Coming to Colorado to Watch College Football: What You Need To Know
If you’re a college football fan, you’ve probably heard about Coach Prime (Dion Sanders) move from an HBCU to CU Boulder (University of Colorado Boulder). While I am a fan of college football, I had checked out mentally from the sport because CU’s team had gotten so bad for so long. Surprising fact-I grew up in that town and also worked at CU.
I’m a bit amazed by the energy and excitement associated with Coach Prime’s hiring. There was record breaking attendance at the freaking intramural game. If you’re thinking of coming to Colorado to watch college football, grab those tickets now. I’ve also put together some tips on how to plan your trip so that you have a good time.
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Cowtown Denver
Boulder is 45 minutes from Denver and I actually recommend that you spend time in both towns while you’re here. You’ll have very different experiences of Colorado and hopefully you’ll have an opportunity to head up to the mountains as well.
What is Denver’s Weather Like During the Fall
Colorado’s weather likes to keep people on their toes. Do not trust the forecast or make assumptions about the weather based on the time of year that you’re visiting. Always bring layers so that you can make adjustments accordingly. If you’re spending time in the mountains, it can snow throughout the year-not just during the winter. My point, always prepare for the weather to change at any moment.
You’ll thank me later.
What to Bring During a Fall Visit to Colorado
The weather in Colorado is unpredictable during the fall. It can be incredibly nice on one day, snow the next and hot the day after. It’s strongly, strongly recommended to obsessively watch the weather report in the 10 days prior to your arrival. You will thank me for this advice
If you’re visiting the Denver metro area during the fall you have to plan for a few things.
- Quickly Changing Weather-It is better that you bring layers just in case. A jacket, light sweater, jeans, closed toe shoes and NOT use them than be caught off-guard.
- Sunblock-It is almost always sunny.
Fly into Denver International Airport and then take the light rail from the airport to Union Station-the last stop on the line. The train costs $10.50 and it’s the only way that I travel to and from the airport. There’s security on the train and it takes 37 minutes to get to Union Station.
Day #1 Spend the Day in Denver
Depending on when you are in town, it’s also likely that you might be able to catch a Denver Nuggets game, Denver Broncos or Colorado Avalanche game. Yep, we have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to sports. I strongly recommend that you don’t just randomly wander around town vs. participate in fun activities. You can listen to the following podcast episode where I share why you experience Denver and visit Philly-two towns that I absolutely love but have to be approached in different ways.
Fall Activities to Check Out
There are a ridiculous number of events happening in and around the Denver metro area-check some of them out while you’re here. There are also a number of really cool spaces to check out.
I’ve shared a few suggestions below below.
- Snowshape at Red Rocks
- Day in Rocky Mountain National Park
- Casa Bonita
- Denver Urban Skate
- Hecho en Westwood
- Catch a show at Denver Center for Performing Arts
- Tina Turner Musical
- Denver Nuggets Game
- Denver Broncos
- Colorado Avalanche
- Overnight ski trip
- Octoberfest
- Great American Beer Festival
Where to Stay in Denver
Denver is a big, little city. With that in mind, I have some hotel suggestions and have included an interactive map below to help you see where each hotel is in relation to important landmarks. You can click on the map and get the price of the hotel, see locations and more.
- Hilton Garden Inn Union Station
- Limelight Hotel (formally the Hotel Born)
- The Acoma
- The Art Hotel
- Ember Hostel
- 11th Ave Hostel
- Hostel Fish
- Hilton Garden Inn Cherry Creek
Play around with the map below and click on the different hotels to see where they are located.
Where to Eat
While Denver is not known as a food city-there is good food here. However, unlike well-known food destinations you kind of have to know where to go-tricky if you’re not from here. So, I’m sharing some places to check out.
- Mimosas-Brunch
- Agave Shore-Tacos and vibes
- Smith and Cannon-Ice Cream and Coffee
- Located in the Colorado Mills Outlet Mall
- Dragonfly Noodles
- I have an unhealthy obsession with this restaurant. They also make their noodles in house.
