May 5
How to Prepare for Anything Workshop
All community members are welcome to attend a free workshop on “How to Prepare for Anything”, May 5 from 4-8 p.m. at Estes Park Town Hall, 170 MacGregor Ave. The workshop will feature preparation for disturbances and not disasters, coping strategies and solutions, short- and long-term planning, personalized preparedness plan, personalized gap analysis, framework for continued family and neighborhood discussions. E-mail hodgeslr@co.larimer.co.us or call 970-498-7147 to RSVP.

May 6
Floods: Going to Extremes
Living in Colorado, it’s very dry, which puts us at greater risk of floods when things like heavy rains occur, or dams break. Learn more about floods and the impact these natural disasters have on both the environment and human communities by joining Dr. Ellen Wohl for “Floods: Going to Extremes,” May 6 at the Rocky Mountain Conservancy. This course studies floods along Colorado’s Front Range and includes basic concepts such as flood recurrence intervals and the physical and ecological importance of floods. Recent floods in Estes Park will be discussed, and participants will visit the Lawn Lake Alluvial Fan in Rocky Mountain National Park and Fish Creek in Estes Park, sites affected by the floods of 1982 and 2013.  Sign up for this class at RMConservancy.org or call 970-586-3262.

Celebrating 100 Years of Colorado’s National Parks & Monuments
John Fielder, a nationally renowned photographer, publisher, teacher, and environmentalist hikes and skis hundreds of miles in Colorado alone each year in order to record on film its most sublime natural places. This benefit for the Rocky Mountain Conservancy, May 6 at the Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St., takes viewers by boat, raft, and foot to navigate the deep canyons of the Colorado, Yampa, Green, Arkansas, and Gunnison Rivers and Colorado’s National Parks & Monuments. Fielder’s commentary about his life in the wilderness, the challenges and techniques of wilderness photography, and beautiful music behind the images will keep the audience enthralled. Meet John Fielder, learn about The Next Generation Fund, silent auction bidding, raffle tickets for live auction, visit sponsors, enjoy live music and complimentary hors d’oeuvres along with a cash bar. There will also be a live auction and raffle drawing. Tickets are $15 in advance and $17.50 at the door for this all ages show. Fielder will be on hand before and after the event to sign all of his books. Visit http://www.myrockymountainpark.com/100-years and http://www.bouldertheater.com or call 303-786-7030 to learn more or purchase tickets.

May 7
Green Ranch Hike at Golden Gate Canyon State Park
On Saturdays, May 7, June 4 and July 2, join volunteer naturalist John Moyer for an exclusive tour of the Green Ranch property at Golden Gate Canyon State Park; an area that is closed to the public the majority of the year. Moyer will share information on the flora, fauna, and history of the area while seeing the breath-taking views. Visit cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/parks/GoldenGateCanyon  for more information or RSVP by calling 303-582-3707.

May 9
Fundraiser for Desiree Culver
Desiree Culver was struck by a car in a hit and run accident the day after Thanksgiving. A fundraiser for Culver takes place at Troia’s Café, 51 Rose St. in Georgetown, May 9 from 6-9 p.m. Tickets are $15 at the door and include an all-you-can-eat pasta buffet. There will also be cash bar and live entertainment.  A silent auction will be held full of local goods and services as well as a 50/50 raffle. The goal of this fundraiser is to raise enough money to build Desiree a safe entrance to her home and to update her personal areas so they are more accessible. Call 303-569-5014 for more information.

May 12, 19 & 26
Conservation Workshops
Let the Estes Park Museum assist you with ensuring family keepsakes are preserved at its Conservation Workshops. Learn practical ways to care for keepsakes in a three-part series, May 12, 19 and 26 from 9:30-11 a.m. Curator of Collections Naomi Gerakios and Curator of Education Alicia Rochambeau from the Estes Park Museum will lead the hands-on workshops. The focus on May 12 is on textiles. Through a variety of simple, cost effective steps, participants will learn steps to safely store and clean old textiles such as dresses, uniforms, quilts, and stuffed animals. On May 19, students will work with paper and learn the best ways to slow down deterioration of these fragile archives. The May 26 class focuses on photographs. Rochambeau leads a discussion on the importance of eliminating excess photographs and explains methods for organizing physical photos and resources for organizing digital images. Cost is $12 for members and $15 for non-members for each session or $35 for all three. To register, call Alicia Rochambeau at 970-577-3762 or e-mail at arochambeau@estes.org.

May 13-15
Vintage Market Days
Vintage Market Days: Springtime in the Rockies, May 13-15 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Estes Park Events Complex, 1125 Rooftop Way, is an upscale vintage-inspired indoor and outdoor market featuring original art, antiques, clothing, jewelry, handmade treasures, home décor, outdoor furnishings, consumable yummies, seasonal plantings and more. Tickets are $5 a day or $10 for a three day pass. Admission for children under 12 is free. Vintage Market Days events are much more than a flea market. The juried event accepts vendors based on variety, originality, and quality of goods sold. Vendor selection is designed to provide customers with not only the highest quality of vendors but a collection of vendors who compliment one another in such a way to create the vintage experience. Visit vintagemarketdays.com to lean more.

