There’s no shortage of ways to spend your time in Colorado. But the many food and beverage festivals are a particularly delicious way to immerse yourself in all the state has to offer, from Palisade peaches and Pueblo green chiles and beyond.
Sip complex wines, savor spicy tacos and feast on succulent sweet corn — all while enjoying the stunning scenery and vibrant culture of the Centennial State. Mark your calendar for these can’t-miss culinary events.
July 12
Colorado Brewers Rendezvous: Ask any Colorado craft brewer what they’re looking forward to this summer and they’ll likely mention the Colorado Brewers Rendezvous. Back for its 29th year, this beer fest takes place in Riverside Park in Salida. As you sip brews from more than 65 craft breweries across the state, you’ll also be raising money for the Salida Chamber of Commerce and the Colorado Brewers Guild — a major win-win. coloradobeer.org
July 12-13
Keystone Wine and Jazz Festival: This two-day bash has all the makings of a good time — chiefly, live music played by talented Colorado musicians and lots and lots of wine. keystonefestivals.com
July 13-20
Crested Butte Wine and Food Festival: Save up your PTO for this weeklong event, which includes foraging hikes, Champagne sabering workshops, live fire cooking demos, various world wine regions, author talks and more. Cap it all off with an epic grand tasting before you head home. cbwineandfood.org
July 19
Colorado Whiskey Fest: If whiskey is your drink of choice, put this Castle Rock event on your calendar. Here, you can sip spirits — as well as wine and beer — while listening to live music and hobnobbing with fellow brown liquor aficionados. whiskeyfestcolorado.com
July 24
The Big Eat: Spend an evening celebrating the chefs, restaurateurs, waiters, mixologists and other hospitality staffers that make the Front Range’s culinary scene so darned special. At the Big Eat, which raises funds for EatDenver, you can enjoy food and drink from more than 75 restaurants, bars and beverage brands. eatdenver.com/bigeat
July 26
Westy Craft Brew Fest: Westminster is one of Denver’s best suburbs — especially during this one-day beer festival, which includes unlimited samples from more than 35 regional breweries. Also, enjoy food trucks and live music. westybrewfest.com
July 31-Aug. 2
Telluride Reserve: Set among the gorgeous San Juan Mountains in Telluride, this weekend-long food and wine festival includes tastings, seminars, dinners and other scrumptious experiences. telluridereserve.com
Aug. 2
Heritage Fire: This one-day gathering in Snowmass Base Village celebrates live-fire cooking, local chefs and family farms with gourmet bites and free-flowing beverages. Be sure to vote for your favorite dish and stick around for the crowning of the “Heritage Hero.” heritagefiretour.com
Aug. 2-3
Bluegrass & Beer Festival: Make your way to Keystone for this lively two-day fête, which features unlimited craft beer samples and performances by artists like Billy Failing and The Last Revel. keystonefestivals.com
Aug. 7-10
Vail Wine Classic: Need an excuse for a little weekend getaway? Snag tickets to the Vail Wine Classic — then invite your friends — so you can bask in the cool mountain air and soak up the views while sipping wines from around the world. vailwineclassic.com
Aug. 15-16
Palisade Peach Festival: Go on, slurp as many fresh peaches as you want — no one’s going to judge you at this two-day festival, which is back for its 57th year. Dance to live music on the “Peach Jam” stage, sip libations at the “Peach Pit” bar, shop the vendor market, watch peach cuisine demos hosted by Colorado chefs and nosh on bites from food trucks. palisadepeachfest.com
Aug. 16
Cidermass: Enjoy tastings from more than 30 hard cideries, batch distilleries and hard seltzer makers from all over the country at this one-day event, held on the Snowmass Mall. gosnowmass.com
Front Range Wine Festival: Back for its 13th year, this Windsor gathering includes live music and unlimited samples from more than 35 Colorado wineries. frontrangewinefestival.com
Fort Collins Peach Festival: Help raise funds for Northern Colorado nonprofits by stuffing your face with pie, ice cream and fresh, whole peaches. Hosted by the Rotary Clubs of Fort Collins, this sweet event also includes live music, food and drinks — including, of course, peach cocktails. fortcollinspeachfestival.com
Aug. 21-23
Breckenridge Wine Classic: Enjoy even more delicious wine and more beautiful mountain scenery at the Breckenridge Wine Classic, a sister event to the Vail festival. The Breckenridge version spotlights more than 300 wines, beers and spirits, plus seminars, pairings and winemaker meet-and-greets. breckenridgewineclassic.com
Aug. 22-24
Breckenridge Hogfest — Bacon & Bourbon Festival: Indulge in all your favorite things — bacon, bourbon, music and mountains — at this mouthwatering gathering in Breck. Enjoy activities like a bourbon pairing dinner, a grand tasting and Sunday brunch at this food-focused fête. rockymountainevents.com/breckenridge-hogfest
Aug. 23
Boulder Taco Fest: Alright, twist my arm, why don’t you? I’ll go with you to gorge on tacos and margaritas along the shady banks of Boulder Creek. This peppy one-day bash also includes lucha libre wrestling, live music, tequila, a 5K taco run and a costume contest. bouldertacofest.com
