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Welcome to Springs and Things, the podcast where two close friends spill the tea on all things Colorado Springs! From culture and community to hidden gems and neighborhood lore, we’ve got it covered. Join us as we sip our coffee (or maybe something stronger) and dive into the stories and secrets that make this city so unique. Whether you're a local or just passing through, our fun, light-hearted, and always entertaining take on the quirks, hot topics, and insider tips will keep you coming back for more. Discover what’s really happening in the Springs—beyond the mountains and parks!
There's no shortage of things to do in Colorado Springs. The hard part is knowing which ones are actually worth it, and that's where we come in. We're kicking off a brand new monthly segment with our honest takes on what's happening in the month ahead. They can't miss events, the new spots we're trying, and the hidden gems most people drive right past. And this episode is brought to you by Vanguard Aesthetics.
Carly Ries:You guys, it is so hot out. Do not forget that sunscreen. Hey, everyone. I'm Carly. And I'm Lauren.
Carly Ries:We're two Colorado Springs locals who love uncovering everything that makes the city special.
Lauren Ferrara:If you're the kind of person who wants to know where
Carly Ries:to go, what's happening, and the stories behind it all, then you're in
Lauren Ferrara:the right place. Welcome to Springs of Things, your insider's path to hidden gems, local flavor, and unexpected moments that make The Springs one
Carly Ries:of a kind. From secret spots and campus events to arts, eats, and those you've gotta hear about at Local Stories. We've got you covered.
Lauren Ferrara:So grab your coffee, settle in, and get ready to fall a little more in love with Colorado Springs.
Carly Ries:Let's dive in to Springs and Things.
Lauren Ferrara:So we're a month in. Summer is doing what summer does, going by too fast.
Carly Ries:I think it's so funny. I was telling you this earlier that people are like, have you gotten into a routine? And I was like, what the f is a summer routine? What does that even mean? So for my day job, we I help solopreneurs figure out how to run run a one person business.
Carly Ries:And we've been talking a lot about the idea of work life harmony, not work life balance.
Lauren Ferrara:I like that.
Carly Ries:I know. And I didn't invent that. I heard it from another person. I'm gonna give you all
Lauren Ferrara:the credit.
Carly Ries:But it was just like, yeah, you kinda in summer, you kinda especially for working parents. Mhmm. You have to just figure out a way to integrate the two.
Lauren Ferrara:Yeah, oh 100. Yeah. So what have been your highlights of summer so far?
Carly Ries:Oh my gosh, we I mean pool days. Obviously we know actually you know what? We have been using our Zoom membership like no other. And tonight, I at the time of this recording, which will be past, I'm going to have my first moonlight on the mountain, the 21 and over event at the zoo where you can go and taste good drinks, listen to live music, see the animals. I'm trying that for the first time tonight.
Lauren Ferrara:Enjoy. I love I've gone to the zoo ball for a couple years, and it is just it's so fun to be there.
Carly Ries:I feel like I'm doing something wrong like I'm trespassing. Yeah, that's your property.
Lauren Ferrara:Nobody tell them. Nobody tell them.
Carly Ries:But yeah, it's just been dreamy like we have been using a lot of our membership and I love when you buy something and use it.
Lauren Ferrara:Yeah, oh for sure. So last summer one of my things I was excited to do was go to the concerts at Hillside Gardens, and whenever I put something as a reoccurring event on my calendar, I never go because it's like, oh, something came up or it's raining. I can go next week. And so this time, I, like, individually put this one Wednesday, and I had the best time. So they have three bands, best dang margarita I think I've ever had in my life is at Hillside Gardens, and that your entrance comes with a drink.
Lauren Ferrara:But it was so fun. Have you been? Yeah.
Carly Ries:I haven't I haven't been this summer, but I have been. And it is just lovely. Like, there's I feel like there's a lot of hype around it, and sometimes there's hype around things where it's deserved. Yes.
