Summer in Northern Colorado is the ultimate festival season. While many events were put on hold last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many are back and ready to provide some socially distanced fun for the whole family!
We rounded up 15 events where you can dance, eat, taste local brews, sip regional wines and celebrate with our amazing NoCo community. So, mark your calendar, put on your sunscreen, and get ready for an amazing summer!
Wellington Brewfest | Wellington
Where: Centennial Park
Wellington Brewfest is back! Enjoy tasting beers from nine Colorado breweries—all while supporting the Wellington Main Street Program. Tickets cost $50 and include unlimited beer samples from all breweries. You must have a ticket to attend, and kids and pets are not permitted. They will be limiting the number of tickets sold to allow for social distancing, so make sure to get yours ASAP!
Greeley Blues Jam | Greeley
Where: Downtown Greeley
When: June 5
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. The 2021 event looks a little different due to COVID-19, so be sure to check out all the information on the website before purchasing tickets.
Loveland Loves BBQ, Bands & Brews | Loveland
Where: Old Fairgrounds Park
When: July 9 & 10
This summer, Loveland is showing off its love for BBQ, bands and beer once again. Over the course of two days, you can enjoy a spectacular music lineup of six bands in every genre from country to soul and everything in between. When not dancing to music, you can explore local vendor booths, eat a lot of BBQ, and sample brews from local craft breweries!
Vintage Market Days | Longmont
Where: Boulder County Fairgrounds
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 $15 (and comes with a BOGO ticket for a friend!).
People’s Tiny House Festival | Loveland
Where: The Ranch Events Complex
When: July 17 & 18, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
If you’ve ever found yourself drawn towards the current #tinyhouse movement or any of the #vanlife or #buslife subsets, head to the People’s Tiny House Festival in Loveland this July! Held in the Ranch Events Complex, this event will showcase tiny living speakers from all over the country, a tiny home expo, a food court, local vendors, live music and so much more. Click here to get your tickets!
Taste of Fort Collins | Fort Collins
Where: Washington Park
When: July 24 & 25
Taste of Fort Collins is all about music, food, drink and fun! The festival showcases local tastes from some of our favorite NoCo eateries and food trucks as well as music performances from national and touring bands, non-alcoholic beverages, craft beer, cocktails and so much more. Click here to learn more and to get updates on the 2021 lineup.
FoCo Fondofest | Fort Collins
Where: New Belgium Brewing
In early 2020, FoCo Fondofest was on track to have over 1,000 registrants, making it one of the largest cycling events in Northern Colorado. While the event was obviously postponed, it is back and ready to be even bigger! The event itself is a daring gravel cycling adventure that starts and finishes at New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins. Race the 107-mile Bite the Bullet open category for cash, prizes and a bolo tie, choose family-friendly 12- or 25-mile routes, or challenge yourself with the rolling 50-mile route. Post-ride, enjoy the Fondo’s Festival, full of food trucks, vendors, bike demos, live music, and activities for the kids.
Folks Festival | Lyons
Where: Planet Bluegrass Ranch
When: August 6-8
Though it’s still a pretty well-kept secret, Lyons’ 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 Lyons locals and lovers of folk music.
Sculpture in the Park | Loveland
Where: Benson Sculpture Garden
When: August 6-8, Friday 3-8 p.m., Saturday 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Loveland’s Sculpture in the Park is a NoCo favorite. Heralded as one of the finest outdoor juried exhibitions of three-dimensional artwork in the United States, the event showcases more than 2,000 pieces of sculpture created by 160 sculptors from around the world. This significant event is sponsored by the Loveland High Plains Arts Council.
Art in the Park | Loveland
Where: North Lake Park
A Loveland tradition for more than 50 years, Art in the Park is the Thompson Valley Art League’s largest fundraiser. Held in conjunction with Sculpture in the Park, this two-day event brings even more fine art to town and fills North Lake Park with more than 200 local, regional and national artisans.
Art in the Square | Fort Collins
Where: Old Town Square
When: August 7 & 8, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
On August 7th and 8th, Old Town will be packed with fine art, showcasing local talent and handcrafted goods with everything from photography to glasswork. There will also be free live music and family events so bring the whole crew along!
Estes Park Wine Festival | Estes Park
Where: Bond Park
When: August 14 & 15, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
For the sixth/seventh year, Estes Park is celebrating summer with wine from more than 25 Colorado wineries, goods and food from regional vendors, and live music from local bands. Tickets are $40 and include a commemorative wine glass, wine tote and unlimited tastings from all the wineries — so get yours today!
Front Range Wine Festival | Windsor
Where: Main Park
If you’re on the hunt for even more exciting wine events, don’t miss the Front Range Wine Festival in Windsor on August 21st! For its ninth year, this wine festival will feature over 35 Colorado wineries, 50 retail vendors, food vendors and live music. Click here to purchase your tickets.
Overland Expo Mountain West 2021 | Loveland
Where: The Ranch Events Complex
When: August 27-29, Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. & Sunday 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
The Overland Expo is the world’s premier event series for DIY travel enthusiasts with hundreds of hours of classes, inspirational programs, speakers & trainers from all over the world, the Overland Film Festival, roundtable discussions, delicious food, and so much more. There will also be a large expo featuring several hundred vendors selling travel equipment, camping gear, bikes, vehicles and more. Click here to purchase your tickets!
Horsetooth International Film Festival | Fort Collins
Where: Multiple Locations Across Fort Collins
When: September 8-12
The Horsetooth International Film Festival is an annual event in Northern Colorado that welcomes hundreds of patrons for a five-day festival of live music, art, and of course, films. This year, they’ll be showing the films outside, with events at drive-in theaters like The Lyric and the Holiday Twin Drive-in.
Have a great summer!
Did we miss your most–anticipated outdoor summer festival in NoCo? Let us know in the comments below!
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