Boulder County Athletes Are Rising: Erie High Lands Among Colorado’s Best in 2026 Colorado continues to prove it is one of the premier states in the country for developing elite athletes. From Olympic gold medalists to professional superstars, the pipeline of talent runs deep—and it all starts at the high school level. Legends like Missy […]

Colorado mornings have a way of reminding us why so many people love living here. This stunning black-and-white photo taken in Erie, Colorado captures one of those unforgettable moments. As the first light of day begins to rise over the landscape, the snow-covered peaks of the Continental Divide stand tall in the distance, creating a […]

Today’s Epic Outdoor Picture of the Day captures a striking daytime moment in Erie, Colorado, one of Boulder’s most scenic neighbors and a quiet favorite for open-sky adventures. Photographed by award-winning Colorado photographer Lenny Lensworth Frieling , this image freezes the raw energy behind hot air ballooning—the powerful flames firing upward as the balloon is […]

How do you navigate a hot air balloon? Today is Day Number One of the three-day Erie Balloon Festival. We can find it with our phones and navigation is easy. It is across the street from the Erie High School. But once there, how do we navigate the hot air balloon??? Hot air balloons are […]

Get up early. The balloon action starts with the rising sun on 7/11/2025. Photographers, in the old days I would have said “bring a lot of film!” Boulder’s neighbor Erie (in both Boulder and Weld Counties) holds a yearly balloon festival. You can wander around the action close enough to feel the blasts of heat […]

  Erie Balloon Festival 2025: Colorado’s Must-See Free Hot Air Balloon Event This Weekend Catch breathtaking balloon launches just after sunrise in Erie, Colorado—perfect for photos, families, and summer fun. The Erie Balloon Festival 2025 is ready to take off this weekend, and if you’re near Boulder or anywhere along Colorado’s Front Range, this free […]

  Boulder’s next-door neighbor, Erie, Colorado, has just earned national recognition as one of the fastest-growing wealthy suburbs in America. According to a recent GoBankingRates study, Erie ranked No. 4 on the list, experiencing a staggering 39.02% population increase from 2018 to 2023. With its high median income of $163,644 and an average home value […]

Ballooning starts early. Light was just breaking (mostly in my imagination) when baskets are already being lowered from the back of pickup trucks. Teamwork and cooperation are essential. Balloons are unloaded, laid out on the ground, and filling begins. The main body of balloon-filling air initially is supplied by large powerful fans run on generators. […]

  Art is easy. Photography is easy. What is hard is getting up early enough to see the art. Photographers have long known that the best, most fun and interesting light is during the “golden hours,” around sunrise and around sunset. Fine. So we know the secret. What’s hard about that? EASY! The hard part […]

The sun rises over Eastern Boulder County at the Erie Balloon Festival. I arrived at 5:15 AM to make sure I did not miss part of the show! The rising sun lights the clouds where the hot air balloons are welcomed! Here we are at the third picture and so far not even one balloon! […]