Longmont’s Weird and Wonderful

Every town has its quirks — Longmont just leans all the way in. Some folks around here even call themselves Longmonsters (there’s a town mascot, Monty — a cheerful greenish-blue creature with horns and eyes on top of his head; I’m not making this up). That embrace-the-odd spirit is part of why I love it here — but so is the genuine warmth: Longmont is welcoming, creative, and community-minded in a way that makes you want to stay.

There’s something personal in it for me, too. I grew up right beside the Mexican border in California, and Mexican culture is part of my own heritage. Longmont holds a rich cultural heritage of its own — a vibrant Latino and Mexican-American community, with a south-of-the-border warmth woven through its food, art, and celebrations — just enough that I don’t feel too far from home.

So here are some of my favorite things about Longmont — the delicious, the delightful, and the downright wonderfully strange. I hope they help you feel at home while you’re here, and that you find a few favorites of your own.

Eat & Drink

Breakfast & Brunch

• Hidden Cafe — 829 Main St, Ste 5. A beloved, family-owned little nook for breakfast and lunch, famous for homemade cinnamon rolls and daily specials.
• Janie’s Cafe — 431 Main St · (303) 776-1531. A cozy downtown gem serving hearty homestyle breakfast; opens at 6am, closes at 2pm daily. Perfect for early risers.
• Longmont Brunch Club — 1135 Francis St. Classic brunch done right: fluffy pancakes, golden waffles, hearty skillets, and eggs benedict. Find them at longmontbrunchclub.com.
• Pistachio Cafe — 2333 N Main St · (303) 772-3356. A local café and bakery serving breakfast all day, with pastries worth the trip. Find them at pistachiolongmont.com.
• Tangerine — 379 Main St · (720) 815-2888. Elevated, creative brunch in downtown Longmont — specialty coffee, fresh juices, and beautiful egg dishes. Find them at tangerineeats.com.

Lunch & Dinner

• Flavor of India — 370 Main St · (303) 682-9010. Authentic Indian cuisine and a local favorite since 2006; rich curries, tandoori, and a well-loved lunch buffet.
• Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard — 4301 City Centre Dr. A Colorado drive-thru staple for all-natural burgers and thick frozen custard. Perfect for a quick, tasty bite. Find them at goodtimesburgers.com.
• Mana Thai Comfort Food — 510 3rd Ave. A mom-and-pop shop voted best Thai in Longmont, with warm, attentive owners and deeply comforting dishes. Find them at manathaicomfortfood.com.
• Nana’s Dim Sum & Dumplings — 125 Ken Pratt Blvd. A beloved local spot for handmade dumplings and dim sum favorites. Find them at nanasdimsumanddumplings.com.
• Teocalli Cocina — 460 Main St · (720) 526-3914. Vibrant modern Mexican in the heart of downtown. Find them at teocallicocina.com.
• Urban Field Pizza & Market — 150 Main St, Ste 202. Creative wood-fired pizzas and homemade pastas with local, fresh ingredients, in a warm downtown space. Find them at urbanfieldpizza.com.
• West Side Tavern — 1283 3rd Ave. A friendly gastropub in a renovated 1915 grocery store in Old Town, with excellent burgers, sandwiches, and crafted cocktails. Find them at westsidetav.com.

Local Coffee (no chains here)

• Best Day Ever! Coffee + Crepes — 516 Coffman St. Coffee and made-from-scratch crepes served by a joyful team of adults with disabilities — a favorite for the food and the heart behind it. (Try a lavender latte.) Find them at bestdayevercoffeeandcrepes.com.
• Cavegirl Coffee — 720 100 Year Party Ct, Ste 100. Good vibes and feel-good food; everything gluten-free and baked in-house with organic ingredients. Find them at cavegirl.coffee.
• Java Stop — 301 Main St. Longmont’s oldest coffee shop, tucked inside the historic Imperial Hotel: giant muffins, house-made breakfast sandwiches, and a relaxed, boho feel.
• Luminous Tea House & Café — 624 Main St. For the tea lovers — a serene, beautifully-reviewed spot. Find them at luminoustea.com.
• MeCo Coffee Collective — 627 Main St. Roasts its beans right here in Longmont and bakes everything in-house. Feels like your favorite neighborhood hangout. Find them at mecolongmont.com.
• Wild Bloom Coffee Collective — 1139 Francis St. A bright, modern neighborhood coffee shop with espresso drinks and pastries — and it’s right around the corner from the Sanctuary. A lovely, close-by spot to gather.

