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As spring turns to summer, Coloradans can look forward to plenty of culinary-themed events throughout the Centennial State during the warmest months of the year—and even into autumn. Multiple mountain towns seeking traffic beyond winter play host to these tasty events, many of which sell out early—making planning ahead for both tickets and lodging essential.
So if you’re looking for a much-needed snow-free mountain road trip to dine and drink amid the peaks, here are the top annual festivals worth adding to your calendar.
Aspen Food & Wine Classic
- When: Friday, June 20 through Sunday, June 22, 2025
- Where: Wagner Park, E. Durant Ave. & Mill St. (plus other locations), Aspen
- Price: $2,950 plus fees; see schedule for individual events.
What’s cool about this festival: Those who score tickets to the Food & Wine Classic will rub elbows with local and national celebrity chefs and beverage experts (guest stars include Giada de Laurentiis, Andrew Zimmern, Martin Yan, and Aspen’s own Mawa McQueen, among many others) for three days of cooking demonstrations, wine and spirits tastings, and panel discussions.
Expert tip: Keep an ear open for after-parties and side events at Aspen restaurants, bars, and other venues. You can enjoy the festival-weekend atmosphere even if you don’t splurge on a ticket.
Reds Whites and Brews
- When: Saturday, June 21, 2025
- Where: Yampa St. between 10th & 12th, Steamboat Springs
- Price: $100 for VIP; $50 for general admission
What’s cool about this festival: Reds Whites and Brews is set in downtown Steamboat, so you can sip your drink of choice while checking out local vendors, enjoying snacks, and soaking in the town’s unique vibe.
Expert tip: Don’t forget your swimwear. The festival takes place on the banks of the Yampa River, and you may even be able to squeeze in some hot springs time.
Colorado Brewers Rendezvous
- When: Saturday, July 12, 2025
- Where: Riverside Park, 170 E. Sackett Ave., Salida
- Price: $140 for VIP; $70 for general admission
What’s cool about this festival: Now in its 29th year, the Colorado Brewers Rendezvous is one of Colorado’s oldest outdoor craft beer festivals. Sample suds from more than 60 Colorado breweries while enjoying live music and plates from local food vendors along the Arkansas River.
Expert tip: This is one of the Colorado Brewers Guild’s biggest events and a chance for breweries to show off their best, making it your chance to chat with professional brewers about your favorite beers.
Heritage Fire
- When: Saturday, August 2, 2025
- Where: 110 Carriage Way, Snowmass Village
- Price: $150 for VIP; $99 for general admission
What’s cool about this festival: Heritage Fire features an array of local talent cooking heritage-breed meats (often whole animals) on campfire-style equipment over wood and charcoal. Bites are paired with beverages provided by Colorado sommeliers, distillers, and brewers.
Expert tip: This is a competition, so chefs will be at the top of their games. While the 2025 lineup has yet to be announced, peruse the event’s talent list once it’s posted so you can plan your nibbles accordingly. Last year’s winner was Troy Guard, chef-owner of Guard & Grace Steakhouse.
Keystone Wine & Jazz Festival
- When: Saturday, July 12 and Sunday, July 13, 2025
- Where: River Run Village, 100 Dercum Square, Keystone
- Price: Starting at $35 for a food-only pass (multiple packages available)
What’s cool about this festival: The Keystone Wine & Jazz Festival offers the perfect blend of laid-back elegance and summer mountain-town charm with live jazz (from the likes of Colorado’s own Dotsero), wine, and local food.
Expert tip: Since the bands are spread out over two days, plan your weekend around the festival schedule to catch your favorite musicians.
Vail Wine Classic
- When: Thursday, August 7 through Sunday, August 10, 2025
- Where: Vail Nordic Center, Ford Field, and other locations, Vail
- Price: See schedule and pricing for nine separately ticketed events.
What’s cool about this festival: This four-day wine and food celebration offers an almost overwhelming slate of wine tastings and paired dinners. Plus, the international wine selection can be enjoyed during programmed wine hikes and seminars with sommeliers and wine experts.
Expert tip: Take advantage of the alpine setting with the Wines and Wildflowers hike and lunch on Friday, August 8.
