Dairy Arts Center

Off the Page Exhibition Opening Reception
2026-08-14 17:00 - 20:00 (America/Denver) | Dairy Arts Center, Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, 80302, United States
Opening Reception: Off the Page: Language as Material
Friday, August 14, 5–8 PM
Free and Open to the Public
Join us for the opening reception of Off the Page: Language as Material, a group exhibition exploring how contemporary artists engage with language, literature, media, and storytelling. Through photography, sculpture, installation, textiles, and mixed media, the exhibition examines language as both subject and material, asking how words shape our identities, transmit knowledge, and connect us to one another.
Meet the exhibiting artists, experience the exhibition across the Dairy’s gallery spaces, and enjoy an evening celebrating the power of language, creative expression, and the stories that bind communities together.
Participating artists include Mariel Reed, Nathan Storey Freeman, Bug, Josh Hughes, Dagny Rayn Chika, Dawn Siebel, Leona Lazar, Sarah Tenney, Samuel Austin, Lisa Berley, Jacqueline Moulton, Austin Baskett, and Russell Schnell.

Tapestry Theatre Company: Disney's Finding Nemo Jr. | Aug. 14-16
2026-08-14 18:00 - 19:00 | Grace Gamm Theatre, Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, 80302, United States
TICKETS
Dive into adventure with Tapestry Theatre’s production of Disney’s Finding Nemo Jr. This all-abilities performance brings Nemo, Marlin, Dory, and their ocean friends to life in a heartwarming story of courage, friendship, and finding your way home.
Enjoy a joyful, inclusive theatrical experience featuring a talented cast and a beloved Disney score, perfect for audiences of all ages.

The Last Call Comedy Show (Sober)
2026-08-14 20:00 - 21:30 | Gordon Gamm Theater, Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, 80302, United States
TICKETS
Most comedy shows encourage drinking. This one is what happens after people stop.
Join us for The Last Call Comedy Show, a night of hilarious stand-up featuring some of Colorado’s funniest sober comedians. This is a sober comedy event, proving you don’t need alcohol or drugs to have a great night out.
Whether you’re in recovery, sober-curious, or just looking for a comedy show with a different vibe, this event brings together community, connection, and big laughs.
Expect a night of raw, unfiltered comedy from some of the best sober comics in Colorado.
Headliner: Ben Roy is a nationally touring stand-up comedian, writer, and actor based in Denver. He is the creator and star of the TruTV sitcom Those Who Can’t, and has appeared on Comedy Central Presents as well as numerous comedy festivals and clubs across the country.
Known for his high-energy style and brutally honest storytelling, Ben blends sharp observations with chaotic life experiences that leave audiences laughing from start to finish. Whether he’s talking about parenting, bad decisions, or the absurdity of modern life, Ben brings a raw, fearless perspective that has made him a favorite in the Denver comedy scene and beyond.
Featuring: Andy Lopez, Katherine Clancy

Mimesis Documentary Festival: We Survived By Accident
2026-08-14 20:00 - 21:30 | Boedecker Theater, Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, 80302, United States
TICKETS
A program of shorts by Dana Kavelina
Animation becomes a practice of resurrection in Dana Kavelina’s cinema, where collage, stop-motion, and archival fragments reanimate forgotten histories. People speak from mass graves and coal mines of the Donbas, rising to haunt us anew. Dolls begin to move, photographs flicker, and buried voices return to relay histories erased by official narratives. Negotiating grief and utopia, Dana Kavelina’s films imagine remembrance not as a fixed record of the past but as an ongoing act of repair. In these reanimated half-worlds, the dead remain present, asking us to carry their stories toward a more just future.
Program:
Mark Tulip, who spoke with flowers (2018, 15′)
Letter to a Turtledove (2020, 21’)
it cannot be that nothing can be returned (2022, excerpt – 15′)
Grey Earth (2026, 32′)

Mimesis Documentary Festival: The Return Current
2026-08-15 13:00 - 14:30 | Boedecker Theater, Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, 80302, United States
TICKETS
The past persists in trembling images, unsettled ground, restless bodies, and repeated gestures. From a devastating street protest to a cryonics facility, these projects deny demands for resolution. They dwell instead in limbo between reversal and return, the solid and the spectral, preservation and decay, embracing absences that continue to shape the present.

