Updated for Summer 2023!
It’s official, we’ve hit mid-July. With the heat picking up, so are summer events in Denver and all over Colorado! This list gets straight to it- from festivals to food to all the best live music events, check out what’s new and happening in and around Denver…
Featuring bites from more than 60 local restaurants, this 21+ party showcases Denver’s vibrant independent restaurant scene. At the Denver Performing Arts Complex on Thursday, July 20th, from 6-9PM, your ticket includes food, plus options for cocktails, wine, cider, beer, kombucha and tea.
July 28th-30th: The Breckenridge Food & Wine Festival
Breckenridge is the perfect place for hosting summer festivals, especially the 2023 Breck Food & Wine Festival over the last weekend in July. If sipping on over 300 varieties of wine sounds like a great summer weekend to you, get more info on tickets and tasting times in the link.
August 5th: Winter Park Uncorked
Laze away the afternoon enjoying delicious food, an electric string quartet and fine wines. At the Rendezvous Event Center, 78821 US Highway 40, Winter Park, this event is only Saturday, August 5th from 2-5PM. Tickets range between $20-$70.
August 3rd: Denver Burger Battle
While a battle of the burger joints sounds like a poorly made sequel to the cult classic Good Burger, it’s a real thing here in Denver! On August 3rd at 5:30PM, Denver’s top burger restaurants will compete to determine once and for all who really has the best burger in town. Hosted on the Tivoli Quad, tickets are $84 ($149 VIP).
August 26th: Boulder Taco Fest
As if the burger competition was not enough, Boulder is also hosting a Taco Fest the same weekend. Boulder County vendors will bring their best tacos, plus there will be a curated list of craft brews, eclectic tequilas, high-flying Luchadores, awesome live bands and lots of free fun for the kids. Happening Saturday, August 26th from 11AM- 7PM in the usual spot along Boulder Creek, tickets are $30 or $60 for VIP, and kids 12 and under get in for free with purchase of parent/guardian ticket.
August 10th-13th: Vail Wine Classic
The hills are alive with the sound of wine festivals. Enjoy taking sips against the mountain backdrop where master winemakers and enthusiasts alike gather to enjoy hundreds of high-end wines, spirits, and food at this legendary event. Starting Thursday, August 10th, and going through Sunday, August 13th, it’s $119-$179 for grand tasting tickets or $215 for Best of the Fest.
With multiple outdoor performance stages, dozens of food vendors, a large arts and crafts marketplace, and an expanded Kids Zone packed with family-friendly activities, Taste of Colorado is an event Denverites have looked forward to for years. Meet new and old vendors in Civic Center Park and try something new!
August 26th: Tacos + Margs in the Mountains
We’ll never say no to more tacos… If you can’t make Taco Fest in Boulder, this is your chance to sample margaritas of all flavors and pair with tasty tacos. Your ticket to this brand-new event will get you a variety of margarita samples, street tacos, margarita-making classes, and the chance to enter fun giveaways. Tickets haven’t quite been announced, but you can follow along on their website in order to get your spot for the perfect summer afternoon in Winter Park.
June - September 2023: Civic Center Eats
A classic summer event in Denver, this annual food truck palooza brings a variety of Denver's best mobile restaurants together to serve lunch throughout the summer. If you're taking a break from work, stop by and support the local vendors!
Yoga on the Rocks returns in 2023 and is now offering two bilingual sessions in Spanish/English. In any language, doing yoga at Red Rocks is a must for Denver locals. Wake up early and get your sun salutations on every Saturday morning at 7am.
June 17th- August 6th: Colorado Renaissance Festival
A classic annual Colorado event outside of Larkspur, the Renaissance Festival returns Saturdays and Sundays Only, June 17th-August 6th in 2023! Bring sunscreen, an appetite, and a medieval disposition to get the most out of this jolly festival, with shopping, live shows, traditional festival food, and more. Pro Tip: go to any King Soopers and ask the customer service desk for tickets to the festival and you can get a slight discount for you and yours.