Lauren Ferrara:This is deserved. So deserved. So that was super fun. And what I'm doing tonight while you're at Moonlight in the Mountain, I'm finally gonna see James Turrell's Skyspace in Green Mountain Falls. Oh my gosh.
Lauren Ferrara:Okay. I feel like that's
Carly Ries:a good segue into what we're talking about today. So you came up with the genius idea.
Lauren Ferrara:Genius idea.
Carly Ries:You smarty pants you. Hey. We should kick off every month with things we're doing that month and things we're excited for. There are so many things happening in the city at all times. And so we're like, well, we should maybe give our take on things, our honest opinion on things that are coming in July and kick off every month moving forward with our consider this for the next four weeks thing.
Carly Ries:So Yeah. This is our first annual, first weekly, first our inaugural. Here's what's happening this month segment.
Lauren Ferrara:So you know Colorado is turning a 150. So they have this CO one fifty film festival, and all the films this is like statewide, so there's several in Colorado Springs, Greeley, Denver, in the mountains, all over the place, but they're showing a 150 films over the course of the summer, and you know I love a good film festival, but they are films that were made in Colorado about Colorado or by Coloradans past and present. So, yeah, if you go to colorado150film.com, it has all of that.
Carly Ries:And this isn't like necessarily
Lauren Ferrara:a party party. It's like party. Okay, we'll read a couple like, but yeah, some of them I don't know the Colorado connection. So there's the hateful eight, the social dilemma, true grit, dumb and dumb.
Carly Ries:Course, national Christmas Vacation? Yeah. Okay. This is the
Lauren Ferrara:one I just beat A League of Their Own. What? So maybe it was a producer or director was Coloradan. I don't know. I don't know the Colorado connection to that, but I just watched it with my daughter.
Lauren Ferrara:That is a great movie to watch with like tweeny kids. Yeah. Oh, it's one of my favorite movies.
Carly Ries:Indiana Jones over Christmas. I was standing next to I I heard somebody I was checking into a hotel in Phoenix and I overheard somebody and I was like that guy sounds like John Lovitz and it turned out was John Lovett's who was staying at the same hotel as me. Anyway, that's my fun fact that nobody cares about what I I just need to brag about that.
Lauren Ferrara:So and most of the ones that are in Colorado Springs are being screened at Lulu's downtown. So super fun. I'm excited about
Carly Ries:that one and we'll be. I was like this is a good segue into what we're talking about today. You were talking about green box, so I feel like you talk about this right now.
Lauren Ferrara:So Green Box Art Festival is like my favorite thing to take people to or to make make them go to. But of course, it kicks off on July 4, and it goes for two weeks, and they have some of the coolest installations. One that I'm pretty psyched about is the unexpected, a literary journey. So they you're surrounded by like sound and atmosphere from every direction under the sky, and then there's this like music and narrative journey. It's this thirty minute audio experience.
Lauren Ferrara:So I don't know what that means, and I'm so intrigued.
Carly Ries:Well, Lauren, for people that are curious what this event is, where is this event?
Lauren Ferrara:This is in Green Mountain Falls. How did I not say that? Oh, it's like the Green Box Art Festival in Green Mountain Falls. And so on the fifth, they unveiled new art installations. So you can go and tour around.
Lauren Ferrara:They're doing, like, five new installations in Green Mountain Falls. So every year, there's so Sky Space, what I'm going to tonight, is one of those things that several years ago was the installation that they put in. Remember last year, Patrick Shern had this beautiful, colorful, almost kite that flew over the pond there. So they do the coolest things, and some of them, like his, that was only up for, you know, a couple of months and that it's gone and that's kind of special.
Carly Ries:But they have like classes and they have something for everybody. They they have some like athletic things for people, but it's it's obviously it's a green box arts festival, but they really do have something for everybody and all ages.
Lauren Ferrara:Yes, they have this like leave no trace naturalist hike Barbara Diamond. She teaches. She's an artist in town and she does collage art. She always has some events and there's like wine tastings. It is so cool.
Lauren Ferrara:So go to greenboxarts.org, and you will you can just, like, choose your own adventure.