Mimesis Documentary Festival: Holding Together
2026-08-15 16:00 - 17:30 | Boedecker Theater, Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, 80302, United States
TICKETS
Small-gauge tactility reveals interlocking patterns of landscape, activism, and everyday life, highlighting how meaning emerges through relationships. Energies of the George Floyd Uprising, Anishinaabe Seven Fires Prophecy, and Dakota 38+2 Memorial Ride are transmitted through the intimate conversations and kinetic montage of Surrendur. Bay Area Sampler Quilt makes an in-camera mosaic to mimic the form of a cherished social ritual. Images are joined into forms at once fragile and enduring. They offer a way of seeing community not as a destination, but as something continually woven into being.

CatVideoFest 2026
2026-08-15 19:30 - 20:45 | Gordon Gamm Theater, Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, 80302, United States
TICKETS
Oscilloscope Laboratories presents a compilation of the latest and best cat videos culled from countless hours of unique submissions and sourced animations, music videos, and classic internet powerhouses. Each year, across the country, local theaters partner with nearby cat-focused charities, animal welfare associations and shelters alike — a portion of ticket proceeds from every show goes directly to local cats in need. Runtime, approx. 70 min. Treat as G rated.

Mimesis Documentary Festival: Self-Driving (And Other Romances)
2026-08-15 20:00 - 21:30 | Boedecker Theater, Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, 80302, United States
TICKETS
A speed ramp between quotidian rhythms and accelerating consumerism materializes in the endless mirror of lakes and rivers, the windshield of a city bus, and the ever-expanding physical infrastructure of cloud computing. Superimposing tradition and transformation, layers of space and time transmute water into data at the velocities of slow-growth lichen and break-neck scrolling.

Mimesis Documentary Festival: Sheltering
2026-08-16 10:00 - 11:30 | Boedecker Theater, Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, 80302, United States
TICKETS
Carefully constructed walls fall to the irresistible forces of storm and fire. In the aftermath, we see one another more clearly. Lines of connection grow between broken hearts, charting routes of restoration and solidarity. Humanity blooms beautiful through mutual aid and the endurance to keep showing up, radiating the love that appears when we shelter and hold.

Mimesis Documentary Festival: Success Rate
2026-08-16 13:00 - 14:30 | Boedecker Theater, Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, 80302, United States
TICKETS
Triumphs fade, future tribulations loom large. Disappointment looks inevitable, but navigating by desire, you persevere. Each attempt sets its own pace, each a new opportunity for the same old mistakes. It becomes clear that some people will never learn. Vulnerable, you try again. Ending is not a failure, and what remains will be enough.

Mimesis Documentary Festival: Your Tongue In My Cheek
2026-08-16 16:00 - 17:30 | Boedecker Theater, Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, 80302, United States
TICKETS
Languages are carried beyond words, in a glance, a game, or a ritual. Through a disintegrating tongue and a capella songs, we think about the nature of communicating and try to narrate ourselves back to life. Cinema becomes a space to understand survival, selfhood, and alterity. Here, storytelling is an act of relation, and an image speaks the patient language of care.

Mimesis Documentary Festival: Particulate Matter
2026-08-16 20:00 - 21:30 | Boedecker Theater, Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, 80302, United States
TICKETS
Microscopic manifestations of extraction and unchecked experimentation are breadcrumbs that lead us into the void. Examining the granular boundaries of environmental disaster, these projects capture atomic mementoes, outrage, and kinship through silver halides and Bayer arrays.

How to Watch a Movie Part VI - Thinking About Film Critically: Theory and Beyond
2026-08-17 18:00 - 20:00 | Dairy Arts Center, Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, 80302, United States

Exploring Book-ness Workshop
2026-08-18 17:00 - 20:00 | McMahon Gallery, Walnut Street, Boulder, Colorado, 80302, United States
TICKETS
Surrounded by the artworks in Off the Page exhibition, participants are invited to explore the many possibilities of what a book can be with Bohemia Boulder.
From ancient scrolls to contemporary artist books, this hands-on workshop examines the book as both a vessel for ideas and an artistic medium in its own right. Together, we’ll challenge conventional notions of “book-ness.”
Does a book need pages? Does it need words? Does it even need to be legible? How can we stretch these boundaries to create a book that speaks in our own unique voice?
Participants will learn several folded book structures, experiment with a variety of materials, tools, and mark-making techniques, and explore the relationship between concept and material. Through playful experimentation and reflection, you’ll create a one-of-a-kind book inspired by your own process, experiences, and imagination—using truly “off the page” approaches.
No prior experience is necessary. All materials will be provided.

