Eavesdropping on a co-worker: “Being an adult was the worst decision I ever made.”

Celebrating Independence Day in Colorado this year means taking part in decade-long traditions or beginning a whole new one. Many cities and small towns start the day off early with a run or pancake breakfast and continue on until dusk when the sky is illuminated by each area’s fireworks display. Below is a sampling of activities taking place across the state this Fourth of July, according to the Colorado Tourism Office. For more information, visit www.Colorado.com.

Salute to the USA (Avon). Get a head start on the festivities by celebrating Independence Day a night early for Avon’s 29th annual “Salute to the USA” on Friday.  Face painters, fire jugglers, stilt walkers, balloon sculptors, magicians and more. After, enjoy Colorado’s largest firework display that features 10,000 shells exploding in a pyrotechnic extravaganza of color and sound.

Grill on the Grass (Boulder). Relax at the St. Julien Hotel & Spa this Fourth of July. Savor festive food while taking in panoramic views of the Flatirons on the hotel’s outdoor terrace. Join other visitors in backyard games such as corn hole and ladder golf, all accompanied by live entertainment from the Delta Sonics, a Denver-based blues band. Tickets are $29.95 for adults and $14.95 for children ages 4-12.

Breckenridge’s Independence Day (Breckenridge). The day begins with a 10K trail run followed by a 50-mile mountain bike race that kicks off the Fourth of July Parade on Main Street. After the parade, kids can beat the heat with a good old-fashioned water fight. The weekend will also feature the Street Arts Festival, a performance by the National Repertory Orchestra and an extraordinary fireworks display.

Fourth of July in the Mile High City (Denver). The Cherry Creek Arts Festival will be celebrating world-class and award-winning visual, culinary and performing arts beginning at 10 a.m. Just a bike ride away, Denver’s largest Independence Day parade begins at 1:30 p.m. in Park Hil. At dusk, Colorado’s Major League Soccer Club, the Rapids will play against the Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club at 7 p.m. After the game a fireworks display closes out the evening.

Greeley Stampede Parade (Greeley). Greeley’s family-friendly July 4th Parade displays Colorado’s Western heritage with floats, bands and equestrian entries from across the state. The parade kicks off on 19th Street and will end at Fifth Street beyond Lincoln Park. After the parade, the stampede will be going full force with carnival games, rides, food, the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association Rodeo finals and a concert by country music stars Gary Allan and Jerrod Niemann followed by fireworks.

Independence Day in Gunnison (Gunnison). Watch the sun rise among an array of hot air balloons over the rolling hills surrounding Jorgenson Park. Later in the evening, the park will host three legged races, log sawing, bounce houses and more. Adults can grab a brew at the beer garden all while enjoying a variety of live music that will be paired with a fireworks display after sunset.

Old Fashioned Fourth of July Celebration (Lake City). Revisit some of Colorado’s roots in Lake City where in 1875 the town hosted the first “official” Fourth of July celebration on Colorado’s Western Slope. Revelers will share Lake City’s special link to its past with unforgettable festivities. Begin with a pancake breakfast followed by the annual parade. Later enjoy live music, a street dance and a fireworks display put on by the Volunteer Fire Department.

July 4th Festival at North Lake Park (Loveland). Start the day by watching The American Legion raise the American flag at 10 a.m. by the Lone Tree School House. Then enjoy live music, a vintage car show and the area’s largest and longest fireworks show in Loveland’s 50-acre North Lake Park that features an outdoor amphitheater, a pond with a fishing dock, picnic areas and a miniature train.

Old Fashioned Fourth of July in Ouray (Ouray). This small town packs a punch with an array of activities starting at 6:30 a.m. with a pancake breakfast followed by a 10K race. Afterward, line up along Main Street for a parade that features water cannons. If that’s not refreshing enough, participate in or just watch the century-old tradition of the Ouray water fights where teams of two blast each other with fire hoses until one team surrenders.

July 4th Heritage Festival (Sterling). The Overland Trail Museum will be hosting an old-fashioned, small town celebration from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All day long, spectators can watch the blacksmith process of barrel making or leather crafting and quilting. Children can enjoy such activities as gold panning and face painting along with plenty of live music and food for the whole family to enjoy.

Lance Gutersohn Fourth of July Celebration (Winter Park). Begin the day in the mountains by participating in the Rendezvous Run for Independence that races through Winter Park Resort starting at 7 a.m. Later that day, Hideaway Park will be bustling with activities including performances by two bluegrass bands, bouncy fun in inflatables, face painting for the kids and fireworks.

Downpour? What downpour?

The 20-minute deluge that drenched Denver’s Sculpture Garden Park Thursday didn’t dampen the spirits of hundreds of attendees to the second annual Top Taco – the sip and snarf competition from the owners of DiningOut magazine.