Palisade Peach Festival
- When: Friday, August 15 and Saturday, August 16, 2025
- Where: Riverbend Park, 451 Pendleton St., Palisade
- Price: Starting at $20 for adults and $10 for children
What’s cool about this festival: This Western Slope harvest festival is a celebration of all things peach, with programming that includes orchard tours, cooking demonstrations, and sampling peach-themed dishes. Check the festival schedule for family ticket packages.
Expert tip: Know your peaches, since there are over two dozen varieties grown in the Palisade Valley. Read our guide to great peaches before you go.
Cidermass Invitational
- When: Saturday, August 16, 2025
- Where: Snowmass Village, 105 Daly Lane, Snowmass
- Price: $34 (prices go up after June 30)
What’s cool about this festival: Apples offer a new range of flavors for festival-goers looking for a change from the summer’s many beer and wine events; sample ciders from more than 20 producers at Cidermass. Also nice: live music and views across the Roaring Fork Valley.
Expert tip: Find big names like Stem among the producers, but also look for smaller cideries like 2 Towns Cider House and Anna’s Cider.
Breckenridge Wine Classic
- When: Thursday, August 21 through Saturday, August 23, 2025
- Where: Beaver Run Resort & Conference Center, 620 Village Road, Breckenridge
- Price: Starting at $149 for premium access and $114 for general admission
What’s cool about this festival: This long weekend of tastings offers samples from more than 100 wineries, breweries, and distilleries, so there’s something for every kind of connoisseur.
Expert tip: There’s so much going on that you’ll want to consult the complete schedule for all the wine lunches, dinners, and brunches. We recommend anything outdoors, of course.
Olathe Sweet Corn Festival
- When: Saturday, August 23, 2025
- Where: Shanes Way, Montrose
- Price: Free
What’s cool about this festival: Other than the fact it’s a celebration of corn? Now in its 35th year, the Olathe Sweet Corn Festival kicks off with the Hero 5K Run/Walk ($30 preregistration), which raises money to buy life-saving equipment for the Olathe Police Department.
Expert tip: Ask for “Olathe Sweet sweet corn” (yes, with the double-sweet) from the Tuxedo Corn Company.
Colorado Mountain Winefest
- When: Saturday, September 20, 2025
- Where: Riverbend Park, 451 Pendleton St., Palisade
- Price: $302 for VIP; $92 for general admission
What’s cool about this festival: The Colorado Mountain Winefest is the largest wine festival celebrating Colorado-made wine, with more than 50 local wineries in attendance.
Expert tip: Don’t miss the grape stomp, ice-carving demo, or the ice luge—in case your wine needs some extra chill.
Rocky Mountain Winefest
- When: Saturday, September 20, 2025
- Where: The Village at Winter Park
- Price: $65 (price goes up after August 18)
What’s cool about this festival: This trailside wine festival benefits the National Sports Center for the Disabled, making the ski-area setting extra meaningful.
Expert tip: This is the last weekend before summer turns to fall, making it the perfect time to pair your reds and whites with the yellows and oranges of fall leaf-peeping season. Take some extra time to visit nearby mountain passes and trails.
Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival
- When: Friday, September 19 through Sunday, September 21, 2025
- Where: Union Avenue District and Downtown, Pueblo
- Price: Free (but bring money for food and beverages)
What’s cool about this festival: Pueblo’s famous green chiles and the farmers who grow them are the star of the show, but you’ll also find booths and trucks from local eateries like Musso’s and Pass Key Restaurant serving the unique blend of Mexican and Italian cuisines that make up the city’s food scene. Other attractions: a chihuahua parade, hot-air balloons, and the dreaded jalapeño eating contest.
Expert tip: Bring an ice chest and pick up a bushel or two of fire-roasted chiles, along with your favorite chile-infused olive oil, dry beans, marinara sauce, and Italian sausage.
Steamboat Food & Wine Festival
- When: Thursday, October 2 through Sunday October 5, 2025
- Where: Downtown, Gondola Square, and other locations, Steamboat
- Price: $282 for the Grand Finale Festival; other packages are available.
What’s cool about this festival: The Steamboat Food & Wine Festival draws renowned regional chefs and sommeliers, so keep your eyes open for great food from Breckenridge’s Matt Vawter of Rootstalk and Radicato, Denver’s Dana Rodriguez of Carne and Work & Class, and Telluride’s Maggie DeMarco of La Marmotte to go with your wine.
Expert tip: With more than a dozen events to choose from, consider purchasing one of the four ticket packages available to make your decisions easier.
