It’s here! It’s really here! The arrival of summer in Colorado can feel like a mirage. A few warm days tickle our senses in April and May, but wet, heavy snow and the need to keep a down jacket on speed dial linger. Nothing is more “Colorado” than pink and white tree blossoms shivering beneath a coat of frost.
But after Mother’s Day, the likelihood of a spring snowstorm plummets. In fact, according to the National Weather Service, May 8 is the average date for Colorado Springs’ final freeze.
Are you looking for attractions to reconnect with the outdoors now that the frost is past?
Here’s a short list of fun ways to introduce kids of all ages to the timeless joy of animal kisses or even a wild wolf’s howl – or play in the spray, or enjoy food truck delights.
Goat Yoga | Goat Patch Brewery | 2727 N. Cascade Ave. | May 25 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. | All ages welcome |Tickets Multipass.com
This is a one-time summer kick-off event. Advertised as sanitary and laughable fun for the entire family, yoga and goats combine for posing with the chance of a goat standing on your back! A human instructor guides the event.
Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center | 4729 Twin Rocks Rd., Divide | WolfEducation.org | Adults $25 – children 11 and under $15 | Tours 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m.
Darlene Kobobel is the founder of the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center, a project close to her heart, which began as a rescue for wolf-dog hybrids. Through the years, her advocacy for wildlife and apex predators has evolved into a local movement. Kobobel has provided sanctuary to endangered Mexican grey wolves and rescued wolf pups born to backyard breeders. Her facility is AZA (American Zoological Association) accredited. The center rambles along rock paths through wolf enclosures that are wild and roomy. A standard tour is a one-hour walking tour led by a center conservationist. Specialty opportunities to meet and greet a wolf are available for adults on the website.
Our Fairytale Farm | 7926 Fairytale Hts. | $9 per person includes a one-hour visit and cup of feed for the animals. Schedule your visit online at OurFairyTaleFarm.com.
This family farm is located on 15 acres in Black Forest. Home to puppies, Kune Kune piglets, Babydoll Sheep, New Harlequin Sheep and Alpacas, owner Sherry Kershman says, “All of the animals are part of our family.” Kershman has been present for the arrival of countless litters of piglets, but she still enjoys the overload of cuteness that comes with every single birth. Plan to meet baby animals and their parents during your scheduled visit.
Flying W Ranch | 3330 Chuckwagon Rd. | May 20-Oct. 11 | Doors open 5 p.m., Dinner 7:30 p.m. | $68-$73 general admission, $63 seniors & military, $33 children ages 4-12 | Reservations 719-598-4000 ext. 2 or 800-232-FLYW
For more than 70 years, Flying W Ranch has provided a western town experience with a chuckwagon dinner and band of singing wranglers as the evening’s highlight. Guests may roam the grounds where red rocks spring up among fertile green grass. There are two duck ponds, a stage offering Indigenous dancers and Devon Oxen and horses standing near walking paths. There is also a petting zoo. Before dinner, if you’re lucky, wranglers will share iron-skillet biscuits cooked over the campfire. A real old-fashioned dinner triangle announces the start of your buffet supper. Live music follows spice cake and coffee, as the sun sets behind the ranch’s massive cowboy-style ballroom.
Watering Holes and Manmade Geysers
While the City of Colorado Springs has not yet fully updated its Spray Grounds and Fountains page for 2025, the City’s five local watering holes and splash gardens traditionally open on or around Memorial Day weekend. Each venue offers a slightly different approach to the timeless summer quest of getting wet. Uncle Wilber’s fountain releases a steady umbrella-shaped stream of water beneath a whimsical trumpet-wielding statue. Deerfield Hills boasts the largest variety of water-themed playscapes, including soak stations and foaming geysers. None of the five water playgrounds charge admission. Lather-up with sunscreen and let the local park scene provide your summer dose of water play.
Deerfield Hills Spray Ground | 4290 Deerfield Hills Rd., Colorado Springs |June 1-Sept. 2
America the Beautiful Park | Julie Penrose Fountain |
The Water Hole | John Venezia Park | 3555 Briargate Pkwy, Colorado Springs
Uncle Wilber Fountain | Acacia Park |
Splash Pad | Panorama Park |
719 Battle of the Food Trucks | 425 S. Sierra Madre St. | June 1, 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. 719boft.com | Tickets start at $17.85
Fifty food trucks gather at one location, offering sample sizes of their most popular menu items. This event celebrates the diversity of food truck cuisine, including Norbus’s Himalayan Hut and Monse’s Taste of El Salvador. Guests will vote in-person for their favorite food trucks to become the Best Food Trucks in town. Angels of America’s Fallen is the nonprofit selected to benefit from proceeds from the 3rd Annual 719 Battle of the Food Trucks. Get tickets online.
