And when a packed schedule miraculously yields a free moment, no one wants to be found accumulating hours in the automobile, fruitlessly rushing from errand to errand and event to event with nothing to show for it but depleted energy (and an equally depleted gas tank).

Luckily, Downtown Fort Collins neatly solves the time crunch by offering up endless opportunities to visit, shop, meet, eat, stroll and even rock-n-roll - all in one cleverly compact, easily walk-able/bike-able area. Explore Downtown Fort Collins! It's about time.

Anytime
Immerse yourself in Downtown Fort Collins' unique architecture and history. Even the briefest jaunt affords a view of painstakingly protected historic buildings and gorgeously restored architecture. Established in 1868, Fort Collins boasts a Downtown district that was placed on the National Register of Historic Places a little more than 100 years later; some buildings served as the inspiration for Disneyland's Main Street USA. Visitors can take a one-hour self-guided walking tour that encompasses the historic district, from rugged brick structures to elegant art deco elements. Visit www.visitftcollins.com for a printable map detailing the tour.

Night Time
Eat, drink, be merry, and more! Downtown Fort Collins is generously populated with more than 50 restaurants, lounges, coffee houses, live music and performance venues, and even an independent movie theater. From burger to bistro, sushi to steakhouse, Downtown restaurants offer up an eclectic mix of cocktails and cuisine to satisfy any appetite. The annual Great Plates of Downtown event that takes place each March offers diners a chance to partake in restaurant specials priced at $18.68 (a tip of the hat to the city of Fort Collins' establishment year). Live music, dance, and theater performances can be found year-round at venues ranging from small cafés to large performance halls such as the 1,180-seat Lincoln Center. Girls' Night Out offers savvy shoppers an opportunity to browse after hours several times a year, and First Friday Gallery Walk beckons art lovers to enjoy the dozens of galleries and museums located Downtown on the first Friday night of every month. With all of these opportunities located in a 6-block radius, nighttime in Downtown Fort Collins is a vibrant, energetic experience for singles, couples, families and friends alike.

Daytime
Fresh air, sunshine, and blue skies abound. Fort Collins sees far more sunny days each year than Miami, and the chances to take direct advantage of the solar surplus are abundant Downtown. With ten parks and natural areas (including Lee Martinez Park, located on the banks of the Poudre River), several glorious outdoor patio dining options, and the open-air fountains in Old Town Square and Oak Street Plaza, Downtown visitors can take a break to catch some rays and enjoy the views of the nearby mountains from a number of stunning vantage points. For those who are looking to explore the numerous bike paths and routes that blanket the Downtown and surrounding areas, Fort Collins Bike Library offers residents, students, and visitors alike a chance to rent a bike for free for time periods ranging from 1 hour to up to 5 days. And best of all, with more than 125 retail stores and shops, Downtown offers a unique and memorable shopping experience.

Play Time
Discover laughter, lager, and levity. Now that you've found all that extra time by wisely choosing to visit Downtown, relax and enjoy yourself! Many visitors choose to do just that by enjoying a leisurely and lighthearted tasting tour of Fort Collins' finest craft beers. Downtown Fort Collins is home to a number of breweries, including New Belgium Brewing Company, Odell Brewing Company, The Fort Collins Brewery, and CooperSmith's Pub and Brewing, which has anchored Old Town Square for nearly 20 years; all the aforementioned breweries are within biking distance of one another - a fine reason to visit the Fort Collins Bike Library! For those who prefer to simply exercise rather than imbibe (or for those interesting in sweating out the suds), Downtown Fort Collins is home to gyms and health clubs, yoga and spinning studios, tennis and basketball courts, and more, including the stunning 45,000+ sq. ft. Northside Aztlan Community Center, and the city's indoor and outdoor swimming pools.

Family Time
Find fun for kids, grown-ups, and everyone in between. Downtown Fort Collins is family-friendly, with a variety of events and activities for visitors of all ages. Home to parks and playgrounds, a skate park, soccer fields and sandboxes, there are plenty of outdoor activities to keep the entire family active all year round. Programming for children, adults, and seniors can be found at the Poudre River Public Library District, and at the Fort Collins Museum (which will soon merge with the Discovery Science Center in an amazing new home near Lee Martinez Park). Families can enjoy an impromptu art tour featuring outdoor murals and colorful Art in Public Places projects, while pottery painting studios and children's art workshops allow kids to create their own masterpieces. Old Town Square is also home to impressive installed artistic sculptures for the big kids, and a couple of climb-worthy and well-loved bear and fish sculptures for the younger kids. The Farm at Lee Martinez Park provides children - and adults - the opportunity to watch, pet, and feed farm animals, with pony rides for the kids proving to be a popular playtime activity. The Lucky Joe's St. Patrick's Day Parade and Colorado State University's Homecoming parade beckon families to pull up a curbside chair year after year.

Spring/Summer Time
Experience even more fun in the sun! Springtime in Fort Collins gives visitors a glimpse at glorious gardens, and provides a gateway to one of the best parts of Downtown life: festival season! There is never a dull moment in Downtown Fort Collins, particularly in the summer. Visitors and residents look forward to annual events like the Nelsen's Old Town Car Show (featuring hundreds of hot rods), Colorado Brewers' Festival (featuring hundreds of cold drinks) and sizzling summer sidewalk sales like Downtown Days. Thousands trek to City Park for the fabulous fireworks capping off the annual 4th of July celebration. And festivals like Bohemian Nights at NewWestFest - a celebration of Fort Collins' birthday - a Fort Collins Jazz Experience, and countless other outdoor summer concerts keep the midsummer's nights musical with free world-class performances.

Fall/Winter Time
The fun doesn't stop when the snow falls. Even the annual appearance of the colorful autumn leaves doesn't change the fact that Downtown Fort Collins provides an entertaining experience all year round. Everybody gets just a little bit German during the weekend of Oktoberfest Fort Collins, complete with lederhosen, polka music, and of course, more great beer. Visitors can enjoy the crisp cool air with a horse-drawn carriage ride, and there's no place like Downtown for the holidays, featuring genuinely exceptional gift shopping, frequent fragrant stops for coffee and hot cocoa, a beautiful holiday light display, open air ice skating next door to Santa's Workshop, and the annual family-oriented First Night® Fort Collins celebration to ring in the New Year.

Whether you have just a moment or two, or plenty of time on your hands, Downtown Fort Collins provides one-stop shopping, savoring, scenery and sightseeing, and an always-convenient setting for enjoying yourself. It's time to find yourself Downtown!