Olathe Sweet Corn Festival: This festival starts early in the morning and goes until “the cows come home,” according to the organizers — so it’s guaranteed to be a good time. Now in its 35th year, this Montrose event includes live music, vendors and a 5K run/walk to raise money for the Olathe Police Department. There’s also all-you-can-eat roasted sweet corn, grown and donated by the nice folks at Tuxedo Corn. olathesweetcornfest.com
Sept. 3-6
Denver Food + Wine Festival: Don’t miss the Colorado Restaurant Foundation’s big annual fundraising event to help support the Front Range culinary community. Eat and drink your way through the Grand Tasting, study up at the Riedel Wine Glass Seminar, open your heart (and your wallet) at the Dine Out auction series and vote on your favorite cocktails and food trucks at the Shake + Brake Showdown. denverfoodandwine.com
Sept. 12-14
Telluride Blues & Brews Festival: Sip craft beer while jamming out to musicians like The Black Crowes, Thundercat and Lukas Nelson at this three-day gathering in the scenic San Juans. tellurideblues.com
Sept. 13
Snowmass Wine Festival: As summer fades into fall, spend a dreamy afternoon sipping wine at Snowmass Town Park. This longstanding event also includes music, bites from local restaurants and a silent auction benefiting its host, the Rotary Club of Snowmass Village. Come up a day early to enjoy a reception and a four-course dinner with wine pairings at Viceroy Snowmass. gosnowmass.com
Sept. 14
Taste of Ethiopia: Held this year at City Park, Taste of Ethiopia is a vibrant celebration of one of Colorado’s most treasured immigrant communities. Immerse yourself in this country’s rich culture through its cuisine. tasteofethiopia.org
Sept. 19-21
Pueblo Chile and Frijoles Festival: Green chiles are part of Colorado’s identity — despite what the good folks down in New Mexico say. You can celebrate these humble, spicy beauties by making a trip down to Pueblo for this festival, which also includes a jalapeño-eating contest, a chihuahua parade, a hot air balloon fest, a magic show, a farmers market and more. Comedian George Lopez will also be doing stand-up at Pueblo Memorial Hall. pueblochilefestival.com
Sept. 20
Colorado Mountain Winefest: Help support the Colorado Association for Viticulture and Enology at this annual fundraiser, which includes samples from dozens of Colorado wineries, cideries and meaderies. Held at Palisade’s Riverbend Park, this event is a glorious celebration of our state’s wine scene. coloradowinefest.com
Sept. 28
VegFest: Eating plant-based can be tricky — but not at VegFest, where all of the food trucks and vendors are 100 percent vegan. While you’re here, also enjoy live music, family-friendly activities, morning yoga and motivational speeches from chefs, athletes and other influential people. vegfestco.com
Oct. 2-5
Steamboat Food & Wine Festival: Plan a getaway to the Yampa Valley for this fest, which just so happens to coincide with peak fall foliage season. Enjoy caviar and Champagne at the welcome reception, learn about zingy drinks at the coffee cocktails seminar, sip and savor at the grand tasting, hike to lunch on Storm Peak and learn about Steamboat’s dark history, just to name a few activities. steamboatfoodandwine.com
Oct. 3-5
Cedaredge Applefest: Though peaches tend to get most of the attention, Colorado’s apples are downright delicious, too. They deserve a moment — nay, an entire weekend — of your time. Head to the gorgeous Surface Creek Valley, which has been celebrating the fall harvest season with this festival for more than 45 years. cedaredgeapplefest.com
Breckenridge Craft Spirits Festival: Also known as “Still on the Hill,” this three-day festival includes parties, spirits seminars, craft workshops, historical walking tours and a grand tasting. breckenridgecraftspiritsfestival.com
Oct. 9-11
Great American Beer Festival: Every fall, brewers from around the country descend upon the Mile High City for this big annual gathering, called GABF for short. They’re here to win awards and pour beer, which you can sip to your heart’s content during the general sessions. greatamericanbeerfestival.com
October dates TBD
Applefest: Families flock to Longmont’s Ya Ya Farm & Orchard for Applefest, a family-friendly bash that includes live music and good food on a working farm. Tickets usually sell out, so keep an eye out for the 2025 dates. If you can’t make it to Applefest (which does not include apple picking, by the way), you can still visit the orchard for you-pick fruits. yayafarmandorchard.com
Oct. 18
Colorado Uncorked: So many Colorado wines, so little time. Luckily, if you’re looking for some new bottles to add to your collection, snag some from the prestigious Colorado Governor’s Cup Collection. Each year, the governor tasks a panel of experts with finding the best, most delicious Colorado wines — and you can taste them all at Colorado Uncorked. Held at the History Colorado Center, the event features award-winning wines paired with small bites created by Colorado chefs. coloradowine.com/colorado-uncorked
Oct. 26
The Bloody Mary Festival: Show your love for this iconic brunch cocktail at this one-day bash, which includes Bloody Mary tastings, food samples, temporary tattoos, a costume contest, photo ops and people’s choice awards. thebloodymaryfest.com/denver
Dec. 5-6
Metal & Beer Fest: This two-day bash bills itself as the world’s “loudest, heaviest, most extreme craft beer festival” — and that tells you just about everything you need to know. Held this year at the Fillmore Auditorium, you can sip craft beers while rocking out to bands like Acid Bath and Blood Incantation. The full lineup — of both musicians and breweries — will be unveiled soon. decibelmagazine.com/events