Carly Ries:There really is something for everybody. Alright. Let's take a quick break to talk about our wonderful sponsors, starting with Vanguard Aesthetics because, honestly, they are a game changer. If you've been on the fence about getting a little skin refresh, this is the team you want. They're not pushy.
Carly Ries:They actually listen to your goals, and the whole vibe is just warm and welcoming, not intimidating like some med spas can feel. And, also, we wanna give some love to Core Collective. They have been with us since the beginning. They are a reformer Pilates studio in Downtown Colorado Springs, and my body has not been the same since I started going. And I mean that in the absolute best way.
Carly Ries:It's challenging, and the instructors are so good. Like, they actually cue you through every movement, so you're feeling it all in the right places instead of just guessing. And the community there is just awesome too. It's one of those places where you walk in as a stranger and leave feeling like you found your people and you just wanna keep going back. And the greatest thing is if you get to check out when you are booking a class, type in the code Springs and Things, all caps, no spaces, because that'll unlock three classes for just $30.
Carly Ries:That's $10 a class, which is crazy and awesome. So be sure to visit their website. That link is in our show notes as well. So you know what I I like about, like, we've we've kinda decided over the past year and a half and and I think before. We joke sometimes that, like, we're very similar, but we're very, very different in a lot of ways.
Carly Ries:Mhmm. And you for listeners that have listened to us for a while, you know, you bring the artsy kind of things, and I bring, like, the more outdoorsy Yep. Aspect. Have you ever been to and this isn't in The Springs, but the but down in Canyon City, Royal Gorge Whitewater Festival? No.
Carly Ries:So it's actually so fun, and you guys, it has a jam packed schedule on Friday, July 17, Saturday and Saturday, July 18. But, basically, it's like an action packed weekend in Canyon City, and they have, like, just stuff for the whole family. They have, like, river board competitions, and there's all these land based events that people can do, and it kinda just is a festival that promotes the outdoors and active lifestyle. So they have a stand up paddleboard parade, which I just think sounds so cool. They have music.
Carly Ries:They have a kayak race that you can go off go watch a raft race. They have rafting sprints. They have mountain bike rides. Like I said, it's kind of just a
Lauren Ferrara:Oh, they have band. But yeah.
Carly Ries:Yeah, live music. Oh my. I'm I told you I'm kind of a martini shot groupie. Oh yeah? Oh, if they're on the schedule for something like if they're performing at like Ivy Wild or anywhere, I'm like canceling all plans.
Carly Ries:Time to go see Martini's shot. Uh-huh. They don't know I exist. So sorry if I sound like a creeper, but there's they're just a really good cover band, and I I'm proud to be a diehard fan
Lauren Ferrara:of theirs. Awesome. Yeah. They're so fun.
Carly Ries:So, anyway, if you want to learn more about this, we'll include the link in the show notes, but it's just it's just a really fun way to spend a weekend. And if you're looking for a little staycation, you can just go down for the day. It's just in Canyon City. Nice. Oh, speaking of that, I you haven't been here yet, but I just went for Father's Day to Juniper Valley.
Carly Ries:That restaurant that you're like, what is that? You went without me. We last time we talked about this, we were gonna go to Yeah. But I went with my dad and my husband and my family, so it counts. But I went there, and there were a ton of people we knew because it's cool thing to do.
Carly Ries:But I would just say if you are heading down to Canyon City, because Juniper Valley is only open on the weekends Okay. Stop there on your way back for dinner or something. It's the kids can go see the horses. There's it's just dreamy. So I'm just gonna give another plug for them as part of your July experiences.
Carly Ries:Yes. Okay.
Lauren Ferrara:What do have next? So I kinda wanna talk food. Okay. So let's talk food. There are two places I'm pretty excited to go this month, and one of them is Monty's Pupusa Ria downtown.
