It doesn’t get better than festival season in Northern Colorado. Ours is a region with a rich history, a thriving music and arts scene, booming craft beer and wine industries, small-town community atmosphere and spectacular summer weather. Throw that all together and the festivals are practically built right in.
To prove it, we rounded up more than 20 events happening this summer from June 1st through September 7th! These annual celebrations are happening in Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, Estes Park, Wellington, Berthoud, Windsor and Lyons so you can find family-friendly fun throughout the region.
For even more events happening in all our Northern Colorado communities, check out our event calendar, NoCo Happenings.
Wellington Brewfest | Wellington
June 1
The inaugural Wellington Brewfest was held in the summer of 2018 and it’s returning for its second year with even more beer, music and attractions. The family-friendly event includes tons of local beer tastings, kombucha from Turtle Mountain Fermentery, four different food trucks, three local bands, and more. For ticket giveaways and additional information, follow the team on Facebook here.
Estes Park Jazz Fest | Estes Park
June 1 – 2
Celebrating its 29th year in 2019, Estes Park Jazz Fest is set amidst the beautiful rock backdrop of the Performance Park outdoor amphitheater. Over the course of two music-filled days, you can enjoy seven artists and bands for just $10 a day or $15 for both days! Children are admitted for free and all tickets will be available at the door.
Greeley Blues Jam | Greeley
June 7 – 8
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. Guests can dance and sing along with nine different headliners, including local favorite Mojomama! To learn more and buy tickets, click here.
Taste of Fort Collins | Fort Collins
June 7 – 9
Photo courtesy of Taste of Fort Collins
Taste of Fort Collins is all about music, food, drink and fun! The festival showcases local tastes from some of our favorite Northern Colorado eateries as well as music performances from national and touring bands, non-alcoholic beverages, craft beer from Odell Brewing Co. and New Belgium Brewing, cocktails from Mystic Mountain Distillery, and more. To see this year’s music lineup and buy tickets, click here.
Colorado Medieval Festival | Loveland
June 7 – 9
The Colorado Medieval Festival is popping up just west of Loveland in The Savage Woods this June! Attractions and entertainment include live music, magic acts, belly dancing, sword fighting, food trucks, beer, cider and mead, exceptional artisans, cosplay costume contests and the Great Lego Hunt. For more details, click here.
Scandinavian Midsummer Festival | Estes Park
June 21 – 23
Photo courtesy of Stephanie Barber via Scandinavian Alliance of Colorado
Every summer for the past 25 years, the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival has popped up in Bond Park for a community celebration of epic proportions. Attractions include a Scandinavian market complete with more than 80 organizations, traditional drinks like mead from Redstone Meadery and Aquavit from Devil’s Head Distillery, authentic foods like potato sausages, Swedish meatballs and smoked salmon, live entertainment, dancing and more. To see the full lineup, click here.
Greeley Stampede | Greeley
June 26 – July 7
This huge annual event is celebrating its 98th year in 2019 with over a week of family-friendly attractions and special events. Those attractions include Carnival Americana, Kids Korral, outdoor music stages, multiple parades, the Western Art Show, fireworks, rodeo tours and more. And the extensive schedule of events includes everything from the PRCA Pro Rodeo and the Demolition Derby to performances by Brett Eldridge, Eli Young Band and more. To learn all the details and buy tickets, click here.
Colorado Brewers’ Festival | Fort Collins
June 28 – 29
The Colorado Brewers’ Festival is held in Fort Collins every summer and has even won awards as one of the state’s best festivals. In 2019, the festival is celebrating its 30th year with more than 100 beers from more than 50 Colorado breweries. Now at Canvas Stadium, guests can also enjoy unlimited tastings (no taster tickets!) with panoramic views of the field, air conditioning and free parking. For tickets and more details on both The Summit and the festival, click here.
Rocky Mountain Old-Time Music Festival | Berthoud
July 10 – 14
This July, the 10th Annual Rocky Mountain Old Time Music Festival is coming to Parrish Ranch for five days of music, workshops and dance. The event—which also offers on-site camping and square dancing in the Parrish Ranch barn—includes more than six artists and bands, over 20 workshops, a potluck, a pancake breakfast and several different food trucks, a cakewalk and more.
Fort Collins Fringe Festival | Fort Collins
July 25 – 28
Photo courtesy of Silver Paw Studio via Fort Collins Fringe Festival
The Fort Collins Fringe Festival is an open, non-juried performance art festival offering everything from theater, magic and puppetry to film, music and fire-breathing. Most performances are short, one-act pieces so festival-goers can see several over the course of one evening, and venues include the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery, The Lyric, Wolverine Farm Letterpress & Publick House and more. For all the details, click here.