Specialty Treasures

• Bella La Crema — 931 Main St. A whole shop devoted to butter — small-batch cultured and compound butters in 20+ flavors, with free tastings. Yes, a butter bar. It’s wonderful. Find them at bellalacrema.com.
• Cheese Importers — 103 Main St · (303) 772-9599. A Longmont institution since 1976 — walk into “La Fromagerie,” a huge refrigerated European marketplace with 350+ cheeses, cured meats, olives, chocolate, and a little French café. Bring a layer; the cheese room is chilly, and that’s part of the magic. Find them at cheeseimporters.com.

A Taste of Home — Mexican & Latino Longmont

The part of Longmont that keeps me feeling close to my roots.

Restaurants

• Blue Corn Tacos — 1515 Main St, Ste 5. My favorite — homemade blue corn tortillas, fresh street tacos and burritos, order at the counter. Close to home and always worth it.
• La Mariposa Mexican Restaurant — 2033 Ken Pratt Blvd. A festive sit-down spot for Mexican classics and margaritas. Find them at lamariposarestaurants.com.
• Las Palmeras — 199 S Main St. A longtime family-run favorite serving hearty Mexican plates since 2008. Find them at laspalmeraslongmont.com.
• Rosa Cantina — 2333 Main St. Lively Mexican dining with a big tequila selection. Find them at rosalongmont.com.
• Tacos Al Molcajete — 926 Main St. A well-loved spot for authentic street tacos and molcajete specialties. Find them at tacosalmolcajeteco.com.
• Teocalli Cocina — 460 Main St. Vibrant modern Mexican in the heart of downtown. Find them at teocallicocina.com.

Mercados & Carnicerías (Latino groceries)

• Carnicería El Cerrito — 936 Main St. A clean, well-stocked meat market with fresh produce and Mexican groceries.
• Longmont Packing — 823 Ken Pratt Blvd. A lively hub for authentic Mexican groceries and meats (great carne asada).
• Save A Lot (y Más) — 1750 N Main St. Plus the local tortillerías around town — for fresh tortillas and pantry staples.

Taco Trucks

• Some of the best, most authentic bites in town come on wheels — look for the taco trucks along Main Street, and there’s often one parked in the Home Depot lot. Follow your nose; that’s half the fun.

Weird & Wonderful

(The quirky delights that make Longmont, Longmont.)

Quirky Houses

• The Birdhouse House — Bowen at 16th St. The home and yard of Longmont artist Marco Viera of Handy Latin, an “artscaper” who builds birdhouses, planters, walls, and whimsical creatures almost entirely from recycled and found materials. His yard is a riot of color and imagination — worth the slow drive-by. “When you’re in the yard at sunset, the art changes. It’s magic,” he says. See his work at handylatin.com.
• The Flagstone Mountain House — [details coming].
• The Mushroom House — [street/area]. The home of local artist Mackenzie Soporific, who has painted giant, gorgeously realistic mushrooms across her lime-green house — pure whimsy and joy. She shares it openly, and she’s painting a mural on the Sanctuary’s garage soon! (Follow her work: [add Facebook link])

Arts & Culture

Downtown Longmont is a state-certified Creative District — an official arts-and-culture hub packed with public art, galleries, theaters, and live music nearly every night of the week.

• Butterscotch Studios — a women- and queer-owned music-lessons and art collective that also hosts intimate house concerts — so much heart and fun. More at butterscotchstudios.com.
• Dickens Opera House — a historic downtown music hall hosting live concerts, performances, and ticketed events. More at dickensoperahouse.co.
• Firehouse Art Center — 667 4th Ave. Longmont’s leading contemporary gallery, with ~20 rotating exhibitions a year plus art classes and workshops. More at firehouseart.org.
• Longmont Museum & Stewart Auditorium — 400 Quail Rd. Changing exhibits in history, art, and science, plus concerts and performances in the intimate Stewart Auditorium.
• Longmont Symphony Orchestra — classical to modern concerts at the Vance Brand Civic Auditorium.
• Muse Gallery — run by the Longmont Council for the Arts, showing local, regional, and national artists, with a space dedicated to emerging young artists.
• TinkerMill — Colorado’s largest makerspace: woodworking, metal, electronics, textiles, 3D printing, and more, all under one roof. A wonderland for makers and the curious. More at tinkermill.org.
• Wander the Creative District — downtown is full of murals, galleries, artist studios, and 15+ venues with live music. Just stroll and see what you find.

