greeley’s water supply. Handling up to 35 million gallons of water per day it quietly keeps the taps flowing for our fellow NOCO neighbors.

More than 160 years later, you can still walk along parts of the original Sanderson Ditch. Some sections are dry, others gently flowing. All of them echo with the quiet legacy of ingenuity and resilience—how people made life work here long before the Front Range boom.

Wildflower Heaven at Rabbit Ears Pass

Peak wildflower season is right now near Steamboat Springs (yes, it’s a bit of a drive, but trust us on this one). The Indian paintbrush and lupine are absolutely stunning, and the cooler mountain air is perfect for escaping our valley heat. Pro tip: Hit the trail early morning for the best light and fewer crowds.

Closer to Home: Poudre River Trail Cool-Down

When the afternoon temps soar, nothing beats a shaded walk along the Poudre River Trail. The stretch between Shields and Taft Hill in Fort Collins offers great tree cover and river access for cooling off tired feet. Bonus: Keep an eye out for the great blue herons that love this stretch!

From Berthoud in the south to the Wyoming state line up north, Fort Morgan in the east to Estes out west, each week we will to pull together a list of the top events happening all over Northern Colorado.

Want a Featured Event with a poster? Reach out. 

July 10-14, 2025

THURSDAY, JULY 10TH

Downtown Summer Sales (Fort Collins) - This four-day shopping extravaganza showcases incredible deals and offers an energetic and exciting shopping experience in stores and on the sidewalk, a tradition that dates back to the 1970s! July 10-13 Get there early, shop all day

Summer Concert Series Reminisce & Friends (Windsor) — 6:30 to 8:30pm @ Boardwalk Park The band and The event

Bring Your Own Game Night (Fort Collins) – 7pm @ The Lyric BYOG

The FORT Showcase: Tim Smith @ The Comedy Fort (Fort Collins) — 7:30pm Laugh ur ass off

Belly Dance Class with Emily Alligood (Loveland) — 5:30pm to 6:30pm @ The Movement Apothecary Dance like nobody’s watching

Incubus @ Red Rocks (Morrison) - this one’s not in NOCO (obviously), but I love this band and thought you might want to know! Get tix

Summer Movie Nights (Berthoud) — Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) by Stanley Kubrick, 1h 35m long and starts @ 6pm See it

80’s & 90’s Pop-Up Dance Party (Loveland) — 7pm to 10pm @ Bar Lyssa Get your groove on

Trivia Thursday (Greeley) — 7pm to 9pm @ High Brau Taphouse Get smart

NOCO Winds Saxophone Sextet (Greeley) — Free, from 7pm to 8pm @ Greeley Family FunPlex Bring the whole fam

Rooftop Rodeo (Estes Park) — 7pm @ 1125 Rooftop Way Estes Park, Colorado 80517 Check it out

Alex Regeimbal (Estes Park) 5 to 8pm @ The Rock Check her out

FRIDAY, JULY 11TH

Downtown Summer Sales (Fort Collins) - This four-day shopping extravaganza showcases incredible deals and offers an energetic and exciting shopping experience in stores and on the sidewalk, a tradition that dates back to the 1970s! July 10-13 Get there eary, shop all day

Dead Floyd Presents "Mish You Were Here" w/ Switchman Sleepin' (Bellvue) – Celebrating 50 Years of Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here — Mishawaka Amphitheater — Doors @ 6pm, Show @ 8pm. Grab your tix

Downtown Greeley Friday Fest featuring There’s an Ape for That (Greeley) — 6:30 to 9:30pm @ Greeley Downtown Development Authority, free live music, face painting, balloons and more Fest it up

Downtown Loveland's Night on the Town (Loveland) — 6-8pm, second Friday of each month. Check it out

DJ Ras Cus Summer Party (Loveland) — 1:30am @ Bar Lyssa Turn it up

David Tiller (Estes Park) 5 to 8pm @ The Rock Check him out

Trace Bundy w/ Max Mackey & Christine Alice (Fort Collins) — 6:30pm to 8:30pm @ Fort Collins Nursery Get your tix

TableTop Networking NoCo (Loveland) — 7:45 to 10am @ Avenida at Centerra Mix it up