Loveland Loves BBQ, Bands & Brews | Loveland
July 26 – 27
For the 13th year in a row, Loveland is showing off its love for BBQ, bands and beer. Over the course of two days, the music lineup features five local bands in every genre from country to soul. When you’re not dancing to music, you can explore local vendor booths, eat a ton of BBQ and sample brews from local craft breweries! Admission is free, but food and adult beverages will cost you a few festival tokens. All proceeds benefit local charities like the Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County, House of Neighborly Services and Loveland Sertoma.
Arts Picnic | Greeley
July 27 – 28
Kicked off in 1979, the Greeley Arts Picnic has long been a venue for local artists and crafters to sell their handmade wares, showcase local performers, and offer hands-on arts and musical activities for families. Today, the weekend event brings more than 20,000 people to our city for live music, beer gardens, a roaming circus troupe, make-and-take craft projects, and so much more.
Larimer County Fair and PRCA Rodeo | Loveland
August 2 – 6
The Larimer County Fair is one of Northern Colorado’s largest annual events. Throughout an entire week, guests can enjoy a parade through Downtown Loveland, catch concerts from big-name artists, play at Carnival Americana, shop the marketplace, cheer on competitors in the PRCA Rodeo, embark on pony rides, meet animals at the petting zoo, and see things like Twiggy the Water-Skiing Squirrel and dog agility performances. For all the details and schedule information, click here.
Bohemian Nights at NewWestFest | Fort Collins
August 9 – 11
Photo courtesy of Bohemian Nights
Since 1989, NewWestFest has been rocking Fort Collins every summer, and when it joined forces with Bohemian Nights in 2005, it got bigger and better than ever! The three-day festival is a free, family-friendly music event in downtown Fort Collins featuring more than 50 artists on five stages—many of which are Colorado locals. Included in the lineup is a family-centered Kids’ Music Adventure so you’re kids can play, dance and sing, too!
Sculpture in the Park | Loveland
August 9 – 11
Loveland’s Sculpture in the Park brings thousands of people and artists to Northern Colorado every August. 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. On Saturday and Sunday, guests can purchase tickets at the gate for $8, and children 14 and under are admitted for free. Once inside, you can all enjoy food and drink along with tent after tent of outstanding artwork.
Estes Park Wine Festival | Estes Park
August 10 – 11
For the fifth year, Estes Park is celebrating summer with wine. For a full weekend in Bond Park, guests can enjoy more than 25 Colorado wines, ciders and mead, goods and foods from regional vendors as well as live music from local bands. Tickets can sell out and are available online here.
Folks Festival | Lyons
August 16 – 18
Hosted by Planet Bluegrass, Lyon’s annual folk festival attracts thousands of people from across the region, the state and the country, but through the years, Folks has remained true to its initial vision of spending a glorious Colorado weekend celebrating song and story. The 2019 lineup includes huge names like Lake Street Dive and Gregory Alan Isakov. Other attractions include The Song School for aspiring songwriters and on-site camping. For tickets and more information, click here.
Fort Collins Peach Festival | Fort Collins
August 17
Come August 17th, Civic Center Park and Washington Park in Fort Collins will be filled to the brim with peaches for one of our community’s favorite celebrations. The ninth annual Peach Festival will bring thousands of Palisade peaches and hundreds of people to Northern Colorado. The all-day event includes the Family 5K Run/Walk and Healthy Kids Fun Run, the Peach Pancake Breakfast, Yoga in the Park with Yoga Pod, the Peach Pie Eating Contest, live music, local beer and peach margaritas, a huge Kids Zone, and so much more.
Monster Day | Greeley
August 17
Monster Day is an annual tradition and celebration in Downtown Greeley. The day includes family-friendly music, entertainment, face painting, costume contests, demonstrations and even Greeley the Gremlin. For updates, RSVP to the Facebook event here.
Front Range Wine Festival | Windsor
August 17
Celebrating its eighth year in 2019, the Front Range Wine Festival offers a full day of live music performances, shopping with local vendors, food from local eateries and, of course, complimentary tastings from more than 30 Colorado wineries! To buy your tickets, click here.
Old Fashioned Corn Roast Festival | Loveland
August 23 – 24
Headquartered in Downtown Loveland, this annual event is a showcase of Loveland culture and a celebration of our small-town atmosphere. Attractions include tons of Colorado sweet corn and delicious food, live entertainment, contests, kid-friendly activities and, of course, the Corn Roast Parade. For event updates, RSVP to the Facebook event here.
Boyd Lake Bash Multisport Festival | Loveland
September 7
Presented by Breakaway Athletic Events, the Boyd Lake Bash Multisport Festival is bringing 10 different races to Loveland all on the same September morning! Race options include a triathlon, a duathlon, an aquathon, the Youth Splash & Dash, a 5K, a 10K, a half marathon and more. For online registration and more information, click here, or RSVP to the Facebook event here for event updates.
Looking for more fun?
For even more events happening in all our Northern Colorado communities, check out our event calendar, NoCo Happenings.
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