Ask E. Jean | Aug. 19 - 23
2026-08-19 16:30 - 18:00 | Boedecker Theater, Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, 80302, United States
TICKETS
ASK E. JEAN is the thrilling story of E. Jean Carroll’s life, from her early days as Miss Cheerleader USA to her rise as a trailblazing journalist, author, and beloved advice columnist. Carroll broke barriers as the first female editor at Esquire, Playboy, and Outside, helping to redefine women’s roles in media with her sharp wit and fearless voice. In recent years, she reignited public discourse by standing up to power, becoming the only woman to beat Donald Trump twice in court, and sparking a national conversation about truth, accountability, and resilience. This film is a portrait of an indomitable woman who proved it’s never too late to reclaim your voice, rewrite your story, and change the world. (Ivy Meeropol, 2026, USA, 1:31, NR)
TALKBACK: Join us after the film on Thursday, September 20 with Stan Garnett. Stan was elected and reelected district attorney for Colorado’s 20th judicial district in Boulder. During his tenure as DA, he improved community protection and successfully prosecuted economic crimes, crimes in the immigrant and homeless communities, homicide cold cases and sexual assault case cases. He is currently cofounder of the law firm Garnett Powell, Maximon, Barlow & Farbes.

Freehub Presents Film Festival
2026-08-19 19:00 - 20:30 | Grace Gamm Theatre, Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, 80302, United States
TICKETS
Freehub PRESENTS is an annual mountain bike film festival and community-driven event series that showcases unreleased short films from some of the best filmmakers and riders. This multi-stop film festival honors top and emerging filmmakers, riders, leaders, and storytellers who will shape the sport for generations to come. Supported by SRAM, Maxxis, evo, Leatt, and Orbea.

Unidentified | Aug. 19 - 23
2026-08-19 19:00 - 20:30 | Boedecker Theater, Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, 80302, United States
TICKETS
Sparked by the discovery of the lifeless body of a teenage girl in the desert; When no one claims the body, Noelle Al Saffan, a newly divorced, true crime aficionado who recently lost a child of her own, gets obsessively involved. Despite a ticking clock that seemingly guarantees the girl’s senseless death will be discarded as a cold case, Noelle is determined to identify the body and uncover the truth. She slowly unravels a mystery entangled within a traditional society in transition, where women are learning to create more space for themselves and to take control of their own destinies. (Haifaa Al-Mansour, 2025, Saudi Arabia, 1:39, PG-13)

American Crossroads Theater: Murder For Two | Aug. 20 - 29
2026-08-20 19:30 - 21:00 | Grace Gamm Theatre, Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, 80302, United States
TICKETS
One piano. Two actors. Thirteen suspects. Endless possibilities for laughter.
A great American novelist is dead, and everyone at his surprise birthday party is a suspect. In this fast-paced, hilarious musical whodunit, one actor plays the detective racing to crack the case while the other plays every single suspect—and both pound the keys of a single piano all night long. It’s part murder mystery, part madcap vaudeville, and 100% a tour-de-force of comic timing and showmanship.
A perennial crowd-pleaser that’s wowed audiences off-Broadway and beyond, Murder for Two is the kind of show that reminds you why live theater is irreplaceable. Bring a friend, bring your detective instincts, and prepare to laugh until the final reveal.

Leviticus | Aug 21
2026-08-21 20:30 - 22:00 | Boedecker Theater, Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, 80302, United States
TICKETS
Two teenage boys must escape a violent entity that takes the form of the person they desire most – each other. (Adrian Chiarella, 2025, Australia, 1:28, R)

Oracle Performance Ensemble: Resilience | Aug. 22 - 23
2026-08-22 19:00 - 20:30 | Gordon Gamm Theater, Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, 80302, United States
TICKETS
OPE began in 2005 with the desire to perform our art.
A fusion of contemporary dance and colorguard. Since then, we have produced multiple performances throughout the Colorado community, involving hundreds of performers, whose inherent desire is to perform.
Oracle Performance Ensemble invites you to an inspiring evening of Color Guard and Dance at the beautiful Dairy ARTS Center in Boulder, CO.
Coming back for another amazing season, OPE is proud to present
– Resilience—
“The ability of substance or object to spring back into shape- elasticity”
A stunning celebration of movement in artistry. Nine creatively unique pieces set by our talented team of choreographers, and our special guest choreographer Michael James!