Lauren Ferrara:You know, I hate that I like sometimes I've been to Monty's a couple times. It's delicious, but I forget about it because it's not, like, on my general path of places I'm going. So downtown, I spend a lot of time downtown, so I'm excited that they have a spot there. And so the other place that I'm excited to go, it's not new, but Porfemore Tacos and Tragos, because after we did an episode and you were like, what would you like to see more of down or in Colorado Springs? And I was just like, always more Mexican.
Lauren Ferrara:So I've never been there, and I'm going this month.
Carly Ries:Okay. So congratulations to the team at Monza's Pupusrea. That's super exciting. I do need to do one little blog or one little request. We love Monza's.
Carly Ries:The food is delicious. The portions are are insane. It's so so good. However, I had a bunch of kiddos that after school, we were like, let's all go celebrate at Monza's. So they had these they had these edible bears that they're putting on top of their boba.
Carly Ries:Like a gummy bear? I couldn't tell. I've just saw the all these, like, videos of them, and we were so excited. So we got a group of people to go with our kids under the impression we would get these bears, and they didn't have them. So if you are listening, please bring those edible bears back and please send us an email at springsandthingspod@Gmail or send us a a message in Instagram.
Carly Ries:We need to know when these bears are coming back or if they're at the new location because we were super sad.
Lauren Ferrara:Okay. Okay. Back to food. Another big event coming up and it is at Hillside this year. Taste of Pikes Peak.
Carly Ries:I love Taste
Lauren Ferrara:of Pikes Peak. Fun. Yeah. I definitely get my money's worth there, but you like leave, so you have to roll me out of there. It's so good.
Lauren Ferrara:But it's gonna be I just think that's such a fun venue. I had been there so last night for the first time at the or last Wednesday for the first time for the concert, but I had been there before for a going away party. But it's just such a special place, and I think just a really cool place to host this event in particular.
Carly Ries:And if you are if you I mean, Taste of Pikes Peak, it's exactly what it sounds like. But regions largest food event exactly brings. It's a celebration of like local flavor and just brings together restaurants, breweries, distilleries. And you like you get to try
Lauren Ferrara:the places that you're like,
Carly Ries:oh, I've always wanted to
Lauren Ferrara:go there and or it's, you know, it's
Carly Ries:way up north or it's way
Lauren Ferrara:down South based on wherever you live. But then it's all in one place.
Carly Ries:And do remember when you were a kid and you wanted to like go sample things and then your mom was only one. Only one because they're like, you don't or even like, I know you don't go to Costco. Oh, we canceled our Costco membership. That's for an off lightning. Oh, good.
Carly Ries:But it's like you wanna be respectful, you only go get one. Uh-huh. Taste of Pig's Peak, it's unlimited
Lauren Ferrara:tasting you. I don't think I was that respectful as a child. I think I would like change my hair and head right back and
Carly Ries:maybe I'm just projecting since I'm role follower and I make my kids only get one.
Lauren Ferrara:I'll just do another loop.
Carly Ries:But more of the story, if you're going to taste a Pikes Peak on Thursday, July 9, it's six to nine like Lauren said, it's a Hillside Gardens and it is. If you've ever thought about going and you're like on the fence, just go
Lauren Ferrara:go like just go. Yeah, go fun.
Carly Ries:What else do you have?
Lauren Ferrara:Okay, so I can't believe. Okay, I have two more things. So one of them. Is technically not in July, but in our August episode of this, it'll have passed. So I'm going talk about it now.
Lauren Ferrara:It is United We Rock. This is something we're we're doing an episode later this month about this, but I just wanna make sure it's on everybody's radar because, again, this is part of the Colorado one fifty USA two fifty stuff at Rockledge Ranch. They're doing this United We Rock and it's a festival there on August 1 in the afternoon early evening and they'll have bands, food trucks, arts and crafts, all the stuff whiskey tasting and I just love going to Rockledge Ranch. So I just love whiskey tasting. Win win.
Lauren Ferrara:So super excited about that. That'll be lots of fun. And then, Okay, my final thing. So Ladyfingers Letterpress is one of the many businesses I love about Colorado Springs, and I feel like they made me fall in love with Colorado Springs even more. They used to like, I thought they were the new kids on the block downtown.