Revelers crowded under the cover of tent tops and waited out the storm that threatened to shut down the event. But noooooo. Twenty minutes later, salsa band La Candela struck up the tunes while Top Taco patrons carried on sampling tequila, margaritas, beer, wine and all sorts of tacos.

More than 40 metro-area restaurants were represented in fierce competition for the bragging rights to bear the title of Top Taco and Top Margarita.

Here are the judges’ picks.

Margarita – 1. Dos Santos; 2. Pinche Tacos; 3. Central Bistro.

Taco – Non-traditional – 1. Lena; 2. Pinche Tacos; 3. Comida.

Taco – Traditional – 1. Comida (two years running); 2. North County; 3. Work & Class.

From left, Comida owner Rayme Rossello and events coordinator Andrea O’Laughlin celebrate winning No. 1 traditional Taco. Below from left, Lena chef Jerry Mansfield and owner Jimmy Callahan show off their No. 1 non-traditional taco.

Want to stay far from the madding crowd during Civic Center Park’s Independence Eve festivities Friday?

You can enjoy music and fireworks from the VIP comfort of The Denver Post building deck at 101 W. Colfax. Tickets to the Civic Center Conservancy’s private balcony party are still available and include beer, wine, catered food and an incredible view of the fireworks.

The Independence Eve show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets to the VIP balcony party are $75, and available at www.civiccenterconservancy.org.

The Arapahoe Philharmonic, in support of its ongoing mission to recognize young talent in the classical music field, announces the opening of its 2015-2016 Vincent C. LaGuardia Jr. Conducting Competition beginning Wednesday.

This competition is for conductors between the ages of 18 and 28 who are residents of the United States and not yet regularly employed in the conducting field. The winner will conduct Edvard Grieg’s “Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46″ in concert with the Arapahoe Philharmonic on Nov. 6,  and be presented with a cash prize of $500 at the performance. Devin Patrick Hughes, music director and conductor of the AP, will mentor the competition winner during his or her week with the orchestra.

The inaugural Conducting Competition was held during the 2013-2014 season. Nathaniel Meyer, from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, won the first competition and led the Arapahoe Philharmonic in Bernstein’s “Overture to Candide” in February 2014. The Conducting Competition alternates annually with the Vincent C. LaGuardia Jr. Composition Competition.

Eligibility and application requirements are available at www.arapahoe-phil.org/competitions/conducting-competition/. All applications must be submitted online by 11:59 p.m. July 31.

The special speaker series Stories From the Square, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the preservation of iconic Larimer Square, continues with the “Historic Preservation of Denver’s Fab Five”: Larimer Square, Denver Union Station, The Oxford Hotel, The Brown Palace and The Clock Tower at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at History Colorado Center, 1200 Broadway.

Panelists include Brown Palace General Manager Marcel Pitton and Tryba Architects’ Bill Moon.

Colorado set all-time records in terms of visitor volume, visitor expenditures and tax revenue in 2014, welcoming 71.3 million visitors to the state who spent $18.6 billion and generated $1.1 billion in tax revenue, according to an announcement this week by The Colorado Tourism Office.

This is the fourth consecutive year the CTO has seen record-setting growth. The announcement came as part of the release of several studies detailing visitation and spending in Colorado, as well as the effectiveness and impact of the state’s Come To Life marketing campaign.

“These outstanding results prove once again that tourism is one of the top drivers of positive economic impact and job growth in Colorado,” said Governor John Hickenlooper. “Our state is privileged to have so many innovative tourism-related businesses and hard-working employees who create experiences that truly set Colorado apart on the national and international stage.  It is important that we continue to invest in our tourism industry and showcase why Colorado is such a special place for travelers from across the globe.”

Total direct travel spending in Colorado in 2014 reached $18.6 billion with 66 percent of that total coming from visitors who stayed overnight in paid accommodations (hotels, motels, rented condos, campgrounds, RV parks and bed & breakfasts), according to Colorado Travel Impacts 2014, Dean Runyan & Associates.

This record-spending figure represents an increase of 7.4 percent over 2013, significantly outpacing the national growth rate of 4.5 percent in visitor expenditures by 65 percent. Since 1996, visitor-generated spending has increased at an average annual rate of 4.2 percent, earnings by 3.13 percent, and local and state tax revenues by 5.3 percent and 3.1 percent, respectively.

Underscoring the importance of tourism to Colorado, the tourism industry generated $1.1 billion in local and state tax revenues in 2014, surpassing the billion-dollar mark for the first time ever.  This represented approximately $215 of tax revenue per person in the state or $860 for a family of four. Without tourism, each resident would pay $215 more in taxes.

Visitor spending also benefitted Colorado’s local economy by spurring job creation. The tourism industry directly supported 155,300 jobs, a 3.3 percent increase over 2013, with earnings of more than $5.1 billion in 2014, a 7.1 percent increase over 2013.