Summer Music (Free & Festive)

• BLISS — Colorado Chant & Sacred Sound Festival — an immersive August weekend of kirtan, chant, sacred sound, and ceremony at Yellow Barn Farm near Longmont. Right up the Sanctuary’s alley. More at blisssacredsoundfest.com.
• Downtown Summer Concerts — Friday evenings downtown (5:30–9pm) at 4th & Kimbark, with local food trucks, craft drinks, kids’ activities, a maker market, and free parking. Details here.
• Rhythm on the River — a beloved Longmont festival for 25+ years: free concerts on multiple stages, food trucks, art, and a big community celebration.
• Thursday Nights @ the Museum — free outdoor concerts in the Longmont Museum courtyard in June and July. Bring a lawn chair and a picnic; food trucks on select nights. Details here.
• Longmont Conscious Kinship Collective — follow us on Facebook for ongoing local happenings across conscious Longmont.

Community Happenings

• ArtWalk on Main — each September, Main Street closes down for a joyful arts festival: multiple stages of music and performance, artist booths across every medium, food trucks, and family fun (part of Longmont Arts Week). Details here.
• Boulder County Fairgrounds — the big event campus on the east side of Hover St (at Boston Ave). Home to the Boulder County Fair in early August (free admission and parking, with a rodeo, livestock and carnival, and concerts), the
• Longmont Farmers Market (Saturdays 8am–1pm, April–November), plus trade shows, dog and horse shows, and community events all year. See what’s on at bouldercountyfair.org.
• Longmont Bike Night — Colorado’s oldest and largest weekly family-friendly cruiser ride: a joyful, theme-loving group roll that heads out Wednesday evenings (6:30pm) from Roosevelt Park in the warm months. All ages, all bikes. Weekly themes posted at downtownlongmont.com.
• Second Fridays — on the second Friday of every month (6–9pm), downtown comes alive with a gallery art walk: open studios and galleries, live music, performances, food, and shops staying open late (through the Downtown Creative District). Details here.

Mind, Body & Spirit

Longmont has a warm and thriving wellness and contemplative community — here are a few gathering places for practice.

Yoga

• E8 Yoga — 1127 Francis St. A community-focused, locally owned studio with yoga, meditation, sound baths, and Kundalini — and it’s right around the corner from the Sanctuary. Find them at e8yoga.com.
• Shri Studios — a warm, family-feel studio in a roomy standalone building.
• SOL 19 Yoga — 1350 Ken Pratt Blvd. Voted Longmont’s best yoga studio five years running, with a wide range of yoga, meditation, barre, breathwork, and strength classes. Find them at sol19yoga.com.
• Yoga Pearl — known for thoughtful sequencing and experienced instructors.

Buddhist & Meditation

• Longmont Buddhist Temple — 606 Pike Rd (NW corner of Pike Rd & US 287). A welcoming temple with Sunday meditation at 10am. Find them at longmontbuddhism.org.
• Longmont Shambhala Meditation Group — meditation rooted in the Shambhala tradition of basic goodness, with regular sits and classes. More at mistnow.org.

Tai Chi & Qi Gong

• Energy Arts Training Center — 1602 9th Ave. Tai chi, qigong, and meditation in the Taoist water tradition (founded by Bruce Frantzis), with classes, workshops, and retreats. Find them at energyarts.com.
• Great Way Chinese Martial Arts — 512 11th Ave · (303) 651-2526. Teaching kung fu, tai chi, chi gong, and meditation in Longmont for 30+ years.
• Blue Heron Tai Chi — tai chi and qigong classes offered around town, including at the Longmont Senior Center. Find them at blueherontaichi.com.

Getting Around

From the airport (DIA): The Longmont Shuttle is up and running — a daily door-to-door shuttle that picks up at any Longmont address to and from Denver International Airport. It runs roughly hourly, from about 4am until the last run around 11:30pm (about a 45–70 minute ride). Around $55 one-way for the first passenger, $30 for a second from the same address, with discounts for seniors and military. Book online or call (720) 223-5474. You can also take a Lyft, or ride the A-Line train from DIA to Denver’s Union Station and connect to Longmont by RTD bus.

