I have these moments where I look around and think to myself, how am I so lucky to live here? I'm usually not standing alone during those moments (though there's something pretty spectacular about a solo walk with the dogs at twilight in Roosevelt Park when every tree is lit by Christmas lights). Most of these pinch-me moments are when I'm amidst friends and strangers, sometimes at a community event, sometimes just on a patio downtown.

I grew up in Fort Collins, a Coloradan my whole life, and have loved community events from a young age… New West Fest and watching the Budweiser Clydesdales, Bike-to-Work Day with my dad, dodging picnic blankets while throwing a frisbee before the July 4th fireworks. When it came time to put down roots of my own, community was non-negotiable. My family quite intentionally landed in Longmont because of it: the rich cultural events, the block parties, the neighbors who drop soup off when you're sick, the local schools with deep roots in the community.

I started The Longmont List as a hobby and a passion project. I'm the person who stops at storefront doors to read the posters about upcoming happenings, and who feels an unnecessary dose of sadness when I realize I've booked an out-of-town trip the same weekend as a favorite event. Not to mention the time I thought I could walk up to Oktoberfest at Thompson Park and buy tickets at the “door,” only to find out they had been sold out for weeks. What if I had known earlier? What if I had a trusted source to tell me what to look out for?

I believe that community is the answer to nearly everything, or close to it. When I look at some of the most challenging seasons in my life, the common thread that made hard things more bearable was our community. And when I reflect on our most joyous times, we're surrounded by it.

Longmont somehow seems to get this on a city-wide level. When we come together, bump shoulders with strangers and end up in unexpected conversations, learn about cultures different from our own, and watch our kids strike up new friendships at the park, we experience the richness of this life. That's what I hope The Longmont List helps you find. A place to see what's coming up, both in the near future and a little farther out for those events that require some advance planning. A toolbox for scheduling meetups with friends and stumbling into new ones.

This is my curated list. Feel free to reach out if there's something happening you'd like to share. It just might make the list.

Have an event to share? Reach out at shelly@thelongmontlist.com