“Our 2014 research paints a bright picture of the value of tourism to Colorado and the major impact it has on the state’s economy,” said Al White, director of the Colorado Tourism Office. “The Colorado Tourism Office’s marketing efforts continue to attract visitors from across the globe who are spending more and staying longer, thereby driving additional tax revenues and creating new job opportunities for our residents.”

Colorado continued its award-winning Come To Life marketing campaign and tracked results from April 2014 through March 2015. Working with Strategic Marketing & Research Insights, the campaign demonstrated strong awareness and more importantly, generated significant incremental travel resulting in nearly 1.7 million trips to Colorado.

Given the number of trips the marketing was able to influence and the level of spending by those visitors, there was $2.6 billion in economic impact for April 2014 through March 2015. The campaign also resulted in outstanding return on investment for the Colorado Tourism Office, with $361 in travel spending for every $1 invested in paid media, up from $344 in the last marketing year. Colorado’s ‘Come To Life’ campaign was enhanced by a nationally focused public relations and social media program.

“The Colorado Tourism Office has developed some of the most compelling advertising in the DMO arena and consumers continue to positively respond,” said Executive Vice President of Strategic Marketing & Research Insights, Denise Miller. “The ROI increased again this year as Colorado expanded its national presence with positive results.  The current advertising campaign creates a personal connection and inspires travelers as they consider vacation options – and the results are evident – more visitation and increased interest in future visitation.”

In terms of visitation, Colorado welcomed a record 71.3 million visitors in 2014 up 10.4 percent from 2013. The number of visitors coming to Colorado on marketable leisure trips totaled an all-time high of 16.1 million, a 7 percent increase over 2013. Marketable leisure trips are those trips influenced by marketing and exclude visiting friends and relatives (VFR). Overnight trips reached a record 33.6 million trips, an increase of 8 percent over 2013.

“Colorado significantly outpaced the nation in travel and tourism growth in 2014,” said Senior Vice President of Longwoods International, Michael Erdman. “In 2014 more people came to Colorado from outside of the state and the immediate western region than was the case in 2013 – back to levels last seen more than a decade ago. This points directly to the success of the Colorado Tourism Office’s strategy of focusing marketing dollars out of state, luring visitors who stay longer and spend more.”

To view the full reports for each of the studies, click on the links below:

• Colorado Travel Impacts, Dean Runyan & Associates
• Colorado Travel Year Report 2014, Longwoods International

Not even a massive storm that swept through Genesee and pulverized the rest of the metro area Wednesday night could dampen the spirits of media members gathered at the new Hideaway Kitchen + Bar to see the space renovation and sample fine fare from new Executive Chef Nick Shankland, who laid out an impressive spread.

The restaurant, owned by Alan Zizmor, closed its doors in December and reopened in April with the new chef, new general manager Scott Tallman, a Denver restaurant veteran, and a new attitude.

Zizmor, who largely relied on area locals who have supported the restaurant through its growing pains, largely change the menu to a shared plates concept, and let Shankland, whose resume includes stints at Colt & Gray, Old Major and Central Bistro, work his culinary magic on the menu.

Our group was treated to tasting portions of fig, tomato and white chocolate salad off the lunch menu, farro risotto off the vegetarian side, mussels and manilla clams from the seafood list, house made sausage from the farm category, fried naked chicken and pork ribs from the comfort food list, crabcake Benedict off the brunch menu and cherry hand pie with sour ice cream for dessert.

Each course was beautifully paired with wine and cocktail samples.

Hideaway features a gorgeous outdoor patio with humongous umbrellas, which shielded us from the downpour. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner daily, along with Sunday brunch. For reservations and more information, go to www.hideawaykitchen.com or call 303-526-0556.

Twenty-plus companies will be hiring for multiple positions during a job fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday at the Crowne Plaza Denver, 1450 Glenarm Place.

These employers will be there:

• Advantage Security, Inc.
• Air Serv Corp
• Argosy University
• Arrow Sign Spinners
• Colonial Life
• Colorado Christian University
• Conn’s
• DriveTime
• Metro Community Provider Network
• Quiznos
• Santa Fe Culinary Academy
• Sears
• Simplicity USA
• Skywriter MD
• State of Nevada Department of Public Safety
• Sunrun Inc.
• Torchy’s Tacos
• TransFirst
• Tropical Smoothie Cafe
• University of the Rockies

Career experts will provide free resume reviews. Bring at least 25 resumes to the event. Register for the Career Fair to get the following benefits:
• List of attending companies.
• Career Fair Guide to print and bring to the event.
• Email Reminders with tips to help you succeed at the Career Fair.

Register at www.nationalcareerfairs.com/career-fairs/denver-career-fairs/.