Let’s be honest. Greeley doesn’t exactly top the list of places to see in the state of Colorado. But the Greeley Stampede is worth visiting. Here’s five reasons why:

1. There’s a huge midway with lots of carnival food. You want a corn dog? Go to Greeley. How about a fried candy bar? It’s there. Pork chop on a stick? Go Greeley, Young Man.
2. The rodeo is great. It’s the world’s largest Fourth of July rodeo. So, go…and marvel and the brave men who ride bulls or jump off horses to tackle a steer running balls-out.
3. If you come from a small town, you’ll appreciate the rides. They’ll remind you of the county fair. If you blew chunks on the Tilt-A-Whirl or the Gavitron, you’ll love the Stampede’s cavalcade of carnival rides.
4. The Western art exhibit has some really great stuff. The Stampede does a good job of pulling in artists from around the west and plenty from right here in Colorado. Plus, it’s in an air-conditioned room, which you’ll probably need if you’re there in the afternoon.
5. You’ll feel a lot less like the condescending, pretentious urban schmuck that you really are. Especially if you manage to keep your complaints about the loud country music, the big carbon-emitting trucks and the public smoking to yourself.

The Greeley Stampede
What: Kind of like a really big county fair with a huge rodeo, too.
When: Through July 6th.
Where: Greeley, Colo. (About 45 miles north of Denver)
Who: The Gambler, Kenny Rogers, performs Independence Day Night.
Cost: Good tickets to the rodeo are $22. Carnival rides will cost you extra.
Info: http://www.greeleystampede.org/

The following calendar will not include art films or porn. It’s a good old-fashioned popcorn flick list. They’re the kind of movies that make us forget we have a dead-end job, it’s hot outside and we’re tired of all the booze. They’re pure fantasy, and that’s what the dog days call for. 

May 22: Indiana Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

The advance buzz on this flick is that it sucks. But you know what? For anyone between the ages of 27 and 37, there’s no way this movie will suck. There’s just too much nostalgia involved. 

May 30: Sex and City

Just go ahead and take your woman and get it over with. Don’t tell anyone, but I’m a closet fan of this show. Come guys, you know we all want to meet our own version of Samantha. If it gets too bad, just close your eyes and pretend you’re watching Kim Cattrall in Big Trouble in Little China.

June 13: The Incredible Hulk

This movie was made a few years ago as a vehicle for Eric Bana. That concept alone made sure the director of that film, Ang Lee, was going to make a piece of shit. This new version stars Ed Norton, which means it will kick ass. 

June 27: Wanted

Director Timur Bekmambetov loosely adapts the comic book by the same name. He directed Russian fantasy/sci-fi hits Night Watch and Day Watch (both worth renting) and leads Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, and James McAvoy in this story of mystics and assassins.

July 2: Hancock

A drunk and homeless superhero played by Will Smith. Hmmm... This might just be interesting enough.

July 11: Hellboy II: The Golden Army

The original Hellboy was a sleeper in 2004 as another comic book adaptation. The sequel should be as good with the return cast and director Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth)

July 12: The Dark Knight

Be sure to catch Heath Ledger’s last complete picture and then wonder why aren’t very many American actors in what should be a quintessentially American movie. Then realize you don’t care because this movie’s so good. Remember to thank director Christopher Nolan for canning Katie Holmes and finding a new love interest for Bruce Wayne.

July 25: The X-Files: I Want to Believe

Go hang out with all your old nerd friends one last time. Seriously, this should be a decent film. If it isn’t, I’m going to blame the government. Let’s all say a collective prayer The Lone Gunmen make a cameo in this movie. 

August 15: Tropic Thunder

With Jack Black and Ben Stiller this movie can’t suck. But then again, we’ve been told that before. Haven’t we? 

Anyway, consider the rest of the summer stuff as “straight-to-your-DVD.”

The aptly name Monolith Festival has officially announced the lineup for this year's two-day multi-stage festival. Sadly, since I did not attend last year's inaugural event, I'm in a poor position to compare the two. I can say that I will be equally disappointed if I miss this indie rock fest again.