Dairy Comedy in The Boe
2026-08-22 20:30 - 22:00 | Boedecker Theater, Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, 80302, United States
TICKETS
Thomas Nichols is a stand-up comedian based out of Dallas, Texas. His unique and whip smart observations span from everything to cartoons to politics to pineapple fanta – the laid back funnyman transitions seamlessly from one tightly crafted joke to the next within the course of a single set. Deadpan, hilarious, and wise beyond his years, Nichols is a nationally touring comic who’s been featured in the horror film “Subferatu” as Roosevelt. He’s also been a finalist in many comedy festivals like Funniest Comic in Texas Competition, Seattle International Competition and many more.
As a nationally touring comedian, Ricky’s dynamic performances have graced stages like Punch Line Philly, Denver Comedy Works, Denver Improv, and The Comedy Fort (where he recently placed 3rd in The Fort’s Funniest). Ricky is a trailblazer in the Denver Latino Comedy Scene, founding the city’s first bilingual comedy room and festival, Vatos Locos, which celebrates the richness of cultural humor. His work has garnered recognition on platforms such as Telemundo and 9News during Hispanic Heritage Month.
Warming up the stage will be Mo Vida, Emily Kingsley, and Wes Williams. And our host, as always, Zoe Rogers.

How to Watch a Movie Part VII - The Politics of the Frame: Image, Ideology, Class, Gender, Race, and Meaning
2026-08-24 18:00 - 20:00 | Dairy Arts Center, Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, 80302, United States

Boulder Book Swap at the Dairy
2026-08-25 17:30 - 19:30 | Dairy Arts Center, Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, 80302, United States
TICKETS
Hosted by Boulder Book Swap Society, this community book swap invites readers to pass along books they’ve loved and discover new-to-them titles to take home. This special edition will take place in the Dairy Arts Center’s galleries surrounded by artworks from OFF THE PAGE, an exhibition exploring storytelling, literature, and the written word in contemporary art.
$10 RSVP required. All ages welcome.
How does a book swap work?
Bring at least one book to participate (feel free to bring more!)
Check in with the host and place your books on the designated tables
Browse books brought by other participants
Take home up to four new-to-you books per person
Mingle with fellow book lovers and explore the exhibition
Enjoy refreshments from the Dairy’s café and bar
Any leftover books will be recirculated through future Boulder Book Swap events
Questions? Email info@bookswapsociety.com or stella@thedairy.org.

Creative Connections: Sing-Along to Broadway Tunes and Screening of "Chicago"
2026-08-27 12:00 - 15:30 | Gordon Gamm Theater, Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, 80302, United States
TICKETS
Enjoy a free afternoon for older adults with a live music sing-along, Broadway Tunes, and a private screening of Chicago as part of the Dairy’s Creative Connections series.
Join us for an afternoon of music, memories, and movie magic.
We’ll kick things off with a live pianist leading a sing-along featuring Broadway musical hits, followed by a private screening of Chicago on the big screen.
This free event is part of the Dairy’s Creative Connections series, bringing older adults together through the arts. Please register for your free ticket so we can hold your space.
Schedule:
12:00–12:50 PM – Sing-Along (Dairy Lobby)
1:15–3:15 PM – Chicago (in the Gordon Theater)
All individuals 60+ are welcome!
In Partnership with Circle of Care Project
Mobilizing the Arts and Culture to Enrich the Lives of Older Adults

Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass | Aug. 27 - 30
2026-08-27 16:30 - 18:00 | Boedecker Theater, Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, 80302, United States
TICKETS
Small town hairdresser Gail Daughtry is engaged to her devoted high school sweetheart, Tom. Her life takes a turn when a trip to a book signing leads to Tom meeting – and sleeping – with his “celebrity pass”. Reeling from the betrayal, Gail impulsively joins her friend Otto on a trip to Los Angeles, where a psychic convinces Gail that the only way to save her marriage is to “even the scales” with her own celebrity pass: Jon Hamm. Thus begins an epic journey through Tinseltown as Gail and Otto join forces with a talent agency assistant, a paparazzo, and actor John Slattery, all in the search for Hamm. Along the way, they collide with celebrities and are hunted by a group of Italian assassins as they get ever closer to finding the elusive star. (David Wain, 2026, USA, 1:33, R)

Open Studios presents The Women's Cut
2026-08-27 17:30 - 20:30 | Gordon Gamm Theater, Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, 80302, United States
TICKETS
HAPPY HOUR 5:30 PM | SCREENING 7:00 PM
The Women’s Cut is a celebration of community, film, and bold women in even bolder spaces. Join us for a program of six inspiring films from local filmmakers featuring women doing amazing things in the Colorado outdoors. From desert tower ascents to river runs, each film captures the grit, grace, and joy of women who call Colorado’s wild places home.
The night will conclude with the final film featuring the premiere of Bridger Janes, where we are introduced to four women who undertake an ambitious highline project that none could accomplish alone. Through vulnerability and shared vision, they discover what becomes possible when trust precedes familiarity.
Join us for the after party at Vision Quest Brewery for live music and good company — because the best stories always continue off-screen.

