Pale pink blossoms against a blue sky. Photo by Yan Liu on Unsplash.
Looking for inclusive events in Fort Collins? We’ve got you. Here are a few.
April 7 plus multiple dates. Group Coaching Workshop led by students on track to become national certified health and wellness coaches, at Front Range Community College. Free
April 10-11, 17-18 Fort Collins Book Fest at Foothills Mall kicks off with a special event at Visit Fort Collins Welcome Center, in Old Town, featuring poetry readings by local poets and opportunities to meet presenters and speakers. Visit website for schedule. Various ticket options are available, including pay what you can, $25 Supporter, $35 Champion.
April 10-12 Northern Colorado Intertribal Powwow Association (NCIPA) 32nd Annual Powwow and Art Market at Northside Aztlan Community Center, 112 Willow St. Theme: “Strength and Hope Through Community.” Visit website for schedule. Public welcome. Admission: Ages 13 and up, $6 per day or $15 for the weekend. Children ages 6 to 12, $3 per day or $7 for the weekend. Ages 5 and younger: Free
April 11 Nico Lang, longtime LGBTQ+ journalist and author of the groundbreaking new book, American Teenager will speak back to extreme anti-trans rhetoric about youth by showing trans young people as they actually are: powerfully human.
American Teenager documents the lives of trans kids and their loved ones in seven different states. Lang has toured the country for the past 18 months to bring their voices and stories to as many communities as possible. Reading begins at 3 p.m. followed by Q&A at the Fort Collins Senior Center, Twinberry Auditorium (1200 Raintree Dr.). Free
April 17 For The Love of Strangers: “A fun and dynamic community experience workshopping unique ideas for meaningfully connecting with others.” 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Visit Fort Collins Welcome Center, 7 Old Town Square, Suite 100. $10 suggested donation.
April 18 Symphony Sounds for Children, Council Tree Library, Large Meeting Room, 11 to 11:45 a.m. Registration required. Free
Registration required for this free multi-generational event that is designed for children preschool age to 5th grade and their caregivers.
The Fort Collins Symphony community engagement program, Beyond The Notes, provides multi-sensory, interdisciplinary arts education for youth and their caring adults. Each session builds vocabulary, critical and creative thinking skills, and listening skills, and participants meet musicians and get a behind-the-scenes look at the symphony.
April 19 “Come As You Are: An Evening of Poetry and Performance.” Enjoy a short performance by Opposite of Blink, followed by poetry open mic by Lorrie Wolfe and Columbine Poets of Colorado. 5:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave. Free
April 24-25 FoCoMX: Fort Collins Music Experiment. “Join us for Colorado’s largest live music event! We are grateful to have a vibrant music community supported by music lovers and filled with talented musicians! Thank you to everyone for supporting this unique showcase of Colorado artists for the past 17 years.
“FoCoMX is presented by the Fort Collins Musicians Association (FoCoMA), Fort Collins Connexion, and Odell Brewing Co. FoCoMA has showcased thousands of bands, helped grow new live music fans, garnered national media attention, and has earned the unofficial title of “The Biggest Little Festival in America.” Tickets: $50, $60, $75.
April 25 Support local bookstores on Indie Bookstore Day: Bookstore On The Square, Cherry on Top Bookshop, The Eclectic Reader, Bizarre Bazaar Books & Music Store, Northern Lights Bookstore, Old Firehouse Books, Perelandra Bookshop.
April 25 The NoCo Record Show. Live DJs. Dozens of awesome vendors. Over 40,000 records for sale, at Breckenridge Brewery, 1020 E. Lincoln Ave. Early bird $10 at 10. Free entry after 11 a.m. Free early bird entry with FoCoMx pass.
April 30 Wolverine Farm will announce the new Fort Collins Poet Laureate at 7 p.m. with a reunion of past poets laureates. Submit nominations and attend the celebration.
Nonprofit Spotlight
Northern Colorado Equality “seeks to empower the LGBTQ+ community and our allies through activities, programs, services and education. Honoring, promoting and celebrating our community’s diversity is our central organizing principle.”
Trans Lifeline is “a trans-led organization that connects trans people to the community, support, and resources they need to survive and thrive.”
Check out these resources and nonprofits, and consider making a donation:
- Cultural Enrichment Center of Fort Collins
- Black/African American Cultural Center
- NoCo Black Owned Businesses and Services
- Race Forward
- International Women’s Club (Fort Collins International Center)
- Colorado Women’s Center
- She Goes High community of women and non-binary humans
Business Spotlight
Cherry on Top Bookshop, Fort Collins’ first romance bookstore! 119 E. Mountain Ave. Open Friday & Saturday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit the shop on Instagram.
State News
“Governor Polis Announces New Poet Laureate: Apache Seeks to Share Poetry’s Transformative Power with Coloradans Statewide.”
EXCERPTS: Governor Polis and the Colorado Creative Industries (CCI) division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced in January that Crisosto Apache has been selected as the new Colorado Poet Laureate, succeeding the late Andrea Gibson.
Apache, an indigenous poet and Associate Professor at Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design, will serve in the role for two years with a special emphasis on honoring America 250 – Colorado 150 in 2026, a year-long commemoration of the United States’ 250th anniversary and Colorado’s 150th anniversary of statehood.
“We are thrilled to welcome Crisosto Apache as the new Colorado Poet Laureate. The Poets Laureate helps us remember the past, process the present, and inspire us to dream of the future we hope to create. We are fortunate to have Crisosto fill a role that is so vital in this current moment,” said Sarah Olivier, Executive Director of Colorado Humanities.
Event Calendars
https://www.rbarfc.com/
https://oldfirehousebooks.com/events/calendar/2025
https://artmuseum.colostate.edu/programs/
https://moafc.org/moafc-events/
https://www.lyriccinema.com/upcoming
https://bandwagmag.com/
https://downtownfortcollins.com/
https://focoma.org/directory/media-resources
https://www.fortcollins.gov/Events/Event-Calendar
https://www.larimer.gov/events
https://www.visitftcollins.com/
https://www.wolverinefarm.org/events/
https://poudrelibraries.librarycalendar.com/events/month
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