What to do in Colorado this week: 3 mountain festivals and a soap box derby in Keenesburg

During the test and tune days for the second annual Southeast Weld County Soapbox Derby, Tammy Whitaker, the event organizer, saw a cybertruck, a rocket ship, a directional drilling rig, a tractor and a racecar.

Whitaker is on the board of the Southeast Weld County Chamber of Commerce. The soap box derby was her idea. She presented it to the board last year, “fully expecting them to be resistant,” she said. “And they fully embraced it.”

You can stop by the derby on Saturday, or head for the mountains for the Crested Butte Film Festival, San Juan Songwriters festival in Durango or Smalltown Gathering music fest in Salida.

Sept. 24-30

Soapbox Derby. This year the event has doubled in size — to 64 racers from 32  — and managed to raise $10,000 in sponsorships that will go into the chamber’s programming for the year. 

When asked if Whitaker had a fundraising goal going into it, she just laughed, and laughed, and laughed some more. Last year she bought the car kits from a company in Canada to support her “crazy idea.”

This year, after finding out that company had gone out of business, her husband and their welder friend built the car kits from scratch — tires from Harbor Freight, bolts from Lowe’s, a steering set from Temu. “Temu!” she exclaimed, bursting into laughter again.

She’s proud — and thoroughly surprised — that the event has garnered so much interest, and thinks it has helped their small chamber gain some traction after a long post-COVID slump. There will be races from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., food trucks, music and a car show with prizes for most creative, most patriotic and people’s choice.

“There’s no screens, there’s no motors, it’s simple,” Whitaker said. “It’s just a good old time.”

Free; 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday; Schey Park, 201 Elm St., Keenesburg

Other events to consider

• Crested Butte Film Festival. Not that anyone needs an excuse to get to Crested Butte this time of year, but if you’re looking for one, the Crested Butte Film Festival is here to serve. Visiting filmmakers, nightly parties and, of course, a Saturday bike parade. $250 for all access, single tickets $18; Thursday-Sunday; various venues in Crested Butte and Gunnison
• San Juan Songwriters Festival. Two dozen hitmakers and Hall of Fame songwriters will fan out in Durango during the inaugural festival, performing three days of intimate shows and storytelling. $250 for all-access pass, $40 for single day of shows; Thursday-Saturday; Various venues in Durango
• Smalltown Gathering. Salida’s annual all-ages music and wellness festival. Performances, yoga and music instruction all day at Riverside Park, capped each evening by the 21+ “After Dark” series, at indoor various indoor venues starting at 10 p.m. $182 for three-day pass, various prices for single day and kids tickets; Friday-Sunday; Riverside Park, Salida

Note: This is a curated list by the reporter to give readers a sense of arts and culture events happening across Colorado that they may not have otherwise known about. This is not meant to be an exhaustive account of things to do.