Home Care In Boulder, CO

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chris Griffith Miracles Therapeutic Riding Center Main Phone: (303) 883 4667

Director Phone: (720) 569-0083 Email: [email protected] Website: www.miraclestrc.org

Boulder County Therapeutic Riding Program Celebrates 20 Years of Impact with Annual Hoedown Fundraiser on September 26th

BOULDER COUNTY, CO – September 10, 2026 – Miracles Therapeutic Riding Center (MTRC) is celebrating a major milestone this year: 20 years of providing transformative equine-assisted therapy and speech services to individuals with physical, developmental, and communication challenges across Boulder County. Following a record turnout at last year’s hoedown, the non-profit organization invites the local community and supporters nationwide to gather for its 2026 Annual Hoedown Fundraiser on Saturday, September 26th.

The family-friendly evening celebrates two decades of inspiring client transformations and fuels the next era of equine therapy. Proceeds directly fund therapy programs, client scholarships, and horse care for riders with physical disabilities, developmental delays, autism spectrum disorders, and communication needs.

“When I started MTRC 20 years ago, I never thought we would have this kind of impact on the community.” MTRC founder Chris Griffith said. “ We have seen students speak their first words to their horse or take their first steps alongside their horse. The progress we see our students make is so often life-changing, and we can continue to give the gift of horse therapy to our students with your support of our 2026 Hoedown!”

Guests attending in person will enjoy line dancing, lawn games, live music, food trucks, raffles, interactive child and adult activities, and a chance to pet the therapy horses up close. The evening will feature both a live auction and an expanded silent auction.

Can’t Attend in Person? Bid Online from Anywhere!

For the first time, supporters unable to join in person can still back the mission by participating in the online silent auction. Anyone – whether in Boulder County or out of state – can place bids, score great deals, and support equine therapy from home.

Tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance via the MTRC website: https://www.miraclestrc.org/

Founded in 2006, MTRC utilizes a dedicated herd of specially trained therapy horses – Tosca, Daisy, Sammy, Fabio, Chance, Mariah, Clarice, and Jax – to provide a unique, multi-sensory approach to therapeutic riding. Over the last 20 years, MTRC has grown into a cornerstone resource for the community, keeping class sizes intentionally small (1-2 riders maximum) to ensure personalized progress and safety.

“I started volunteering with Miracles in January of this year and quickly fell in love with the program and the community surrounding it.” said volunteer Elena Donnelly, “I was so inspired by the connection I witnessed between our riders and the horses that I decided to become an instructor myself! Watching a rider build trust with their horse, gain confidence, and experience that sense of partnership is one of the most special parts of what we do.”

Elena went on to say, “MTRC is truly a central part of our community, creating opportunities for riders, families, volunteers, and horses to connect and grow together. Our riders look forward to seeing their horses and their volunteer teams each week, and that sense of belonging is just as meaningful as the time spent in the saddle. It’s a community effort, and the generosity of our supporters is what keeps our mission and these connections alive.”

The outpouring of community support at last year’s hoedown proved vital in maintaining a high-quality, accessible program. To sustain and broaden these services into the next decade, MTRC relies on ongoing local partnership:

Miracles Therapeutic Riding Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization operating out of Sterling Equestrian Center in East Boulder County. Staffed by certified instructors, speech therapists, and dedicated volunteers, MTRC delivers individual-focused therapy sessions that foster physical strength, emotional regulation, and communication milestones.

For more information, press inquiries, or event tickets, contact Chris Griffith at (720) 569-0083 or [email protected], or visit www.miraclestrc.org.

The Moon reaches its exact full phase at 10:49 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time, while it is below Boulder’s horizon. The moment to watch outdoors comes later. Moonrise is approximately 6:42 p.m., followed by sunset at 6:51 p.m. If the sky is clear, the Moon should climb through the evening twilight.

Why This Is the Harvest Moon

The Harvest Moon is the full Moon closest to the autumn equinox, which occurred this year on September 22. NASA explains the Harvest Moon’s connection to fall and to the evening light that once helped farmers work through harvest season.