Lauren Ferrara:They're awesome stationary store, and they have events and classes. They're celebrating ten years in that location.
Carly Ries:In July?
Lauren Ferrara:Yeah. Which is wild to me, but they just, you know, they are like activists in the best way. I see their, like, their protest signs all over the country, and they like get, you know, whenever there's a very good reason to protest, they create these beautiful, beautiful signs, and it's so fun. Like, was in Philly the other day and saw one of theirs on somebody's window, and I just think they do so much good in the world, and I adore them, and they have really cool classes, and so one of the things I want to do in July is take one of their letterpress classes, risograph printing. So I had been in the store and seen these really cool it's almost the kind of vivid filters you can put on Instagram.
Lauren Ferrara:It looks like that, but like analog. So they're really cool looking, and they also, every Saturday morning, they have these little create sessions that cost nothing, and you can just go and be in community and do art together. So love ladyfingers and happy ten years y'all.
Carly Ries:Congratulations. Well, it's funny. I I think, like, those are our biggest recommendations for the month, but we always do a pick of the week and I was gonna say we don't need
Lauren Ferrara:to because we did a pick of the month,
Carly Ries:but I do have a
Lauren Ferrara:pick of the week. Me more.
Carly Ries:So visit to OS is doing their crafts and drafts password again, so which is actually really helpful. People are going out and about getting drinks
Lauren Ferrara:and I love it because it yeah, you get these like BOGO deals you download it and and other offers. Yeah, all these other offers. But what I love about it most is it leads me to places I that are not on my regular routine.
Carly Ries:Yes, exactly makes me try
Lauren Ferrara:new things. I love it.
Carly Ries:Well, it's funny because I actually went to a little kickoff thing that they had, and it was at Pure Distilling. Mhmm. And I had this awesome drink there, and it's funny. It is over by El Pomar Sports Complex. Mhmm.
Carly Ries:And I feel like a lot of parents should know that there is a distillery tasting
Lauren Ferrara:room Yeah.
Carly Ries:Next to the sports complex. If like, kids are warming up and they're like, oh, I need a little break from this three hour tournament. Yes. For sure. But it's actually it's really cute.
Carly Ries:They have
Lauren Ferrara:a dog that's always there.
Carly Ries:So, of course, I got super excited. So I guess I have two picks of the week. The craft and drafts passport. Download that. You'll get deals around town at your favorite drink places, including coffee shops and the milkshake factory.
Carly Ries:So it's not just alcoholic. Yeah. And try this pure distilling. It was really tasty. It was fun to say.
Carly Ries:You were like, if you like wine, try this. If you like something something, try this. If like coffee, try this. Oh, cool. So it's it's so even if you're not,
Lauren Ferrara:like Yeah.
Carly Ries:Even if, like, hard alcohol isn't really your thing, they they had stuff that kind of mimicked the other stuff. I love their passport. So part of
Lauren Ferrara:this, you're my genius idea. As you said, my genius idea to do these kick off the month with all the things, all the fun things of that month. It's a little self serving too because how often like I'm such a planner and if I don't plan it several weeks out, it doesn't happen. Like if I if somebody if you were to say, my gosh, this cool thing is happening tomorrow. I'd be like I I just glitch a little bit.
Carly Ries:Yeah,
Lauren Ferrara:like I it's not on my calendar. I can't make that happen even if I can.
Carly Ries:I always my kids from school always have those like the Pikes Peak parent calendar. You know how those magazines that they have out of like dentist offices? So they have it there from school and I feel like I always grab it on like July 16 or like a '16 yes and I'm like well that would have been fun two weeks ago when I missed it. So we're hoping that this helps mitigate that dilemma and we send you off doing fun things. Enjoy And listeners, as always, thank you so much for tuning in.
Carly Ries:Please share this episode with a friend who especially one that's like, what do I do for the next month? Leave us five star review. It helps us reach other locals in Colorado Springs, and subscribe to the show on Apple or Spotify. We'll And see you next week on Springs and Things.