September 21st-23rd: Great American Beer Festival
GABF represents the largest collection of U.S. beer ever served in a public tasting event plus a private competition. GABF brings together the brewers and diverse beers that make the U.S. the world's greatest brewing nation, and is a beloved event for homebrewers and beer-drinkers alike.
August 11th-13th: Loveland Sculpture in the Park Show and Sale
Featuring over 2,000 pieces of sculpture created by 160 sculptors from around the world, this event is known as one of the finest outdoor juried exhibitions of three-dimensional artwork in the US. Sculpture in the Park will showcase these pieces on Friday, August 11th, and Sunday, August 13th , check the link for more specific times. Kids 14 and under are free, and adult tickets $10 at the gate.
August 4th- 6th: Fraser Mountain Mural Festival
Presented by the Town of Fraser and the Fraser Public Arts Committee, the 2023 Fraser Mountain Mural Festival is August 4th-6th, 2023. Artists will compete for awards and recognition by producing their best work on 8ft x 8ft primed panels, as well as generate creative energy and raising awareness for The Fraser Center for Creative Arts. This year’s theme will be “We come in peace”: Celebrating funky Fraser’s legacy of “Leaving Planet Earth” when you enter the community, and the peaceful co-existence of residents and visitors.
Returning for its 36th season, City Park Jazz is halfway through its 10 Sunday evenings from 6–8PM, except for July 17, which runs from 5–8PM. The free concerts are staged at the City Park Pavilion, and it’s the perfect place to bring friends, a picnic, and a few beers to relax on the lawn. You can find more information, band bios, and the schedule here. (Image Courtesy of City Park Jazz)
July 20th, 2023- CAAMP- New-age indie group CAAMP is coming to Red Rocks for the first time July 20th!
July 27th, 2023- Big Wild- Popular EDM act Big Wild returns to Red Rocks with Neil Francis and Rubblebucket.
August 4th, 2023- The Front Bottoms- Are touring to promote their latest album, 'You Are Who You Hang Out With.'
August 19th, 2023- Ed Sheeran: + - = ÷ x Tour- The award-winning artist has announced a monumental North American tour in 2023 behind his latest album '='.
'1964' The Tribute: "1964" meticulously re-creates the magic of live Beatles' performances with artful precision and unerring accuracy. For those that never saw The Beatles live and always wanted to know what it must have been like, this show is as close as anyone could possibly get to feeling that magic, and it’s coming to Red Rocks this August!
August 5th-7th: 2022 Fraser Mountain Mural Festival
Raising awareness for the Fraser Center for Creative Arts, this festival will bring exposure to front range and national artists as they compete for cash prizes and bring their best creative energy. Painting begins Friday, August 5th at 9AM, events happening all day on Saturday, and there will be live music and public viewing, Sunday, August 7th.
August 5th: Littleton Twilight Criterium
At the midpoint in a new national criterium series formed in collaboration with USA Cycling and America’s best criterium races, this event is perfect for those with cycling fever. Whether you catch a glimpse of the professional races, visit the beer garden, listen to the live music, or join the cruiser ride for families, it sounds like a perfect summer’s day in downtown Littleton.
July 14th- Labor Day Weekend: Larimer Square Summer Music Series
Come to the heart of Denver to celebrate Larimer Square’s Summer Music Series! Kick off your weekends with the sweet sounds of summer at Larimer Square, every Friday and Saturday for live music that will set the perfect rhythm for your summer nights.
August 26th-27th: Summer Art Market 2023
Get to know the West Wash Park neighborhood at ASLD’s most popular event of the year. Shop the best in local artwork, with more than 100 Colorado artist vendors. There will also be cold beer, food fresh from the grill and ice cream from Denver’s beloved Sweet Action.
And that’s it!! Whether you’re escaping the heat in the mountains or catching all the shows at Red Rocks, let us know on social media what you are up to in Denver this summer.
(Cover image Courtesy of Telluride Jazz Festival)
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