The name still feels right in Boulder. The days are getting shorter, the foothills are beginning their seasonal change, and tonight’s moonrise offers a reason to slow down and look across the landscape.

Three Places to Watch in Boulder

Panorama Point on Flagstaff Road is the pick for a sweeping view. From this overlook above town, look out across Boulder toward the eastern horizon. You can watch the city settle into dusk while waiting for the Moon to appear over the plains. The trailhead is open until 9 p.m., though parking is limited. Arrive before moonrise and use care on the winding road after dark.

Chautauqua makes an easier outing if you would rather stay closer to town. Find an open spot with a view to the east and give yourself room to see past nearby trees. The Flatirons will be behind you as the Moon rises—beautiful in the fading light, but in the opposite direction from tonight’s moonrise. Parking around Chautauqua can be tight, especially on a pleasant Saturday evening.

Wonderland Lake offers a quieter North Boulder setting. Walk to a spot with an unobstructed view across the open sky to the east; the shoreline, trees and foothills can change what you can see from one part of the trail to another. Bring a light for the walk back and stay on the designated path.

You do not need to go to a landmark. A neighborhood sidewalk, balcony or open field with a clear eastern view may give you the simplest view of all. The listed moonrise is calculated at the horizon, so buildings, trees or terrain can delay the moment the Moon becomes visible from your exact spot.

For the precise schedule, check Boulder’s moonrise and moonset calendar. AboutBoulder has more ideas in its guide to local moonrise views.

Look east around 6:42 p.m., then be patient. Low on the horizon, the Moon may appear warm and unusually large. As it rises, its color will fade toward white. If clouds hide the first moments, try again later tonight—or step outside Sunday, when it will still look nearly full.

For one evening, Boulder’s best autumn show asks only that you stop, turn toward the plains and look up.

Posted 8:30 PM, Sep 19, 2026

BOULDER, Colo. — Denver7 has extensively covered the impacts of Colorado's dry winter and summer and the effect it's had all over the state. The effects are still being felt this fall as vendors at local farmers markets are without popular favorites as farmers markets enter their final weeks.

"We have a zero percent crop this year. We lost everything," said Jenny Nagle with Ela Family Farms located in Delta County.

Nagle told Denver7's Tyler Melito that normally they grow 50 different varieties of fruit, ranging from cherries, peaches, pears, and plums, as well as 30 different types of apples.

But because of an unseasonable winter and spring, their plants bloomed three weeks earlier, and all it took was one cold night for them to lose everything.

"When we heard that forecast for April 17, we knew we were in trouble," Nagle recalled.

Nagle said that night, temperatures dipped into the low 20s, and while they tried to do everything they could, it was not enough.

"Up all night running wind machines, doing everything we could to, you know, help mitigate and try to mix that warm air from the upper atmosphere down among the trees," Nagle shared. "And it just was too cold for too long."

They don't have their usual allotment of fruit this year, a fact that is a gut punch to some customers.

"We usually buy a whole case of, you know, pears or a whole case of apples or peaches or cherries, and there was very, very little this year, if (any)," said Elene Mooney, a Boulder resident who has been coming to the farmers market for 30 years.

Nagle said they are still able to sell some things, thanks to ensuring no piece of fruit goes to waste.

"We have customers that we see every single week that, you know, they can't get fresh apples, so they better have applesauce," Nagle detailed.

Ela Family Farms has been growing fruit in Colorado since 1907. Nagle said they have seen good winters and bad winters, and fortunately, they have insurance. They plan on being back better than ever in 2027.

"We'll be back next year," Nagle said. "The trees look healthy. As you know, it's a drought year, so maybe it's a good year for them to not have fruit hanging off of them and stressing them. So you know, we're trying to find the silver lining."

Nagle said the support has been extremely positive from customers. One of those customers is Louisville resident Kate Petersen, who told Melito it's vital to support local businesses in good times and bad.

"I think it's just important to support people who have a vision and have a dream for their own business, their small businesses, because I like to support it whenever I can," Petersen said. "And I think this is just a fun way to get to do that."

