Art, music, beer and whiskey festivals, and more on tap around Colorado
By Steve Graham
Colorado Whiskey Fest in Castle Rock
The fourth annual Colorado Whiskey Fest comes to the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Castle Rock from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Distilleries from across Colorado and the U.S. will pour unlimited samples of their spirits. There also will be live music, giveaways, food trucks and vendors. The event is 21+ with no pets allowed.
Colorado Brewers Rendezvous in Salida
If you prefer beer, the 28th annual Colorado Brewers Rendezvous comes to Salida in central Colorado on Saturday. The festival grew out of a Colorado Brewers Guild membership meeting in Salida every summer. It remains a gathering place and community event for Colorado brewers, and is a great chance to meet the people behind the pints. It also is a fundraiser for the guild and for the Salida Chamber of Commerce.
SnowyGrass Music Festival is Estes Park
The SnowyGrass Music Festival in Estes Park is a true grassroots (pun intended) community event started by musicians. The band ReinTarnation and their friends started jamming in Estes Park two decades ago. With the help of Candice Mohr of Snowy Peaks Winery in Estes, the jams turned into a weekend camping festival. This year brings at least 15 bands, plus jam sessions, workshops and more from Thursday through Sunday. One-day and three-day passes are available.
The Art in the Park festival draws more than 120 local and national artists to Steamboat Springs for two days of hand-made art in a variety of mediums. The free, family-friendly event also includes live music, food trucks, beer garden, children’s area and giveaways.
Crested Butte Wildflower Festival
Ten days and 200 wildflower workshops begin on Friday. Topics at the annual Crested Butte Wildflower Festival include painting, pollination, photography, culinary arts and guided hikes. Crested Butte claims to be the Wildflower Capital of Colorado. Registration for individual events is not required but highly encouraged.
About 35 minutes away, Gunnison celebrates the history and traditions of cowboy and ranching culture with the Cattlemen’s Days festival. In addition to the “Granddaddy of Colorado Rodeos,” the festival includes a carnival, horse show, 4-H demos and shows, cowboy poetry and songs and more.
The temperatures may signal the middle of summer, but some of Colorado’s finest summer festivals are just beginning. The Music in the Mountains festival opens Thursday and runs through Aug. 4, with a wide variety of music at various indoor and outdoor venues around Durango. Renowned conductor and violinist Guillermo Figueroa will lead the festival orchestra, and a range of other groups and genres also are on the bill. Limited tickets remain for most performances.
Save the date: Orpheus Mead Fest
Colorado meaderies, including international award winners, share their honey wine on Saturday, July 27, in Golden. The event also includes performances by the Orpheus Pagan Chamber Choir, as well as a homebrew competition and both professional and amateur mead awards.
As always, please send us your events and announcements. We’re happy to share them. And enjoy your Colorado craft libations responsibly.