Top picks include chocolate, book, music and wine festivals

By the Thirst Team

A great variety of festivals and other events are coming to Colorado this Memorial Day weekend, with books, wine, chocolate, oddities and much more to offer.

Mountainfilm in Telluride

The Mountainfilm Festival runs Friday through Monday at the Sheridan Opera House in Telluride. The festival has been running since 1979, and this year’s event includes 98 documentary films that “celebrate adventure, activism, social justice, environment and indomitable spirit,” according to the festival website.

The event opens with a free screening at 8:45 p.m. Thursday, before the ticketed festival begins in earnest on Friday.

For a taste of the festival, or just see some other inspiring films, check out the archive here.

PlanetV Festival

PlanetV is a three-day camping experience with music, workshops and art at CampV, outside Naturita. The event began in 2020 as an impromptu gathering with 75 friends who wanted to connect during COVID and has grown to an independent three-day festival run by a group of friends from Burning Man.

CampV labels itself as “a boutique camp … that combines art, history, architecture, design, outdoor recreation and unique spaces to bring together rural communities and inspire connections.” It offers a range of lodging options from restored Airstreams and glamping tents to a riverside campground and full hook-up RV sites.

Denver Arts Festival

The 25th annual Denver Arts Festival opens at 10 a.m. Saturday in Central Park. The event includes more than 140 artists, live music, food and beverages, and a kids’ ArtZone.

The Denver Concert Band plays from 10:30 to noon. The female electric string quartet Spinphony plays from 12:30 to 4 p.m., and longtime Denver jazz combo Dotsero plays from 2 to 5:30 p.m.

The festival and parking are free, and dogs are not allowed.

South Fork Wine & Chocolate Festival

The Rio Grande Club and Resort will host the first South Fork Wine and Chocolate Festival on Saturday and Sunday. Colorado chocolatiers and wineries will offer samples, and the event also includes live music, craft vendors, karaoke and painting classes. There also is a wine pairing dinner on Saturday night at the resort.

Mountain Words Festival

The Mountain Words Festival in Crested Butte runs from Friday through Sunday, and includes readings, workshops, kids' events, panel discussions, live theater and more. This year’s authors and presenters include Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and author Timothy Egan, historian and author Hampton Sides, bestselling novelist Shelley Read and Montana poet laureate Chris La Tray.

A full festival pass costs $350. Single-day passes and individual event tickets also are available, and many events are free to the public.

Bluegrass festival in Salida

The Rotary Club of Salida hosts the Bluegrass on the Arkansas festival on Saturday and Sunday in Salida. The Saturday lineup includes The Rifters at 4 p.m., Ragged Mountain at 5:30, and Floodgate Operators at 7:30. On Sunday, bands play from noon to 9:30 p.m., including Big Meadow, Pint and a Half, Blue River Grass and Rapid Grass.

Rotarians will pour SoulCraft beer from the beer truck, and kids activities will be available. The event is free, but donations are encouraged. The event is the main Rotary Club fundraiser, and helps provide vocational and scholastic scholarships, as well as funds for other local nonprofits throughout Chaffee County.

Spring Free Bluegrass Festival

Vail Village also hosts a free bluegrass festival Friday through Sunday, with two stages, plus a kids zone with a Rock N Roll Playhouse Grateful Dead tribute show before the main bands begin at noon Saturday and Sunday.

The lineup includes the Infamous Stringdusters, Bluegrass Generals, Sierra Hull, John Stickley Trio, Rapidgrass and many more, with master of ceremonies Robert Randolph.

Blues Brews and BBQ Festival

A free celebration of blues music, BBQ and craft beer comes to Beaver Creek Friday through Sunday. The Ghost Town Blues Band and Jax Hollow will perform on Friday. Bette Smith, Don Bryant, Delta Sonics and Elvis tribute artist Ryan Collingwood will play on Saturday. Dirty Red & the Soul Shakers, Tyron Benoit and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Booker T. Jones are coming Sunday. The event is free, but daily VIP packages are available, including VIP lounge access, talent meet and greet, catered BBQ and more.

Save the date - Edgewater Music Festival

Speaking of music and BBQ, the festival formerly known as Blues & BBQ for Better Housing is back on June 22, and rebranded as Edgewater Music Festival. The event runs from 2 to 10 p.m., and includes some of the region’s best tribute bands. It is still a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver, and has raised more than $530,000 for the organization since its inception more than 25 years ago.

And click here for details about more music festivals this weekend and through the rest of the summer.

As always, please send us your events and announcements. We’re happy to share them. And enjoy your Colorado craft libations responsibly.