Boulder Farmers Market officials like Marketing Specialist Katie MacKinnon, said the fall is perfect for farmers markets.

"This time of year is perfect to be at the farmers market. You know, people often think it's the peak of summer, but it's really that transition into fall," MacKinnon told Melito.

While they were devastated to hear about some farms like Ela's that didn't have crops this year, they are prepared to welcome those farms back with open arms in 2027.

"Those farmers who weren't able to make it to the market this year because they don't have crops, they know that they are, of course, welcome when they come back. It's not like their spot's going to be filled," MacKinnon said.

Colorado has more aspens than any other state, and every September the entire Front Range acts accordingly. People book cabins months out, drive four hours to Kebler Pass, and sit in traffic on Last Dollar Road for a photograph of gold leaves they could have taken in half a dozen other places. It is a wonderful tradition, and it is also completely unnecessary, because the best fall walk in the state begins at a street corner in a South Boulder neighborhood that does not even have a parking lot.

The Shanahan and Big Bluestem loop runs 4.9 miles with 882 feet of climbing, which AllTrails rates moderate, and most people finish in about two and a half hours. It starts in pine forest, climbs into the foothills, spills out into open meadow, then drops onto the Mesa Trail directly beneath the Flatirons before curling back through farmland to where you parked. The color here has nothing to do with aspens. It comes from tawny grass, red sumac, yellow currant, and the permanent deep green of ponderosa pine, and the combination is stranger and better than another stand of yellow trees.

Of the 50 fall trails on our list, this one gives you the widest view for the least trouble. From the high point, you can see Boulder below you, the plains stretching east, and the Denver skyline on the horizon. Colorado spends all autumn telling you to drive into the mountains. This is the hike that suggests you stay put.

What to Expect When Visiting the Shanahan and Big Bluestem Loop in Boulder, Colorado

The loop is genuinely a loop, and the direction matters. Most regulars run it counterclockwise, which spreads the climbing over a gentler grade instead of front-loading it in the first mile. Do it the other way, and you'll gain most of your elevation before you've properly warmed up.

The Shanahan Trail starts the work, climbing through woodland and patchy evergreen forest with the adjacent neighborhood still visible below you for the first stretch. That exposure disappears fast. Higher up, the trail meets Bluestem, which opens into meadow, and the Upper Big Bluestem section drops toward the Mesa Trail over increasingly rocky ground.

Crossing the Mesa Trail is the moment the hike pays off. You come out beneath the Flatirons with the valley opening below and Devil's Thumb standing off on Bear Peak, and the view stretches from the foothills across Boulder to the plains. The Mesa Trail itself is the spine of this whole system, connecting nearly every canyon trail along Boulder's mountain backdrop.

Two practical notes. Black bears live here, so make some noise and keep food packed away. And the loop is endlessly customizable, since half a dozen trails intersect it, which means you can cut this to a two-mile amble or stretch it well past five depending on how the afternoon is going. If you want something closer to Denver instead, we've picked a foliage hike near the city that's about 2 miles.

Why South Boulder Turns a Different Color

The reason this corner of the trail system outperforms in autumn is that it sits at a seam. South Boulder's canyons and mesas fold into each other at enough different angles and elevations to produce a patchwork of microclimates, and that variety supports a much wider range of plant life than a straightforward mountain slope does.

What that means on the ground is layers. You walk out of shaded pine into open grassland and back into forest inside of a mile, and each of those zones is doing something different with the season at the same time. Grasslands go tawny and gold, sumac turns hard red, currant yellows, and the ponderosa simply stays green and makes everything else look brighter by comparison.

It also means the season here runs on a different clock than the high country. Aspen gold above 9,000 feet arrives and vanishes inside a couple of weeks, which is why the mountain passes get so frantic in late September. Grass and shrub color at 6,000 feet holds longer and fades more slowly, so a foothills walk like this one forgives you for showing up a week late.

Plan Your Visit

The usual way in is the Shanahan Ridge access point at the corner of Lehigh and Lafayette streets in South Boulder. There is no trailhead lot and no fee, just street parking in a residential neighborhood, so arrive early on weekends, park considerately, and remember that people live there. Other Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks trailheads nearby, South Mesa among them, do charge for parking, which is worth knowing before you pick your starting point.