Around town — Longmont has some genuinely great, cheap ways to get around:

• Lyft operates here too.
• Ride Free Longmont — free rides on the local Longmont bus routes, paid for by the city. More here.
• RIDE Longmont — an on-demand, shared corner-to-corner microtransit service for just $2 ($1 for students, seniors, and riders with disabilities). Request in the app or call 970-538-9097. Runs Mon–Sat 6am–8pm, Sun 9am–5pm. More here.
• RTD buses connect Longmont to Boulder, Denver, and the wider region.

Out in Nature

Coloradans love to be outside — and Longmont is no exception. The town is ringed with lakes and threaded with miles of paved greenways and trails for walking, running, and biking. Plan a ride or walk with the Longmont biking & trails guide.

Staying with us? I keep gear available to rent during your stay: a stand-up paddleboard ($35/day, life vest included) and two bikes ($25/day each, helmets included). Just ask — and we’ll have you fill out a quick liability waiver first (link to liability waiver).

• Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forest — just west of town the mountains open into endless trails, alpine lakes, and wilderness. Real Colorado nature, minutes away.
• Golden Ponds — gentle walking paths, great birdwatching, and fishing (no swimming/boating). Details here.
• McIntosh Lake — a west-side lake wrapped by a scenic ~3.5-mile trail; lovely for walking, running, cycling, and flatwater paddleboarding (no swimming here). Perfect for that paddleboard — ask to borrow mine. Details here.
• St. Vrain Greenway — [add your favorite stretch] — the “crown jewel” of Longmont’s trails: about 8 miles of paved path along the creek, from Golden Ponds to Sandstone Ranch. Details here.
• Union Reservoir — the one place you can swim in Longmont: a sandy swim beach (lifeguards in peak summer), plus fishing, paddling, and sailing. Details here.

Say Hello to the Prairie Dogs

Keep an eye out for one of the prairie’s most fabulous residents: the black-tailed prairie dog. Colorado is full of them, and once you know what you’re watching, they’re endlessly entertaining. They live in sprawling underground “towns” organized into tight-knit family groups, greet each other with a little kiss, and keep one of the most sophisticated vocal languages in the animal kingdom — researchers have found their alarm calls can actually describe a predator’s size, shape, color, and speed. Watch long enough and you’ll catch the “jump-yip”: one pops up, throws its arms to the sky with a joyful yip, and the call ripples across the whole town like a stadium wave. They’re also a keystone species — their burrows shelter burrowing owls and other creatures, and their colonies feed hawks, eagles, and foxes, so a thriving prairie-dog town means a thriving prairie.

Where to see them: there’s a colony on the far side of McIntosh Lake if you don’t mind the walk around, and you’ll notice them in open fields and prairie edges all over town — once you start looking, they’re everywhere.

Within Driving Distance

Colorado’s greatest hits are an easy drive from Longmont:

• Chautauqua & the Flatirons, Boulder (~25 minutes) — iconic hikes at the foot of the Flatirons, plus historic cottages and cultural programs. More at chautauqua.com.
• Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs (~2 hours) — towering red-rock formations, free to the public. More at gardenofgods.com.
• Rocky Mountain National Park & Estes Park (~1 hour) — 300+ miles of trails, alpine lakes, and elk among the peaks. (Timed-entry permits are required in summer — plan ahead.) More at visitestespark.com.
• And so much more nearby — Boulder’s Pearl Street, the mountain towns of Lyons and Nederland, Brainard Lake, and Eldorado Canyon — trailheads and beauty in every direction.

Just in Case

Practical spots, verified — hopefully you’ll never need them.

• AFC Urgent Care — 589 S Hover St, Unit 500 · (720) 961-9700
• Longmont United Hospital (Emergency Room, 24/7) — 1950 Mountain View Ave · (303) 651-5111
• Pharmacies — Walgreens, CVS, King Soopers, and Costco all have pharmacies in town. (Costco’s pharmacy often has the best prices, and you don’t need a membership card to use it.)
• UCHealth Emergency Room – Longmont — 2101 Main St · (720) 745-8020
• In an emergency, always call 911.

Have a Longmont gem I should add? I’d love to hear about it.