Berthoud Historical Society

06/07/2026

🎶 Concerts in the Courtyard return this Wednesday! 🎶

Join the Berthoud Historical Society for a wonderful summer evening of live music, community, and bluegrass in the beautiful Pioneer Courtyard at the Little Thompson Valley Pioneer Museum.

We’re kicking off the 2026 season with Rusty 44, bringing their lively blend of bluegrass and Americana to the courtyard stage!

📅 Wednesday, June 10, 2026
📍 Pioneer Museum Courtyard
224 Mountain Avenue, Berthoud
🕠 Gates open: 5:30 PM
🎵 Music begins: 6:30 PM
🎟️ Admission: FREE
🪑 Chairs provided

Come hungry — Sizz’lin Street Bites will be on site with delicious food available for purchase.

Bring your friends, invite your neighbors, and settle in for one of Berthoud’s favorite summer traditions. There’s nothing quite like live music in the courtyard on a warm June evening!

A heartfelt thank-you to our presenting sponsor RE/MAX Town & Country, our concert sponsor HT Land, and all of our generous sponsors who make these free community concerts possible.

We can’t wait to see you Wednesday night!

06/04/2026

🎭🌱 This Saturday on Berthoud Day — Experience a Story Rooted in Berthoud's Past! 🌱🎭

The Berthoud Historical Society and Moon Theatre Company invite you to a special live performance of scenes from Beets, a short historical drama inspired by true stories from Berthoud during World War II.

Set against the backdrop of local beet farming, wartime sacrifice, and the strength of community, Beets tells a story that is uniquely Berthoud's. Through live theater, you'll step back in time and experience the challenges and triumphs faced by families whose lives were shaped by both the land and the events of a world at war.

📅 Saturday, June 6, 2026 (Berthoud Day)
🕦 11:30 AM
📍 Little Thompson Valley Pioneer Museum
228 Mountain Avenue, Berthoud
🎟️ FREE Admission
⏱️ Approximately 20 minutes

Written by local author Rick Padden and performed by Moon Theatre Company, this special presentation is part of the Berthoud Historical Society's efforts to bring local history to life in new and engaging ways.

Whether you're attending Berthoud Day festivities, love local history, or simply enjoy live theater, we hope you'll join us for this memorable performance.

History isn't just something that happened somewhere else—it happened right here in Berthoud.

06/01/2026

🌙✨ Planning Your Week? Make Time for the Stars! ✨🌙

Join the Berthoud Historical Society this Friday, June 5th, for an evening of stargazing at the historic Bunyan Observatory in the Pioneer Courtyard.

🔭 Bunyan Observatory Stargazing Night
📅 Friday, June 5, 2026
🕗 Meet at Dusk (approximately 8:00 PM)
📍 Little Thompson Valley Pioneer Museum
224 Mountain Avenue, Berthoud

Our volunteer astronomers will open the observatory and guide visitors through the wonders of the night sky using the observatory's telescope. Whether you're a seasoned stargazer or simply curious about what lies beyond our world, this is a wonderful opportunity to explore the universe right here in Berthoud.

🌕 What will we see?
The Moon will be in its waning gibbous phase, about three-quarters illuminated as it heads toward last quarter on June 8. While the bright moonlight will limit some deep-sky viewing, it will provide excellent opportunities to observe lunar craters, mountains, and surface details through the telescope.

⭐ Look for summer constellations rising in the east, including Lyra, Cygnus, and Aquila. Bright stars Vega, Deneb, and Altair will begin forming the famous Summer Triangle later in the evening.

This event is free and family-friendly. Bring your curiosity, a light jacket, and enjoy a beautiful Colorado evening under the stars.

📅 Save the remaining 2026 Stargazing Nights:
• Friday, July 10
• Friday, August 7
• Friday, September 4

We hope to see you under the night sky this Friday!