This land is managed by the City of Boulder's Open Space and Mountain Parks department, and the two rules that catch visitors are seasonal. Trails in this area are temporarily closed when they're too muddy to walk on without causing damage, and you can get alerts by texting OSMP at 888-777. Dog regulations also vary by section rather than applying across the board: dogs are allowed on Big Bluestem and the Mesa Trail but not on the neighboring Towhee Trail, so check the map for the route you actually plan to walk.

For timing, foothills color around Boulder generally peaks through October, later than the aspens in the high country. Go on a weekday morning if you can, bring more water than a five-mile hike suggests, since the meadow sections are fully exposed, and expect the last descent to be steep in places. For more low-effort payoffs around the state, we've collected Colorado views anyone can reach.

Frequently Asked Questions

AllTrails measures the full circuit at 4.9 miles, with 882 feet of elevation gain, and rates it as moderate, with a typical time of two and a half to three hours. Connecting the trails lets you shorten it to roughly 2 miles if you prefer.

No. The Shanahan Ridge entry sits between houses on a residential corner, with curbside space that fills quickly on weekend mornings and no facilities of any kind. Arrive early and park considerately, because this is somebody's street before it is a trailhead.

October, which runs later than the high-country aspen season. Because the display here comes from grasses and shrubs rather than a single tree species, it holds color longer and is far less sensitive to arriving a few days after peak.

Selection note: The editorial team at Only In Your State chose one fall hike in each state based on editorial research, public access, and the quality of the fall color payoff relative to the effort required. Trail distances are as listed by AllTrails.

That is part of the real-estate story in 2026. The latest U.S. Census Bureau estimate puts Boulder at about 105,700 residents, down from 108,250 in the 2020 Census. Yet the forces that have long constrained Boulder housing remain: the University of Colorado, an extensive open-space system, limited undeveloped land and a tightly defined urban footprint.

City planning documents say Boulder has historically permitted about 400 housing units per year on average. Meanwhile, the city is examining longer-term ways to increase housing capacity.

In a market that constrained, the block can matter as much as the headline.

Those headlines also need context. Zillow put Boulder’s typical home value at about $949,000 at the end of August 2026, up less than 1 percent from a year earlier. Short-term medians can move sharply depending on whether a given month contains more condos, entry-level houses or multimillion-dollar properties.

The larger point is simpler: Boulder remains an expensive, land-constrained market, but value and lifestyle can look very different from one neighborhood to the next.

Martin Acres: Boulder’s Honest Value Play

Martin Acres is classic South Boulder: a grid of mostly 1950s- and 1960s-era ranch homes tucked between Baseline Road, Broadway, Table Mesa and U.S. 36.

It is not inexpensive by national standards. It is simply one of the places where buyers can still find single-family Boulder housing without immediately entering Newlands or Mapleton Hill territory.

The trade-offs are visible. Homes range from largely original mid-century properties to extensively remodeled houses. Streets closer to U.S. 36 can pick up more road noise, while interior blocks can feel surprisingly removed from the highway.

What buyers get is a genuine neighborhood.

Martin Park sits in the middle of the area with Bear Canyon Creek, tennis courts, playing fields, a playground and access to Boulder’s multi-use path system. Creekside Elementary is located on Martin Drive, reinforcing the neighborhood’s walkable, residential character.

Martin Acres is not polished Boulder. That is part of its appeal. It feels lived in.

Table Mesa: Flatirons in the Windshield

Drive west on Table Mesa Drive and Boulder’s geography takes over.

The Flatirons rise directly ahead, and the road eventually reaches the National Center for Atmospheric Research and a trail network connecting into Mesa Trail, Bear Canyon, Fern Canyon and the surrounding foothills.

That proximity is the neighborhood’s defining advantage.

Table Mesa combines mid-century homes, quiet residential streets, nearby shopping and unusually easy access to open space. The Table Mesa Shopping Center provides groceries and everyday services, while Viele Lake and the South Boulder Recreation Center give the neighborhood another recreational center of gravity.

