By Helen Anders
As ski season wraps up and wildflowers start to dot the Rocky Mountains, it’s time to make plans for a late spring or summer visit to Colorado. Festivals and events are so plentiful that it’s almost impossible to avoid them not that you’d want to. Whether you’re a fan of music, food, flowers, art or whatever, you’ll find a festival to wrap a trip around.
Remember that room rates almost always rise during festivals and that not only rooms, but festival tickets can sell out (as they did in December for the Telluride Bluegrass Festival). Here’s a look at some of Colorado’s upcoming festivals. In each case, the website listed has information on tickets.
If you see one you like, book now:
Montrose Wine Food Festival, Montrose, May 11-12: cooking demonstrations, food and wine tastings. montrosewinefestival.com.
Downtown Art Jazz Festival, Grand Junction, May 11-13: jazz, art, booths. downtowngj.org/artjazz.cfm.
Downtown Denver Arts Festival, Denver, May 25-28: Showcases the work of more than 100 artists. denver.org.
Main in Motion, downtown Montrose, every Thursday June 7-Aug. 19: music, art, food, kids’ activities, dance. maininmotion.com.
Palisade Bluegrass Roots Music Festival, Palisade (10 miles east of Grand Junction), June 15-17: bluegrass, blue, folk, Celtic music, food and wine. 
palisademusic.com.
Kingdom Days, Breckenridge, June 16-17: outhouse races, gold panning, scavenger hunts, music. gobreck.com.
Gunnison River Festival, Gunnison, June 22-23: kayaking, raft races, raft rodeo. gunnisonriverfestival.com.
Crested Butte Music Festival, Crested Butte, July 4-Aug. 4: Music of virtually every genre. crestedbuttemusicfestival.com.
Breck Bike Week, Breckenridge, July 5-8: Group rides, fitness, races. gobreck.com.
Cattlemen’s Days, Gunnison, July 6-15: rodeos, fair, parade, music, horse show. cattlemensdays.com.
Colorado Lavender Festival, Palisade, July 6-8: food, demonstrations, speakers, farm tours. coloradolavender.org.
Crested Butte Wildflower Festival, Crested Butte, July 9-15: hikes, classes on photography, flowers, cooking and more. crestedbuttewildflowerfestival.com.
Colorado Irish Festival, Denver, July 13-15: Dance, drama, food and drink. denver.org.
Fiesta Days, Durango, July 21-20: rodeos, parade, food and drink. More at durangofiestadays.com.
Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, July 28 and 29, Denver: performances, dragon boat races. cdbf.org
Olathe Sweet Corn Festival, Aug. 3-4, Olathe (about 15 miles north of Montrose): music, car show, vendors. olathesweetcornfest.com.
Heritage Festival, Aug. 18-19, Estes Park: music, demonstrations of early ranch life. estesparkcvb.com.
Contact Helen Anders at 912-2590
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