Fall’s a fun festival time in Colorado and we’ve compiled a calendar of our favorite events, fairs, and festivals that are worth planning a trip around.
September 2024 kicks off wth Oktoberfest in venues including Keystone, Vail, and Breckenridge. Head to Telluride’s Blues & Brews, the Handmade in Colorado Expo, the Snowmass Balloon Festival, while the Aspen Film Festival, and the Boulder Fall Fest also beckon. October serves up the Breckenridge Craft Spirits Festival and Horror Show’s films in Telluride. Enjoy the Weaving a Foundation textiles at Denver Art Museum until the end of the year.
Special Events in Colorado: Worth the Detour
Weaving a Foundation: Cornerstones of the Textile Art Collection
To January 5, 2025, Denver
Denver Art Museum (DAM) is known for its textile art and this exhibition features 60 works from its collection, two-thirds of which are on show for the first time. Highlights some of the Douglas Family of Evergreen’s donations and commitments to the Native arts of North America.
Keystone Oktoberfest
August 31, 2024, Keystone
Labor Day Weekend in the mountains means time to celebrate Oktoberfest in true tradition. Features the Summit Concert Band and Those Austrian Guys and complete with a beer garden, polka music, and Bavarian dance.
Vail Oktoberfest
September 6-8, 2024, Lionhead Village | September 13-15, 2024, Vail Village
European flair meets marvellous mountain backdrops at Vail’s Bavarian celebrations, complete with traditional music, dancing, yodeling, alpenhorn blowing, beer, and traditional German fare including brats and schnitzel sandwiches.
Telluride Blues & Brews Festival
September 13 – 15, 2024, Telluride
30th Annual: A three-day music festival in the scenic mountains of Telluride featuring live blues, rock, funk, gospel, soul, and indie accompanied by some of the best craft brews in the country.
Breckenridge Oktoberfest
September 13-15, 2024, Breckenridge
28th Annual: Presented by Breckenridge Brewery, this is an iconic Oktoberfest street party in the Rocky Mountains.
Boulder Fall Fest
September 13-15, 2024, Boulder
A three-day Fall extravaganza along historic Pearl Street Mall with arts and crafts, live music, food, and a beer, wine and margarita garden.
Snowmass Balloon Festival
September 13-15, 2024, Snowmass
49th Annual! Billed as the highest altitude balloon race, you can drive in, hike up, bike around to see the balloons taking off and in flight.
Handmade in Colorado Expo
September 14-15, 2024, Denver; September 28-29, Glenwood Springs; October 4-5, Vail
17th Annual: Showcasing some of Colorado’s finest independent arts and craftspeople with works in metals, paper, glass, fibers, food, fabricated objects, clay, paint, wax, gems, and more
Aspen Film Fest
September 17-22, 2024, Aspen
45th Annual: Showing films that have premiered at the Sundance, SXSW, Cannes, Venice, New York, Tribeca and Telluride festivals, this revered Fall film fest is curated to feature independent art-house, documentary, and foreign-language films.
Breckenridge Craft Spirits Festival
October 11-13, 2024, Breckenridge
Small-batch artisan distillers offer tastings, spirits seminars, and workshops. Plus: tours, restaurant small bites, Bluegrass music, and “Bloody Sunday” and “Hangover Brunch Specials.”
Telluride Horror Show: Horror Film Festival
October 11-13, 2024, Telluride
15th Annual: Tune in to terror at Colorado’s annual horror film festival screening global horror, suspense, thriller, sci-fi, dark fantasy, and dark comedy.
Brick Fest Live
November 16-17, 2024, Denver
Brick fans indulge at this touring event, complete with a giant brick pit, life-size models and, well, all things brick. (If you can’t wait until November, catch Brick Fest Live in Colorado Springs, September 28-29.)
Full Calendars of Events
- Aspen & Snowmass
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- Boulder
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- Breckenridge, Keystone & Copper
- (Pair your travel with Breckenridge itineraries from Slow Down See More)
- Crested Butte
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- Denver
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- Rocky Mountain National Park & Estes Park
- (Pair your travel with RMNP & Estes itineraries from Slow Down See More)
- Telluride
- (Pair your travel with itineraries from Slow Down See More)
- Vail & Beaver Creek
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- (Pair your travel with Vail & Beaver Creek itineraries from Slow Down See More)
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