Schools are also a significant part of South Boulder’s appeal. Fairview High School offers both International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement programs, and the surrounding area includes several established Boulder Valley schools.

As always, buyers should verify the attendance boundary for a specific property directly with BVSD because boundaries can change.

Table Mesa is hardly undiscovered. But compared with Chautauqua and central Boulder, it remains less defined by visitors and more by everyday Boulder life.

You can wake up beneath the same Flatirons without living on a sightseeing route.

Wonderland Lake: North Boulder’s Quieter Edge

North Boulder is no longer Boulder’s secret.

The NoBo Art District, new residential development, restaurants, breweries and businesses along Broadway have transformed the northern end of town.

But continue west toward Wonderland Lake and the mood changes.

Wonderland Lake Loop is only 1.1 miles, but it passes through wetlands, prairie and wildlife habitat at the base of the foothills. The surrounding Wonderland Hills streets climb above the lake, where homes can capture foothill and city views while remaining only a few miles from downtown Boulder.

This is where North Boulder splits into two personalities.

NoBo provides the energy: art, businesses, newer development and an increasingly established commercial corridor.

Wonderland provides the exhale.

For buyers who want North Boulder without feeling as though they live in the middle of North Boulder, the streets around Wonderland Lake remain one of the city’s most compelling pockets.

Wonderland Lake

Gunbarrel: More Space, Same Front Range

Gunbarrel sits northeast of central Boulder and includes areas within the city as well as unincorporated Boulder County.

Its appeal is different from downtown Boulder.

You are not walking to Pearl Street. Instead, Gunbarrel offers residential streets, regional trails, nearby employment centers, neighborhood businesses and considerably more breathing room.

Twin Lakes Open Space is one of the anchors, with two easy lakeside trails, wetland habitat and a history tied closely to the neighborhood’s development.

The larger LoBo regional trail system also runs through Gunbarrel, connecting Boulder toward Niwot and Longmont.

School assignments deserve special attention here. BVSD adopted attendance-boundary changes affecting part of Gunbarrel beginning with the 2025–26 school year, including changes involving Heatherwood Elementary and Nevin Platt Middle School. The affected area remains assigned to Boulder High School.

That is another reason to check an exact address rather than assume a school based on the neighborhood name.

Gunbarrel works for buyers willing to exchange walk-to-Pearl convenience for space, trails and a quieter daily rhythm.

Why Boulder’s Quiet Streets Still Matter

Mapleton Hill, Newlands and Chautauqua will always carry a premium. Their combination of architecture, foothill access, mature trees and proximity to downtown is finite.

But that is not the only version of Boulder worth buying into.

Martin Acres offers an established neighborhood at one of the more attainable single-family entry points in the city. Table Mesa puts the foothills at the end of the street. Wonderland Lake offers North Boulder with a quieter edge. Gunbarrel trades downtown proximity for space and an extensive trail network.

Boulder Valley School District adds another layer. The Colorado Department of Education rated BVSD Accredited with Distinction for 2025, the state’s highest accreditation category.

And Boulder itself continues to wrestle with housing supply. The city is studying the roughly 500-acre Area III Planning Reserve north of Boulder, the only part of Area III where future expansion of the city’s service area remains an option. Even under conceptual development scenarios, meaningful development there would be a long-term proposition.

That leaves the fundamentals of Boulder largely intact.

Open space still shapes the city. The foothills still create a hard western edge. Established neighborhoods still carry advantages that cannot simply be manufactured somewhere else.

That combination is part of what continues to make living in Boulder distinctive even as individual neighborhoods and housing prices evolve.

Short-term prices will rise and fall. Different property types will have different years. Individual houses will always depend on condition, location and price.

But Boulder’s quieter neighborhoods reveal something that market statistics alone cannot capture.

Sometimes the best Boulder address is not the one everybody recognizes.

It is the street where you can walk to a trail, know your neighbors, see the Flatirons on the way home—and forget that anyone else considers Boulder a destination.