- Food Halls
- Stanley Marketplace
- My favorite vendor is the Churriera de Madrid (love freshly made churros-go there)
- Annette-Has gotten nods from James Beard
- Avanti Food and Beverage
- Boulder has a location as well
- Edgewater Public Market
- Love the location of this market because it’s across the street from Sloans Lake. Go on a nice walk after you enjoy some food and shopping.
- Stanley Marketplace
What to Do in Boulder
Boulder is a quintessential college town, keep that in mind when visiting during the football season. It’s my view that the service is consistently bad there for that reason. But, it’s a beautiful place to visit and spend a few days while enjoying some football.
- Pearl Street Mall-I have so many memories of this mall from the time I was really small until now. Pearl Street Mall is a mix of locally-owned stores and restaurants with very few chain stores on the mall. It is kid friendly and there are plenty of benches to rest on if you need to take a load off.
- Happy Hour-My favorite place to go for happy hour or dinner if the weather is good is Rosetta Hall. I love to sit on the rooftop patio which has stunning views of the surrounding area.
- Insider Tip-Check out what activities are being hosted at CU (the university) there are a ton of cool things happening on campus. Many of those activities are open to the public for the price of a ticket.
- Take an e-bike tour-I stand by the earlier advice that I shared regarding visiting Denver. You experience Denver vs. visit. The same could be said of Boulder. Sign up for an e-bike tour, meet new people and explore the city in a different way.
A visit to Boulder would be incomplete without enjoying a nice hike. Typically I enjoy hiking in Chautauqua Park. The picture below was not taken from Chautauqua Park-but, you get the picture. There are gorgeous views of Boulder valley and most Boulder parks are pretty easy to get to if you’re looking for a quick hike with a view. If you’re going to Chautauqua Park, I strongly recommend taking the free shuttles to the park vs. driving into the park because of all of the traffic.
Where to Stay
Boulder is a small and pretty compact town so most of your hotel options will be pretty close to the University via car. Here are the hotels that I recommend. Please note that most of those hotels will have mountain cabin vibes.
- St. Julienne-It’s a 5 star hotel and is located in the heart of Downtown Boulder.
- Hotel Bolderado
- Basecamp Boulder
- Hyatt Place Boulder
What is Folsom Field Like
I love Folsom Field and remember watching Ralphie (an actual buffalo) run onto the field before each game. It is NOT a new facility. At this point, I can’t imagine what it would be like to have a new stadium on campus.
- Parking is a pain, I would recommend taking the SKIP or HOP bus close to campus and walking over versus driving if possible.
- You will definitely go through security.
- It’s a college campus and stadium-the students will pre-game as well as other attendees (be prepared for a lot of high pitched squeals)
- Bring the smallest bag possible. Go to the CU website for more details. I’ve included an example below.
- There are concessions stands at the stadium, but if you want to go to restaurant-you’ll have to head off campus.
- It has a gorgeous view of the mountains.
- Wear layers!!! And be prepared for inclement weather.
Day Trips Less Than 2 Hours from Boulder
While you’re in Boulder, you may want to head over to other towns that are close to it. Below are three of my favorites.
- Breckenridge-Read the following post that shares why Breckenridge is my favorite mountain town for Black tourists.
- Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park-I love this mountain town so much. I used to take people on trail rides in the back country with a steak dinner halfway through the ride. Don’t forget to check out the river walk that is adjacent to Main Street Estes Park and to double-check to see if there is timed entry into the park.
- Golden–I love historic Downtown Golden. Probably the one thing to be aware of is that winter conditions can make driving from Boulder to Golden a bit tricky.
If you’re coming to Colorado to watch college football, you’re going to have a great time. Make sure to enjoy both Denver, Boulder and beyond. Also, make sure to learn about how to avoid altitude sickness-something that can wreck havoc with any well planned Colorado vacation.