It’s time to start planning, buying tickets for celebrations of Colorado wine all over the state

By Steve Graham

Alexandria Fox relies on Colorado mead and wine festivals to share (and sell) her locally made mead.

Chalk artists create time-limited and exclusive masterpieces at Chalk Lines and Vines, coming to Aurora in May.

Fox is the owner of Dragon Meadery, an Aurora craft meadmaker that is only open by appointment. The mead is also carried in select bottle stores, restaurants and wineries on the Front Range, but Colorado wine festivals allow her to reach eager new customers.

“We love bringing the mead to the people,” she said. “Wine festivals are a great way to reach a larger audience. Also (we like) being outdoors with live music and food trucks, and we really enjoy the people we meet.”

Dragon Meadery will participate in at least 12 Colorado wine festivals this year, but there are even more celebrations of Colorado wine all over the state throughout the year. Tickets are now on sale for many events, so it might be time to start planning some adventures.

Fox said a festival can be the first exposure to her business for many people.

“It’s a great way for people to try before they buy,” she said. “It really helps with introducing our winery to a lot of people who otherwise wouldn’t know we exist.”

She said she especially looks forward to the Orpheus Mead Fest, coming to Golden in July. Dragon reserves a special release for the mead competition and festival every year.

Here are some other Colorado wine festivals:

Colorado Wine Walk

The Colorado Wine Walk is a series of three events through the spring and summer, plus a sneak preview coming to Denver on Friday, March 22. The $15 event includes a select showcase of Colorado wines.

The main festivals are on April 14 and Aug. 24 at Denver’s Dairy Block; and on June 23 at the Exchange in Fort Collins.

Tickets for two sessions at the April event are now on sale. General admission is $50, and VIP tickets are available for $90, including a VIP lounge, live music and discounted purchases.

Chalk Lines and Vines

A spring wine and chalk art festival returns to the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds on May 18 and 19. At least 15 Colorado wineries will pour samples while live chalk artists create fresh and limited-time masterpieces.

The event also includes live music, local vendors, food trucks, croquet and opportunities to paint and sip. For the first time, the Denver Polo Club also hosts an exhibition match at the event this year.

Daily general-admission tickets cost $40, and VIP tickets also are available, including food, VIP parking, private restrooms and more.

Manitou Springs Wine Festival

Unlimited samples of exclusively Colorado-made wine, mead and glogg are available, alongside live music and food trucks on June 1 at Memorial Park in Manitou Springs. General admission tickets are now available for $50, with an extra 90 minutes of sampling and other perks for an additional $25.

Castle Rock WineFest

More than 180 varietals of Colorado wine will be available at the Castle Rock Winefest on July 15 in Bison Park. The event also includes food trucks, vendors and live music by the Steve Manshel Band and Nik Parr. Tickets cost $55 to $95.

Vino and Notes

The 16th annual Vino and Notes festival comes Aug. 3 to Woodland Park. It also includes only Colorado libations, as well as music from local artists Tidal Breeze Jazz Arts, Shakin’ Like Sammy and Gus Meza.

Advance tickets cost $35. VIP tickets are $55 in advance, and include an exclusive guided tasting. A portion of proceeds go to Trailhead Townhome HOA, a former Habitat for Humanity project.

Vail Wine Classic

Various locations around Vail will host a citywide celebration of wine Aug. 8 to 10, including grand tastings, educational seminars, paired wine dinners, and active events such as hikes followed by paired wine tastings. Tickets cost $119 to $235.

Estes Park Wine Festival

Bond Park in downtown Estes Park hosts a wine festival on Aug. 10 and 11. It includes unlimited tastings, live music, artists and food vendors. Musicians include Nick Critchlow, Asha Blaine, a Brothers Fountain, Adam Cerullo, Distant Rivers and Boogaloo Revival. Tickets cost $40 to $125.

Estes Park also hosts a holiday wine festival. Check here for updates.

Breckenridge Wine Classic

Breckenridge hosts a wine and food festival Aug. 22 to 24, with tastings of more than 500 wines, beers and spirits from around the world, as well as food and wine seminars, demonstrations, hikes, curated lunches and wine dinners. Tickets cost $99 to $124.

Colorado Mountain Winefest

Colorado Wine Week runs from Sept. 15 to 22, and may be the largest Colorado wine festival. Events statewide culminate with the 33rd annual Colorado Mountain Winefest Sept. 21 in Palisade, the heart of Colorado’s wine country.

USA Today named the event the best wine festival in the nation in 2017. It also is the largest fundraiser of the year for the non-profit Colorado Association for Viticulture and Enology.

Other Colorado Wine Festivals

Front Range Wine Festival
Aug. 17
Main Park, Windsor
Tickets cost $30 to $125

Thornton Barrel & Beer Festival
(includes beers, wines and spirits)
Aug. 24
Carpenter Park Pavilions
Advance tickets cost $40

Palmer Lake Wine Festival
Sept. 9
Palmer Lake Recreation Area
Early-bird tickets cost $35 through June 1