05/31/2026

🎶 Summer Concerts Are Back! 🎶

The Berthoud Historical Society is excited to kick off our 2026 Concerts in the Courtyard series with Rusty 44 on Wednesday, June 10th!

Bring your lawn chair, gather your friends, and enjoy an evening of outstanding Bluegrass and Americana music in the beautiful Pioneer Courtyard at the Little Thompson Valley Pioneer Museum.

🎻 Rusty 44
📅 Wednesday, June 10, 2026
🕠 Gates Open: 5:30 PM
🎵 Music Begins: 6:30 PM
📍 Pioneer Museum Courtyard
224 Mountain Avenue, Berthoud
🎟️ FREE Admission

Come hungry! Sizz'ln Street Bites will be on-site serving delicious food throughout the evening.

Our Concerts in the Courtyard series has become one of Berthoud’s favorite summer traditions, bringing together great music, local history, and community under the Colorado sky.

A special thank you to our presenting sponsor, RE/MAX Town & Country, our concert sponsor, HT Land, and all of the businesses and individuals whose support makes these free community concerts possible.

We'll see you in the courtyard for a wonderful evening of music and summer fun!

05/29/2026

This is a MUST DO for Berthoud Residents and History Buffs! 🙂

05/28/2026

Berthoud Day at 11:30 am at the Little Thompson Valley Pioneer Courtyard. It promises to be a wonderful show!

Right after the Berthoud Days Parade (June 6th at Town Park - Berthoud) head on over to see this free performance of scenes from Rick Padden’s hit play "BEETS!" It is a play set in Berthoud and about Berthoud during WWII.

Support the Moon Theatre Company and the Berthoud Historical Society and learn about local history!

05/22/2026

🚜 SAVE THE DATE! 🐴
The Berthoud Historical Society’s 2026 Barn Tour returns on Saturday, August 8th!

As part of the United States and Colorado’s 250-150 celebration, we invite the community to spend the day exploring three remarkable historic barns that helped shape Berthoud’s agricultural heritage.

Where the Salomonson Farm west of town had a humble beginning yet served its family for nearly 140 years and the Swanson-Nibbelink farm was built as a testimony to a successful farmer, the Lebsack-Ritter farm story begins with a large German-from-Russia family who farmed the land for 60 years before selling it in the 1970’s. In only 10 years’ time, the farmstead falls into disrepair until Bill and Ellen Ritter purchased it and began bringing it back to life, transforming it into a viable and successful horse property well into the 21st century.

Each stop on the tour will include a guided walking tour and stories about the families, architecture, and agricultural history connected to these treasured barns.

🎟 Reservations open July 1, 2026
🌐 www.berthoudhistoricalsociety.org

Interested in volunteering as a docent, greeter, captain, or logistics helper? Contact Diane Levy at 970-631-0300 or [email protected].

Come help us celebrate and preserve Berthoud’s rural heritage—one barn at a time.

05/20/2026

📍 Dateline Berthoud - 1960

Step back into Berthoud’s past with this glimpse inside Kenagy’s Berthoud Locker Plant, circa 1960. Pictured here is Curt Wilson working behind the meat counter at the longtime local business located at 333 Massachusetts Avenue.

Before modern refrigerators and home freezers became common, many families relied on meat lockers to safely store large quantities of meat for long periods of time. Local locker plants provided refrigerated and frozen storage spaces where residents could keep beef, pork, and other meats processed from local farms and ranches. For many rural communities, these facilities were an essential part of everyday life and food preservation.

Businesses like Kenagy’s were also important gathering places where neighbors exchanged news, families purchased fresh cuts for dinner, and Berthoud’s strong agricultural roots remained closely tied to the community.

Photographs like this help preserve the stories of the hardworking people and businesses that helped shape Berthoud into the town we know today.

Do you remember Kenagy’s Locker Plant or shopping there? We’d love to hear your memories in the comments!

📸 Fickel Collection, Berthoud Historical Society