It all goes down on Saturday and Sunday, September 13 and 14. Denver's own Devotcka headlines on Saturday. Tickets go on sale this Friday at 10am, so get in line people!

The complete lineup (so far) is as follows:

Saturday, September 13
Devotchka
Silversun Pickups
Neko Case
Vampire Weekend
Mickey Avalon
Del tha Funky Homosapien
Cut Copy
The Fratellis
Superdrag
The Kills
Holy Fuck
White Denim
The Night Marchers
A Place to Bury Strangers
The Photo Atlas
The Hood Internet
John Vanderslice
Darker My Love
Cameron McGill and What Army
Blitzen Trapper
The Presets
Pop Levi
Pwrfl Power
The Morning Benders
Boyhollow

Sunday, September 14
Justice
TV on the Radio
Band of Horses
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings
CSS
The Avett Brothers
Tokyo Police Club
Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip
Akron/Family
The Bronx
Tilly and the Wall
The Heavy
The Cribs
The Ting Tings
Airborne Toxic Event
Bright Channel
Chester French
Grampall Jookabox
The Rosewood Thieves
Hearts of Palm
The Giraffes
The Elms

Denver joins the ranks of 8 cities in celebrating Earth Day with the Green Apple Festival - a free gathering featuring music and speakers to raise environmental awareness. Denver's celebration kicks off at 12 noon on April 20th at City Park. Music acts to include The Neville Brothers, The Benevento/Russo Duo, Rose Hill Drive, and The Heydey. The event promises to "combine environmental addresses by prominent speakers and educational displays with music and entertainment, on the theme of environmental awareness." It might not quite match the star power of New York, D.C., etc. but it should make for a fine Sunday afternoon.

The festival is not limited to just Sunday though. Events will be happening at venues across Denver and Boulder.  Check out the Green Apple Festival link below for more info.  Christine Spehar, a frequent contributor to Cairn, will be promoting Ruckus Roots at the Earth Day event in Boulder at the Fox on Sunday. So no matter where you live, get out there and show your support for Mother Earth! For more information on all these goings on as well as Earth Day check out the links below:

Green Apple Festival

Earth Day

Ruckus Roots

Spring is in the air, and as people all over Colorado prepare to bid an epic ski season a fond farewell, Vodka 14 has just the thing to start spring off right: a new batch of organic seasonal cocktail recipes. These refreshing new cocktail recipes all feature a palette of light, fresh fruit flavors to compliment the warming weather and, of course, they’re all mixed with pure Rocky Mountain organic Vodka 14. Conspicuously absent from these recipes are artificial flavors and sweeteners that overwhelm the delicate flavors that make for excellent spring cocktails. Vodka 14 blends seamlessly with natural flavors thanks to its remarkable purity. The USDA-Certified Organic vodka is free from chemical residues of any kind and is craft distilled in the Rocky Mountains using an advanced continuous column distillation system, yielding a taste so smooth that it will compliment even the subtlest flavors.

Fix yourself a perfect seasonal cocktail and raise a glass to the coming of spring!

Caipiroska 14

An organic twist on the Brazilian classic. Muddle half an organic lime with one teaspoon of carbinado sugar, bar sugar (superfine granulated sugar) or organic sweetener. Place in an 8 ounce tumbler. Add crushed ice, 3 ounces Vodka 14, lots of whole fresh mint sprigs and a little water. Stir.

Lemon Drop Martini 14

A refined take on the classic shot: Pour 3 ounces of Vodka 14 into a shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Add 2 ounces of French sparkling organic lemonade, pink or clear. Add a squeeze of fresh, tart lemon juice. Garnish with a whole crosswise slice of lemon.

Fuzzy Peach Martini 14

Shake 2 and 1/2 ounces Vodka 14 on ice. Strain into a large martini glass. Add 2 ounces organic peach nectar (or 1 ounce peach schnapps). Stir in 1/2 ounce heavy cream and a dash of organic, fair trade vanilla extract. Garnish with a fresh, fuzzy western slope peach slice and a sprig of fresh mint.

