🪔 Holiday Artisan Market & Festival of Light

Happy Friday, Boulder! 🌞

Hi, Ben here. If you’re craving a holiday event that’s equal parts festive and very Boulder, this weekend’s Festival of Light is your spot. Think handmade gifts, yoga breaks, live music, art-making, and yes — an alpaca or two wandering around like they own the place. It’s wholesome, free, and running all weekend long.

Want more local recs? Check out our Things to Do in Boulder, Best Restaurants, and Date-Worthy Spots for even more ideas.

🐐 Help Us Name Our New Mascot!

Meet our newest team member — the adventurous little goat who’ll be guiding you through all the best things happenin’ around town. But uh… we forgot one thing.

He needs a name.

And we’re letting YOU decide.

⚡ Don’t Leave This Goat Nameless — Vote Now!

Click an option to vote

📣 Quick Favor? Take Our 2025 Reader Survey!

We’re leveling up What’s Happenin’ and your voice guides everything we build. From the events we feature to the stories we cover, this newsletter is shaped by you, the people who actually read it.

We put together a quick 2-minute Reader Survey to learn what you value most, why you read, and how we can make this an even better part of your week.

👉 Take the Annual Reader Survey (2025) — your answers directly shape the future of this newsletter!

Your feedback = better stories, better events, better everything.

Thanks for being here ❤️

The Bulletin

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🪔 Holiday Artisan Market & Festival of Light

🎶 What’s Happenin’ Boulder 🎭

Want more? See the full calendar → Boulder Event Calendar

💼 Local Jobs Worth Checking Out

We believe great communities connect people to great opportunities.

Local Happenings

CU Boulder Joins NASA’s Artemis IV Mission 🚀

Lunar Outpost, a Colorado-based space robotics company, just landed its 7th NASA mission — and it includes major brainpower from CU Boulder, University of Central Florida, and UC Berkeley.

Why it matters

Artemis IV will explore the Moon’s South Pole, laying the groundwork for long-term human presence. Boulder’s role centers on solving one of lunar exploration’s biggest headaches: lunar dust.

The mission

• Lunar Outpost’s MAPP rover will carry the DUSTER science package, designed at CU Boulder’s LASP.

• Instruments will analyze how dust and plasma behave during landings, liftoffs, astronaut activity, and natural lunar conditions.

• Findings will help NASA improve crew safety and reduce equipment risk for future missions.

The Moon lacks a magnetic field, meaning dust gets electrically charged and “floats,” causing visibility issues, gear degradation, and health risks. Artemis IV aims to understand — and finally manage — that challenge.

Read More-->>

🎁 See You Out There

Support local artists, shop something meaningful, and make it a post-holiday Saturday filled with creativity and connection. Bring the kids, bring friends, or just bring your generous mood — you’ll fit right in.