Jack Johnson: SURFILMUSIC | Aug. 27 - 30
2026-08-27 19:00 - 20:30 | Boedecker Theater, Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, 80302, United States
TICKETS
SURFILMUSIC a new documentary chronicling Jack Johnson’s evolution from surfer to filmmaker to world-renowned musician. The film traces how Johnson’s early years making surf films with close friends became a foundation for a much broader creative life, capturing moments in and out of the water that later surfaced in his songwriting. Blending rare footage from those formative surf films and Johnson’s personal and family archives with present-day reflections, the film weaves together how lived experience, friendship, and exploration shaped the sound and stories behind the music. Directed by Emmett Malloy, featuring Jack Johnson, Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Gerry Lopez, Chris Malloy, G. Love, Ben Harper, John Florence, Emmett Malloy, Kim Johnson, and more, with a beautiful score by Jack Johnson and Hermanos Gutiérrez. (Emmett Malloy, 2026, USA 1:15, NR)

The Upstart Crow presents Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare | Aug. 27 - Sept. 6
2026-08-27 19:00 - 21:00 | Carsen Theater, Walnut Street, Boulder, Colorado, 80302, United States
TICKETS
Beatrice: “I wonder that you will still be talking, Signior Benedick. Nobody marks you.”
Benedick: “What, my dear Lady Disdain! Are you yet living?”
– Act I, Scene I, Much Ado About Nothing
The Upstart Crow Theatre presents Much Ado About Nothing, a play that feels less like a 400-year-old classic and more like a messy lovers’ quarrel you keep pretending not to watch as it gets louder.
Not judging.
Remember those two friends who are constantly roasting each other, but everyone knows they’re secretly obsessed? That’s Beatrice and Benedick. Their friends are busy playing matchmaker to get them to finally admit it. Meanwhile, the “perfect” couple (Hero and Claudio) is falling apart because of one guy’s bored, petty drama. It’s basically a high-stakes soap opera with better insults. Director Jeremy Elman digs in to find the grit, the deception, and the messy reality of forgiveness.
It’s funny, sure. But it’s also human in a way that might catch you off guard.
Fast. Sharp. Dangerous. Theatre.
Special Events:
Thurs 8/27 – 7pm, Name Your Price Night (no ticketing)
Sun 8/30 – 2pm -*TALKBACK: Stay in the Carsen Theater after the show for an informal conversation with the cast and crew.
Mon 8/31 – 7pm, Industry Night fundraiser (no ticketing)
Thurs 9/3 – 7pm, Name Your Price Night (no ticketing)

BENISE 25 Years of Passion!
2026-08-28 19:00 - 21:00 | Gordon Gamm Theater, Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, 80302, United States
TICKETS
Emmy Award Winning Spanish Guitar and Dance Spectacular.
It’s one hot night as Benise, “The Prince of Spanish Guitar,” celebrates 25 years of fiery Spanish guitar and dance.
Armed with his Spanish guitar and a stage full of musicians and elaborately choreographed dancers, Benise takes the audience on a musical journey through Spanish Flamenco, Cuban Salsa, Brazilian Samba, Parisian Waltz, exotic drumming, and more!
Benise (pronounced Buh-nes-say) shattered the mold of Spanish guitar by combining world music and dance – the only show of its kind!
The 25th Anniversary tour establishes Benise’s Emmy Award winning show as one of the longest running Latin-themed theatrical productions touring the world.
For Benise, music has always been a journey. From his humble beginnings as a street performer, to being featured on the #1 rated show in the USA – Dancing With The Stars. Guitarist and creative force behind the event, Benise, comments “I wanted to push the boundaries of Nuevo Flamenco/Spanish guitar while combining the elements of dance and theater. This show is a celebration of all the shows we’ve done over the last 25 years.”

Motor City | Aug 28
2026-08-28 20:30 - 22:00 | Boedecker Theater, Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, 80302, United States
TICKETS
In 1970s Detroit, John Miller falls for a local gangster’s girl. In retaliation, the gangster enacts a frame job to send the innocent man to prison. Life ruined, Miller plots a revenge campaign against the man who took his girl away. (Potsy Ponciroli, 2026, USA, 1:42, R)