Mad Dog Blues Duo (Berthoud) – 6pm to 8:30pm @ City Star Brewing Blues it up

Superman on the outdoor screen (Fort Collins) — 9pm @ The Lyric Get your geek on

Gin Cocktails Class (Fort Collins) — 5pm to 7pm @ Ginger and Baker Gin on in

Jaz Jam (Greeley) — 8pm to 10pm @ High Brau Taphouse Get Jazzy

Flashback Friday @ the Rialto: Airplane (Loveland) — starts at 7pm and it’s only five bucks — Get tix

Basking @ Backyard Tap: Art Market Fundraiser (Loveland) — 4pm to 8pm in support of the Reptile and Amphibian Center of the Rockies! Free, all-ages event Get slitherin’

The Alps Meet the Rockies (Loveland) – Free starting at 6pm @ The Foundry Plaza in Loveland Colorado Join the Festspiele

Opening night of Clay Prints by Chris Wanner (Loveland) — at the Loveland Museum Check it out

Angry Parents (Estes Park) — Music and Comedy starts at 7pm @ Historic Park Theatre Laugh it up

Jason Lenz on the Roof! (Estes Park) — 6pm to 8pm @ Bogey's Sports Bar Get your groove on

SATURDAY, JULY 12TH

Downtown Summer Sales (Fort Collins) - This four-day shopping extravaganza showcases incredible deals and offers an energetic and exciting shopping experience in stores and on the sidewalk, a tradition that dates back to the 1970s! July 10-13 Get there eary, shop all day

Fantasy Festival at Bath Garden Center — 10am to 12pm Where Magic Blooms

Author Talk & Book Signing | "What Lies Beneath: The Underground Silo Behind the Story" (Greeley) — 12 to 1pm @ Greeley History Museum Get it signed

Saturday Sketch Hour (Berthoud) — an hour for artists of any age and skill level to come and practice, and to learn from each other. 11 to 12pm @ Berthoud Community Library Get ur sketch on

Ceramic Painting Workshop (Estes Park) — 11am to 1pm @ Creativity Cabin Estes Park Get your hands dirty 

Marcus James (Estes Park) 5 to 8pm @ The Rock Check him out

Live Music: Snow Belt (Estes Park) — 6pm to 8:00pm @ the Avant Garde Aleworks Check it out

Mountain Duo (Berthoud) — 6pm to 8:30pm @ City Star Brewing Enjoy

Fitness on the Plaza – Yoga Flow 8 to 9am & Gentle Yoga 9 to 10am, Downtown Loveland Zen out

Berthoud Farmer's Market — 9am – 1 pm @ Berthoud Town Park Go to the market

Free Tree Walk With Brandon (Berthoud) — 10am in Fickel Park Hug some trees

SUNDAY, JULY 13TH

Downtown Summer Sales (Fort Collins) - This four-day shopping extravaganza showcases incredible deals and offers an energetic and exciting shopping experience in stores and on the sidewalk, a tradition that dates back to the 1970s! July 10-13 Get there early, shop all day

Trek the Thompson — 9am to 1pm at the Loveland Farmers Market at Fairgrounds Park for our annual celebration of the Big Thompson River and watershed Get Trekkin’

Greg Miles (Estes Park) 5 to 8pm @ The Rock Check him out

Sunday Community Tai Chi (Estes Park) — 11:00am to 12:00pm @ Dao House Relax in nature

MONDAY, JULY 14TH

Writers Group (Berthoud) — Join us as we free-write, critique, and hone our craft together—no registration required. 10:30 to 11:45am @ the Berthoud Community Library Write away

Wesley Scott (Estes Park) 5-8pm @ The Rock Check him out

Take Me Home (John Denver Music) (Estes Park) — Multiple shows, 4:00pm to 9:00pm ​​@ Historic Park Theatre Take me home

This newsletter is sponsored by FATE Local.

Need Help Putting Your Business on the Map (Literally)?

Hey neighbor! 👋 I run FATE Local, a local branding, web, and marketing studio that helps Northern Colorado businesses look better, sound better, and get found online.

Whether you need a new logo, a website that actually works, or help climbing the Google search ladder—we’ve got your back. We're small, nimble, and right here in your backyard. No call centers. No cookie-cutter solutions. Just clean design, thoughtful strategy, and results you can see.

Let’s make your business the one everyone’s talking about.

Stay tuned, stay curious, and let’s make this week one to remember!

— Megan Latta, your NoCo newsletter girl