May 20-22
6th Annual Golden Games
The 6th annual Golden Games, May 20-22, is a three day weekend of fun that hosts a variety of sporting events, live music, free demos, free clinics, and more. Established in 2011, The Golden Games was created to celebrate the beginning of the warm Colorado summer. The weekend highlights the outdoor lifestyle and recreation many of us cherish. The Golden Games is geared to be enjoyable for everyone including families, spectators, and competitors. Sports to be highlighted are kayaking, stand up paddle, fly fishing slacklining, and river surfing. From a newbie to a seasoned pro, The Golden Games has the schedule to educate, inspire and keep you moving. Volunteers are always needed. If you have a couple of free hours, volunteer to help with the event. Visit http://www.racedirectorsolutions.com/Public/Volunteer/130 for more details.

May 21
Estes Park Safety Fair
The 2016 Estes Park Safety Fair takes place  May 21 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Estes Park Fairgrounds, 1209 Manford Ave. The goal of this event is to create a fun and active learning environment to educate the youth of Northern Colorado on the topics of alcohol and drug awareness, bicycle safety, fire safety, career opportunities and emergency services technology. Stop by the LETA booth to visit with Cell Phone Sally with the kids and register for free emergency alerts. Phone simulators will also be available for kids to practice calling 9-1-1. Visit http://www.estes.org to learn more.

May 28-30
Memorial Day Art Market
Kick start your summer of fun at the annual Estes Park Art Market on Memorial Day weekend, May 28-30. Sponsored by the Art Center of Estes Park, see a wide variety of fine arts and crafts from almost 100 juried artists from all over Colorado presenting one-of-a-kind art.  Check out the artists providing fine works in the areas of; stained glass, pottery, ceramics, water color paintings, leather, oil paintings, wood, fiber, photography, jewelry and more. Food and live music are available throughout the weekend. Also stop over to the Art Center of Estes Park located in the Stanley Village between the Safeway and the Subway stores to enjoy even more fine art from Front Range artists. Visit artcenterofestes.com, call 970-586-5882 or e-mail info@artcenterofestes.com for more information.

June 2-4
“Painting Outside and In” with Larry DeGraff
Do you love how plein air paintings can capture the light of a scene while remaining loose and fresh? Painting the landscape from life is ideal, but it’s not always an option. In this workshop at the Masters Easel, 1757 N. Lake Ave. in estes Park, students learn how to make the best of both worlds. Through demos, discussions and one-on-one instruction, learn how to maximize outdoor painting experience and gain new tools for making better paintings indoors. Larry DeGraff is a nationally recognized artist who’s work has been exhibited in some of the top shows in the country. Look for the workshop, “The Conceptual Still Life” with Jeff Legg July 6-9. To reserve your spot and receive a materials list, visit http://www.jefflegg.com or call 970-239-1811

June 3-4
High Country Auxiliary Flea Market
Come shop the High Country Auxiliary Flea Market, June 3-4 at the Gilpin County Fairgrounds. For great bargains, stop by early on May 3 or anytime from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. On May 4, the sale resumes from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. To donate gently used items, drop them off, June 2, or call Diane 303-570-2949 to make arrangements. No pickup is available. Outdoor vendor space is available upon a first-come, first-served basis. Pick a location anywhere on the fairgrounds, set up your booth and the fairgrounds coordinator will be by at some point with a liability waiver required of all vendors. The Hardy Mountain Plant Sale will also take place, June 4 from 9 a.m. until sold out.

Boulder County forestry sort yards open for season

NEDERLAND/ALLENSPARK
The Boulder County Community Sort Yard program, a free log and slash disposal service for mountain residents, will open for the 2016 collection season on May 4. County residents can drop off tree branches, logs, and pine needles free of charge at either sort yard location.

The Nederland Area Sort Yard, 291 Ridge Road, is open May 4-Oct. 15, Wednesday-Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.   The Allenspark/Meeker Park Area Sort Yard, 8200 Hwy. 7, is open May 18-Oct. 15, Wednesday-Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

For more information about the sort yards and what materials are accepted, visit the Boulder County Community Forestry Sort Yards web page or contact Wayne Harrington at 303-678-6368 or wharrington@bouldercounty.org.

Volunteer Community Forestry Sort Yard Hosts are needed at the Meeker Park and Nederland Community Sort Yards.

Volunteers help make sure that sort yards continue to be a local hub of community-based forestry information. Volunteer Sort Yard Hosts will greet people as they enter the yard, collect data on the material they are delivering, and provide information about forest ecology, bark beetles, and wildfire mitigation.

Volunteers will not be responsible for helping unload materials. Volunteers will commit to four-hour shifts and 12 hours per month.

For more information, visit http://www.bouldercounty.org/jobs/volweb or contact Shane Milne at smilne@bouldercounty.org or 303-678-6089.