Free Colorado Travel Guide | Vacations, Travel and Tourism

Colorado Events & Festivals

Colorado State Fair Pueblo Ferris Wheel

Throughout the year, Colorado boasts an impressive number of exciting and diverse festivals. It’s easy to find a fun event to celebrate during any given month. Whether you’re looking for music, art, film, beer, wine, food, history, heritage, or sports, you’ll find it here.

Annual Events in Colorado

Colorado is home to some of the biggest and best festivals in the world! Denver hosts probably the largest beer festival in the country each fall with the Great American Beer Festival, and Aspen hosts the Winter X Games each January.

Featured Festivals

Guide to Upcoming Annual Events in Colorado

Colorado Rennaissance Festival Larkspur Colorado
Jousting at the Colorado Renaissance Festival. Photo: C. Michael Perkins

Fall Events

When fall hits it’s time for Oktoberfests and other celebrations of beer, wine, and spirits. Great American Beer Festival, Breckenridge Craft Spirits Festival, and Wine in the Pines are a few examples. Spook yourself at a Haunted House then laugh at the costume-wearing coffin racers at Manitou’s Emma Crawford Festival.

Winter Events

Kick off the year at New Year’s Celebrate then continue to rock winter. See the world’s extreme winter athletes compete at the Winter X Games and Ouray Ice Festival. Get weird at Frozen Dead Guy Days to wind out your winter fun.

Spring Events

Spring hits and so does the focus on warm-weather fun. Party one last time at your favorite ski area’s closing day. They usually have live music, contests, food, drinks, and if you’re lucky, pond skimming and bikini-inducing weather. Kick off your May with Denver’s Cinco De Mayo in Civic Center Park, then start planning your upcoming getaways and festivals.

Summer Events

Make your Memorial Day memorable at Craig’s Grand Olde West Days or MountainFilm in Telluride. June, July, August, and September are perhaps the hardest-hitting when it comes to the sheer number of events. Every single weekend you’ll have a handful of fun festivals to choose from. Splash around at FIBArk in June or the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo over Labor Day, one of many Colorado fairs held over the summer.

Trending Top Events

There are so many special events in Colorado that it can be tough to find the perfect festival for you and your friends. We’ve curated several articles on the best festivals, from ice sculptures to holiday light shows.

Top Events by Town

Art Festivals in Colorado

Cherry Creek Arts Festival Denver Colorado Skyline Paintball
Denver skyline at Cherry Creek Arts Fest. Photo: Paul Malinowski

Art is huge here and can be enjoyed at festivals like the Denver Chalk Art and the Cherry Creek Arts. The Crested Butte Arts Festival has been around since 1962 and is still going strong.

Beer, Wine & Spirits Festivals in Colorado

GABF Denver Colorado Beer Festival
Pouring beer at GABF. Photo: Craige Moore

The Mile High City boasts the Great American Beer Festival, one of the country’s largest gatherings of brewers and beer tastings. It’s held over three days in late September / early October. Palisade is Colorado’s wine capital, so it’s only fitting that one attend the Colorado Mountain Winefest there in September.

Distillers have grown so rapidly that there are now festivals dedicated to liquor, including the Breckenridge Craft Spirits Festival in October.

Film Festivals in Colorado

Mile High Horror Film Festival Denver Colorado
Mile High Horror Film Festival. Photo: Heather Kant

Although it’s tucked away in Colorado’s southwest corner, Telluride parties so much it’s known as the festival capital of the West.

One of its most well-known is the Telluride Film Festival, which attracts celebrities and visitors from around the world. It also claims one of the country’s longest-running film fests, the Mountainfilm Festival, held in late May. Carbondale showcases the 5Point Film Festival in late April, catering to adventure.

Food Festivals in Colorado

A Taste Of Colorado Culinary Showcase Denver
A Taste of Colorado Culinary Showcase. Photo: Wally Gobetz

Since Colorado plays hard, residents and visitors are always hungry. Most festivals offer local food, but some are dedicated to it. A Taste of Colorado is Denver’s summer farewell and one of the tastiest ways to cap off summer. And if you can’t wait until then, head to Civic Center Park Tuesday through Thursday from May to October for a mass gathering of food trucks.

Heritage and Culture Festivals in Colorado

Ullr Fest Parade Breckenridge Colorado
Breck’s Ullr Fest. Photo: Alan B

Whether fact or fiction, real or mythical, these events celebrate historic traditions. The West is Colorado’s culture and there’s no better place to soak that up than the Colorado State Fair. It’s an eleven-day extravaganza with rodeos, concerts, crafts, carnivals, and livestock. Denver’s National Western Stock Show embodies the spirit of the West over sixteen days.

Holiday Festivals in Colorado

New Years Eve Festival Denver Colorado
NYE celebrations in Denver. Photo: messycupcakes

From Christmas to Halloween, Coloradoans know how to celebrate their holidays. Festivals cater to the holiday season with Haunted Houses and Hay Rides, as well as Polar Express trains and New Year’s Eve fireworks.

Music Festivals in Colorado

NedFest Colorado Music Festival Nederland
Nedfest music festival. Photo: Rob Lee

In addition to beer and art, Colorado loves a jammin’ music festival. Jazz, blues, rock, punk, rap, country, bluegrass, the list goes on and on. There’s not a genre of music you can’t find here on a regular basis. Toast the summer solstice at SonicBoom in Rye, Colorado’s largest electronic festival. Then in August head up funky Nederland for NedFest.

Sports Festivals in Colorado

Winter X Games Aspen Colorado Snowmobiling
Snowmobiling at Winter X Games. Photo: JGS Concepts

With professional teams in all the major national leagues, Coloradoans have options for sporting events. All of Colorado’s pro sports, including hockey, basketball, football, baseball, soccer, and lacrosse call Denver home. Catch a game any time of year in the Mile High City.

Celebrate the world’s best winter athletes each January in Aspen at one of Colorado’s top outdoor sporting events. From big air in the superpipe to blazing racers at downhill slalom, catch all of the events live, most are free to watch.

Wildlife Festivals in Colorado

Monte Vista Crane Festival
Monte Vista Crane Festival in March.

Wildlife is sacred to Colorado and represents its past, present, and future. Some festivals in Colorado are dedicated to an animal, such as Elk Fest in Estes Park and the Monte Vista Crane Festival.

Related Activities

Search for upcoming performing arts, rodeos, and sports that aren’t listed under events.

Uncover More Of Colorado