For the next eight weekends, if you find yourself hiking around Chautauqua and see a group of 30 or so hikers following around a handful of costumed actors dressed as Alice in Wonderland characters, don’t be alarmed. It’s just Arts in the Open’s 2024 trailside theater hike that you’ve stumbled upon. Each summer and fall, the Littleton-based theater group encourages thespians, hikers, and anyone looking to fulfill their daily Vitamin D exposure to join in on a trailside adventure merging performing arts with the great outdoors.
This summer, Arts in the Open is presenting an adaptation of Lewis Carrol’s classic, Alice in Wonderland. The play unfolds over the course of an approximately two-mile-long loop hike on the trails of Chautauqua Park. During the hike, participants can expect to stop around five times to watch five different scenes unfold in sequence.
By the end of the two miles, audiences will be satisfyingly entertained and 4,000 steps closer to their daily walking goals. Hikers can opt to bring a picnic blanket, stand, or, for a truly luxurious experience, bring a portable camp chair. Mary Schaugh, Arts in the Open board member and the show’s director, says the theater hikes perfectly epitomize Boulder life.
“Somebody once said to me, ‘This the most Boulder thing you could do.’ And I completely agree — it’s theater, it’s hiking, and it’s quintessential Boulder. Anyone who enjoys the outdoors will love this — even if they don’t necessarily .