Late summer moving into early fall is my favorite time of year in Colorado. Usually, the heat is dying down and nature is starting to show off its fall colors. In other words, it’s the perfect time of the year to spend outdoors.

If the weather isn’t excuse enough to explore some of the beautiful open spaces around Jefferson County, PLAN Jeffco’s In Plein Sight festival is back Sept. 10-15 to add an artistic touch to nature. The free, six-day public painting event features 25 professional artists painting at different Jeffco Open Space locations. The completed works can be seen at the Golden Community Center, 1470 10th St. in Golden, Sept. 12-16, with new works being added as they are completed.

“We want to get people into parks and see what can be done in them,” said John Litz, PLAN Jeffco board member and event chair. PLAN is a nonprofit organization that advocates for open space. “And, if they see art being created they like, they can take a little of the park home.”

All the artists are creating work In plein air, which means “open air,” and was developed in the mid-19th century by French impressionists including Monet, Pissarro and Renoir. The nine returning artists and 16 new ones will spend each day in different locations, like Lair O’ the Bear Park, Elk Meadow Park, and along the Clear Creek Trail in downtown Golden. Art fans can watch the artists work for free and buy the paintings if they find something that moves them.

When In Plein Sight hosted its first event in 2016, more than $35,000 of artwork was sold.

“It has become more important than ever to preserve our open space as the Colorado population continues to boom,” Litz said. “We feel this event is the perfect way to celebrate our parks and inspire a new generation to learn how to both conserve and enjoy the gorgeous landscape that draws so many to our beautiful state.”

For more information, including painting schedules, visit www.planjeffco.org.

Rugby and beer at Bruises and Brews

Some kinds of sporting events just seem to perfectly pair with beer, and one of those perfect pairings is definitely rugby.

Which is what makes Glendale’s Bruises and Brews Beerfest, held from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 24 and 3 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 25, such a great event. Held at the Festival Plaza at Infinity Park, 4599 E. Tennessee Ave. in Glendale, the event is hosted in conjunction with the international RugbyTown Sevens tournament.

For rugby fans, the event features 20 teams from across the world in one place. Sevens rugby, a variation on 15-a-side rugby union play, was recently featured in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

For those more interested in the brews side of the event, it features more than 20 local and national breweries, as well as distilleries and hard ciders.

For tickets and all other information, visit www.glendalebeerfest.com.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Dave Matthews Band at Fiddler’s Green

As someone who entered their teen years in the late 1990s, the Dave Matthews Band was one of those groups that seemed to be in the air at all times. They had a slew of radio hits and their tour stops in Denver were among the biggest concerts of the year.

While the band, formed in Charlottesville, Virginia, in the early 1990s, may not be the same radio powerhouse they used to be, the group still knows how to put on quite the show.

The Dave Matthews Band will be stopping by Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, 6350 Greenwood Plaza Blvd. in Greenwood Village, at 8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 24 and Saturday, Aug. 25.

The band’s latest album “Come Tomorrow,” is their first in six years, and one of my favorite pop albums of the year.

Don’t miss the group by getting your tickets at www.fiddlersgreenamp.com

Say ‘aloha’ to the summer in Highlands Ranch

Get into the aloha spirit as the summer winds down thanks to the Pi’ilani Hawaiian Civic Club of Colorado.

The 6th Annual Ho’olaule’a will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 25, at Highlands Ranch Civic Green Park, 9370 Ridgeline Blvd. in Highlands Ranch.

The Ho’olaule’a is a free event that celebrates Hawaiian and Polynesian culture and includes entertainment, vendors of gifts and food, children’s activities and cultural arts demonstrations. Slack-key guitarist George Kahumoku Jr. will also be offering workshops for those interested.

Monies raised by the Ho’olaule’a help provide resources for the under-served Hawaiian and Polynesian community in Colorado. The Pi’ilani Hawaiian Civic Club of Colorado offers college scholarships, language and cultural classes, as well as civic and community service activities.

Visit www.piilani.org/aloha/ for more information.

Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. A community editor with Colorado Community Media, he can be reached creader@coloradocommunitymedia.com.