Enjoy!!

It seems that the Colorado has full on music festival fever now. Maybe it was the success of last year's Monolith Festival, but we can now get all hot and sweaty and the inaugural Mile High Music Festival. The two day event will take place the weekend of July 19 at the bright and shiny Dick's Sporting Goods Park with headliners Dave Matthews, Tom Petty, and John Mayer. Tickets go on sale March 29th at 10am.

The festival will have five stages, food from area restaurants, and an "artists village." You'll even recognize a few of the acts from last year's Monolith as well (we're looking at you Spoon). Overall, it seems an effort was made to have a reasonable mix of artists (local included) and genres. You be the judge:

Saturday 7/19
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
O.A.R.
Michael Franti and Spearhead
Steve Winwood
Spoon
moe.
Citizen Cope
Andrew Bird
Josh Ritter
State Radio
JJ Grey & Mofro
Bob Schneider
Brett Dennen
Newton Faulkner
Meese
Born In The Flood
Railbenders

Sunday 7/20
Dave Matthews Band
John Mayer
The Black Crowes
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Flogging Molly
Colbie Caillat
OneRepublic
The Roots
Leftover Salmon
Martin Sexton
Flobots
Ingrid Michaelson
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Tea Leaf Green
Rose Hill Drive
The New Mastersounds
Serena Ryder
The Photo Atlas

The Colorado premiere of the award-winning documentary "Blindsight" will be in Denver on March 13th, 2008 at 7PM at the Mayan Theatre (110 Broadway). The film has won Audience Awards for Best Film at many major film festivals worldwide and was nominated for Best Documentary Film in Britain.

Attendees will have a chance to meet Erik Weihenmayer and Sabriye Tenberken, founder of Braille without Borders, as well as many of the students who participate in Global Explorers Leading the Way programs for blind and sighted students. Proceeds from the event will support Global Explorers and Braille without Borders. Global Explorers is a Colorado-based non-profit and was featured in Issue 3 of Cairn Magazine.

Set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Himalayas, "Blindsight" follows the gripping adventure of six Tibetan teenagers who set out to climb the 23,000-foot Lhakpa Ri on the north side of Mount Everest. A dangerous journey soon becomes a seemingly impossible challenge made all the more remarkable by the fact that the teenagers are blind. The resulting three-week journey is beyond anything any of them could have predicted.

Tickets to the movie are $25. If you would like to attend a VIP Reception prior to the film with Erik, Sabriye and other cast members and the film producers, the cost is $100. The VIP Reception begins at 5 PM at the Hornet (76 Broadway) and includes food and drinks.

You can purchase tickets online at www.globalexplorers.org/events/ or by calling Global Explorers at 877-627-1425 or emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it with the Subject line of "Blindsight".

Get out and support this great cause!

Another posting from Boulder...

Burnt Toast is a restaurant located on The Hill in Boulder. Burnt Toast has the ambience of an old town coffee shop that eschews symmetry in favor of the beauty of the found object. The staff is welcoming, the food delicious, and every Thursday night, they have a wine tasting. It's a laid-back social affair, involving several bottles, loosely chosen around a theme. Attendees are typically of varying degrees of sophistication but no less eager to sample the selected vintages and to nibble on the fruits, cheeses, and meats provided by the restaurant. I've found that the tastings are inconsistently attended. One night, it might be standing room only and on other nights it could be an intimate affair with you, your friends and the hosts. The only sure thing is that you'll enjoy yourself.

A little over a week ago, they swapped wine for bourbon, and we tasted everything from "moonshine" to varieties that had been aged for almost two decades. It was a quiet night, with myself and some friends the only ones in attendance. I always felt a bit out of my league when it comes to tasting wine. But bourbon is less demanding. It seemed much easier to zero in on the qualities you liked and didn't like. Overall it was a fine night. I'm not sure if and when they'll do bourbon again, but if you have a free Thursday night, and a penchant for good food and wine in a relaxed, inviting atmosphere, check it out.