Oh, NoCo, how we love you in the summer. Besides the Colorado sunshine, the ever increasing sense of adventure, and the availability of world-class recreation, we have festival season to look forward to. And that means we’re encouraged to eat artisan food, drink local brews, learn all day, and dance all night!
Of course, we have Fort Collins: the home of beers, bikes and bands. And the summer amplifies all those FoCo tendencies for fun. But we also have a nationally-recognized music festival in Loveland, a local jam in Greeley and a well-kept secret in Lyons. Not to mention all the other hidden gems along the way!
So mark your calendars for a few of our must-see Northern Colorado festivals! Whether it’s an afternoon of food or a three-day musical event, you don’t want to miss these.
Vintage Market Days | Estes Park
May 19 – 21
Photo courtesy of Vintage Market Days
Vintage Market Days is an upscale vintage-inspired market featuring original art, antiques, clothing, jewelry, handmade treasures, home decor, outdoor furnishings, treats, seasonal plantings and more! Essentially, it’s the best place to find exactly what your home, wardrobe and collections have been missing — and what your belly has been craving. Admission for children under 12 years is free and the three-day pass is just $10.
Poudre RiverFest | Fort Collins
June 3
For 2017, the Poudre RiverFest is moving to a new, exciting location! The free, family-friendly festival will take place just across the street from New Belgium Brewing on the Poudre River Oxbow. Come party by the river and learn all the about the Cache la Poudre. Dance to live music from Lineage Music Project and Patti Fiasco, eat food from local restaurants, sip beer from New Belgium Brewing, and, most importantly, learn how the city and local organizations are working to conserve and maintain the river!
Greeley Blues Jam | Greeley
June 9 + 10
Photo courtesy of My Big Day Company, LLC
If you’re a fan of blues, great food, local drinks, family activities, camping and days of fun, then make sure you get to Greeley Blues Jam this June! Driven by the motto, “It ain’t nothin’ but a party”, the whole family is guaranteed to have a great time. Dance and sing along with 13 headliners — including local group The Burroughs as well as Josh Hoyer and Soul Colossal!
Taste of Fort Collins | Fort Collins
June 9 – 11
Taste of Fort Collins is all about music, food, drink and fun! The Plain White T’s, Gin Blossoms, St. Lucia and Waterloo Revival are headlining this year. And you can jam all weekend while tasting samples from local restaurants, some of our favorite NoCo food trucks and, of course, beer. Odell Brewing and New Belgium Brewing will be offering pints along with Wilbur’s Total Beverage who will have a Wine Pavilion and a Craft Beer Pavilion!
Breathe Yoga Festival | Fort Collins
June 23 – 25
Photo courtesy of Breathe Yoga Festival
Breathe Yoga Festival is a celebration of local music, yoga, the outdoors, summertime, Colorado life and the one-of-a-kind Fort Collins community! With over 72 hours of scheduled classes, workshops and live music, there will be plenty to do over the weekend and various opportunities for all skill levels to grow their practice. In Vendor Village, you’ll find local artists, makers and educators, and it’s open to the public at no cost!
28th Annual Colorado Brewers’ Festival | Fort Collins
June 24 + 25
The Colorado Brewers’ Festival is held in Fort Collins every summer and was named the best festival in the state at the 2015 Governor’s Awards for Downtown Excellence. And it’s getting better and better every year! In 2017, the classic tiny beer mugs are being replaced with a Govino “Go-Anywhere” 16-ounce beer glass included with the purchase of your tasting package. You’ll also get 10 Taster Tickets redeemable for food and beer. Stop by Civic Center Park even if you’re not interested in a tasting package because admission is free!
Bohemian Nights NewWestFest | Fort Collins
August 11 – 13
Photo courtesy of Bohemian Nights, LLC
Since 1989, NewWestFest has been rocking Fort Collins every summer — and when it joined forces with Bohemian Nights in 2011, it just got bigger and better than ever! The three-day festival is a free, family-friendly music event in downtown Fort Collins featuring over 50 artists on five stages — the majority of which are Colorado locals. Included in the lineup is a Kids’ Music Adventure Stage so your children can sing and dance along as well!
Sculpture in the Park | Loveland
August 11 – 13
Loveland’s Sculpture in the Park brings thousands of people and artists to Northern Colorado each August. Heralded as one of the finest outdoor juried exhibitions of three-dimensional artwork in the United States, the event showcases over 2,000 pieces of sculpture created by 160 sculptors from around the world. Peruse art, learn, eat and drink in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains!
27th Annual Rocky Mountain Folks Festival | Lyons
August 18 – 20
Photo courtesy of Planet Bluegrass and Renee Ramge Photography
Though it’s still a pretty well-kept secret, Lyon’s annual folk festival attracts thousands of people from across the region, the state and the country. Through the years, Folks has remained true to its initial vision of spending a glorious Colorado weekend celebrating songs and stories from around the world. For three magical days, wind down under the Colorado sun with the Lyons locals and lovers of folk music.
7th Fort Collins Peach Festival | Fort Collins
August 19
For the seventh year, Fort Collins will be filled to the brim with peaches — and we’re definitely not complaining. The annual Peach Festival brings thousands of Palisade peaches and hundreds of people to NoCo. The event includes a 5K, vendor booths, live music, plenty of food, drinks and peach-themed events all day long!
Tour de Fat | Fort Collins
September 2
Salute the summer and welcome the fall in the most FoCo way — the annual New Belgium Tour de Fat! This year, The All-American Rejects and X Ambassadors are bringing the music, New Belgium is bringing the beer and you’re invited to bring your bike, your costume, and your sense of adventure! Musicians, circus performers, vaudeville acts, magicians, comedians and mind-blowing provocateurs will fill the town and it all benefits Bike Ft. Collins, Overland Mountain Bike Club, Ft. Collins Bike CO-OP and Ciclismo Youth Foundation. Buy tickets today!
Enjoy!
Let us know which Northern Colorado festivals and events encourage your sense of adventure, your Colorado spirit and your love of local food (and brews)!
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