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Vacation in Greeley and Weld County - Colorado
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Overview,
Things To Do,
Transportation,
Climate,
Accommodations,
Cost
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Area Overview
The Johnstown area is full of history -- focusing on the period where America became a modern industrial nation. The themes of the 1889 flood; iron, coal & steel; immigration in the late 18th and early 19th centuries; and ethnicity are covered in a variety of wonderful attractions. Also, there's great outdoor recreation -- hiking, biking, whitewater and more -- and other fascinating nearby attractions include Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater, the Flight 93 National Memorial, and many more.
The history of Evans, Colorado, is long and colorful. The oldest town still remaining in the region, it was founded in 1867. It was named for the second Territorial Governor, John Evans, founder of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and the University of Denver. When Evans found out that Denver would be bypassed by the Transcontinental Railroad in favor of Cheyenne, Wyo., he began to build the Denver Pacific Railroad along the route of present day U.S. Highway 85 between Cheyenne and Denver. Evans was Colorado’s main transportation hub at that point. Once the railroad crossed the South Platte River and made its way south to Denver Evans emptied out.
In 1871 the St. Louis-Western Colony brought 400 people to settle the area. Evans became a supply town and highway stop, known for its rowdy life style in comparison to the temperance colony of Greeley. It was known as the “Queen City of the Platte.” It was briefly the county seat of Weld County until a party of raiders from Greeley stole the county records and burned the courthouse.
In spite of its reputation, education was an important part of Evans’ history also. The first brick schoolhouse in Weld County was built in Evans in 1874 and a Normal College was established in 1877. It had its own school district with a high school until it merged with Greeley’s District 6 in the mid 20th century.
The Town of Windsor is a rapidly developing unique community located in the heart of northern Colorado, and situated between the mountains and the plains where open sky meets towering peaks. It is a place rich in opportunity as well as history pre-dating the town’s incorporation in 1890. A world-renowned archaeological site, the Kaplan-Hoover Buffalo Kill Site, is located along Windsor’s towering bluffs giving testament to a native presence as early as 835 B.C. The later presence of native peoples is scantily documented and early settlers make little or no reference to interactions with native tribes. Some great things to visit in Windsor are Boardwalk Park Museum, the Art and Heritage Center, the Community Recreation Center, and the Windsor Lake Trail.
Eaton, Colorado - The town is named after former Colorado Governor, Benjamin Harrison Eaton. He was a pioneer of irrigation and played a leading role in transforming the arid prairie of the Great Plains east of the Front Range into a thriving agricultural region in the late 1800s. Much of the farming country around Eaton depends on the irrigation systems engineered by Governor Eaton to this day. Check out the Eaton Museum for added history about the town.
Ault, Colorado - “A Unique Little Town”, is located on the intersection of Hwy 85 and Hwy 14, incorporated in 1904. Ault is well known for its antique shops, Fall Festival and International Food Fest. It is also known as the “Gateway to the Pawnee Grasslands”. Ault is small enough to provide a friendly, country feel with beauty in the tree lined streets and well maintained parks. Multiple antique stores and restaurants line the main street in town. Ault has several different churches, a senior center, library, auto shops, beauty shops, dental office, chiropractic office, veterinary clinic, insurance offices, small shops and a bank to fit your needs.
Brighton is strategically located 30 miles south of downtown Greeley, 20 minutes from Denver International Airport, and boasts excellent vistas of the Rocky Mountains. With a diverse population of approximately 34,000, there is lots to do locally and regionally. They have a wide variety of attractions and features including Armory Performing Arts Center, Eye For Art Program, Anythink Library, Brighton Recreation Center, the Oasis Family Aquatic Park, and their historic downtown.
Kersey, Colorado - Originally called Orr, Kersey was created in 1882 as a place on the Union Pacific Railroad main line between Julesburg and LaSalle. The area was given its current name in 1896 by John Kersey Painter after his grandfather. It was officially incorporated as a town in 1908.
Greeley is perfectly situated on the high plains of northern Colorado, about an hour from the majestic Rocky Mountains or the state capitol, Denver. Once in Greeley, you'll discover a community rich with economic, educational, recreational, and cultural resources. You might be surprised to know that Greeley was the first community in the United States to have a "Department of Culture." Or that you can access a trail along the Poudre River that extends 21 miles for recreational pursuits.
Includes Cities/Towns: Ault, Brighton, Eaton, Evans, Greeley, Johnstown, Kersey, Milliken, Windsor.
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Things to Do |
Recreation & Fitness
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There is so much to do that you'd be tired if you tried to do everything! One of the gems of our area is the Poudre River Trail, a concrete trail that extends 21 miles across the north edge of Greeley and west to Windsor. Several trail heads allow access to the trail at different points so that distances traveled by walking, bicycling or running can be tailored to the individual.
Our festivals include Blarney on the Block, the UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival, Cinco de Mayo, Greeley Blues Jam, Greeley Stampede, Arts Picnic, High Plains Chautauqua, Oktobrewfest and the Festival of Trees.
Two municipal golf courses are considered among the finest in the state, and our city-owned recreation centers offer Silver Sneakers programs for seniors. There are restaurants to suit every palate.
From May - June, Greeley's downtown hosts outdoor concerts every Friday night. In addition, other outdoor concerts occur at the University and at various city parks.
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Cultural Activities
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Greeley’s entertainment options offer something for all audiences, no matter their age or background. The Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra has performed every year since 1910. Only 27 other orchestras in the nation can claim such longevity. The smaller Greeley Chamber Orchestra presents new concerts each year, often joined by its Chamber Choir. With a history approaching 50 years, the audition-based Greeley Chorale sings a repertoire that includes classical, contemporary, and religious and holiday choral works.
Community theatre is alive and well in Greeley, as performed by the Stampede Troupe, with musical, comedic and dramatic productions.
All quality entertainment deserves a quality venue. The Union Colony Civic Center provides the 1,665-seat Monfort Concert Hall and the intimate Hensel Phelps Theatre, with capacity for a 220-person audience. In addition to the community entertainment performed there, the UCCC schedules a full season of Broadway touring companies, national and international talent in music, comedy, children’s theatre and dance.
The University of Northern Colorado enhances our community’s entertainment scene with its College of Performing and Visual Arts. Its programs in drama, musical theatre and opera theatre delight audiences year round, including summertime’s Little Theatre of the Rockies. The internationally recognized music program includes vocal and instrumental performance and jazz studies. UNC also presents an international film series open to the community.
During the summer and fall, Greeley’s downtown presents live music every weekend, within the first “go-cup” district in the State of Colorado. A number of Greeley’s bars and restaurants also feature live music on a regular basis. Throughout the summer, one can find a variety of performances at outdoor venues, such as UNC’s Garden Theatre and local parks.
Ever since Greeley was founded as a utopian community, our city has placed strong emphasis on the arts. In fact, Greeley was the first city in the nation to have a Culture Director. The City of Greeley sponsors Art in Public Places through its Sculpture on Loan program in our parks and plazas, “1% for Art” in every capital project, and city-owned gallery spaces. The city also owns an art collection of both indoor and outdoor art valued at $1.6 million, acquired since 1967, and acknowledges exceptional architectural design each year.
A section of Greeley has been recognized by the State of Colorado as a Creative District, which integrates the historic Downtown and University Districts in a continuum of dynamic and complementary uses.
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Attractions
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There is so much to do that you'd be tired if you tried to do everything! One of the gems of our area is the Poudre River Trail, a concrete trail that extends 21 miles across the north edge of Greeley and west to Windsor. Several trail heads allow access to the trail at different points so that distances traveled by walking, bicycling or running can be tailored to the individual.
Our festivals include Blarney on the Block, the UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival, Cinco de Mayo, Greeley Blues Jam, Greeley Stampede, Arts Picnic, High Plains Chautauqua, Oktobrewfest and the Festival of Trees.
Two municipal golf courses are considered among the finest in the state, and our city-owned recreation centers offer Silver Sneakers programs for seniors. There are restaurants to suit every palate.
From May - June, Greeley's downtown hosts outdoor concerts every Friday night. In addition, other outdoor concerts occur at the University and at various city parks.
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Transportation |
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Greeley-Evans Transit offers a fixed route system that traverses the community and serves most residential, commercial and medical service areas, including an outpatient VA clinic. GET also provides a demand response service for the disabled and elderly.
Bus service connections are available to Denver, CO where transcontinental buses can be boarded.
The community is served by two taxi companies. Travelers at Denver International Airport, approximately 50 miles southeast of Greeley, can access shuttle service and rental cars.
AMTRAK service can be accessed in both Denver and Cheyenne, WY. (each 50 miles away)
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Climate |
Monthly Temperatures / Rainfall
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Low
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Avg
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High
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Rain |
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January
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16.4
F°
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31.0
F°
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45.6
F°
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0.5
"
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February
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19.3
F°
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34.4
F°
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49.4
F°
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0.4
"
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March
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27.2
F°
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43.0
F°
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58.9
F°
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1.2
"
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April
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34.4
F°
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50.7
F°
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67.0
F°
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1.8
"
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May
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44.3
F°
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60.1
F°
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76.0
F°
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2.4
"
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June
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52.4
F°
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69.2
F°
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86.0
F°
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1.9
"
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July
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58.3
F°
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75.7
F°
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93.0
F°
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1.7
"
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August
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56.4
F°
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73.2
F°
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90.0
F°
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1.5
"
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September
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47.3
F°
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64.7
F°
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82.0
F°
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1.1
"
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October
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35.4
F°
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52.3
F°
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69.2
F°
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1.0
"
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November
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24.4
F°
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39.5
F°
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54.5
F°
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0.7
"
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December
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16.2
F°
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30.4
F°
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44.6
F°
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0.6
"
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Best Time To Go:
Summer and fall.
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Greeley enjoys a semi-arid, steppe climate with hot summers and primarily mild winters. Relative humidity is low year-round, with dew points rarely exceeding 60° even at the height of summer. Lots of sunshine and fairly little precipitation make for a pleasant climate year-round. Precipitation is mostly in the form of snow from October to April, but snowfalls are often light and usually melt within a few days. The area did experience what some have called a 100-year flood in 2013, created by uncharacteristic heavy rains, but flooding was confined to areas close to rivers. We occasionally receive tornado warnings in the summer.
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Accommodations |
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Greeley is home to many large brand hotels, we have something for everyone's liking and needs. We also have the Greeley RV Park & Campground in east Greeley. In downtown Greeley is where Greeley's Bed & Breakfast, the Currier Inn resides.
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Costs |
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Additional Information
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Visitor Information
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Overview,
Things To Do,
Transportation,
Climate,
Accommodations,
Cost
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