A Christmas tree bonfire, skiing on shovels and much more

By the Thirst Team

Get Out of Town is our weekly roundup of recommended events across Colorado, mostly focusing outside of Denver, to help everyone enjoy the entire state. For more happenings, check out our events calendar.

Steamboat Springs Winter Carnival

A celebration of western heritage and winter sports in Steamboat Springs starts today, and runs through Sunday. Organizers claim it is the oldest continuous winter carnival west of the Mississippi.

Highlights include a new take on ski joring down Main Street: watch kids on skis and snowboards, and adults riding shovels, all being pulled behind horses. A Night Show Extravaganza on Saturday includes fireworks, ski jumpers flying through fiery hoops and the pyrotechnic Lighted Man in a 70-pound suit.

Click here for more of the best winter festivals in Colorado.

Frisco Gold Rush and bonfire

The Frisco Nordic Center hosts the 54th Annual Frisco Gold Rush on Saturday. It is the longest running Nordic event in Colorado, and includes classic and skate ski races open to skiers of all ages and abilities.

That evening, there will be a community bonfire and fireworks display near the Frisco Bay Marina. The bonfire is fueled by about 300 recycled Christmas trees.

Keystone 50+ Winter Games

The Frisco Nordic Center also hosts ski and snowshoe races, and a biathlon classic on Tuesday as part of a multi-day competition for athletes 50 and older.

The series starts Sunday with a downhill ski day at Keystone Resort. Uphill and ice events come to Keystone on Monday. All events are designed to be relaxed and fun.

WeldWerks Invitational Beer Festival

WeldWerks Brewing Co. hosts the fourth WeldWerks Invitational Festival on Saturday at the DoubleTree in downtown Greeley.

The festival first launched in 2018 as a celebration of coveted beers and a fundraiser for the WeldWerks Community Foundation. It’s coming back for the brewery’s 10th anniversary.

Tickets cost $85, and include a commemorative tasting glass and samples from more than 40 of the best breweries in the nation (plus a Canadian brewery and a Swedish brewery this year). Limited tickets remained at press time.

Yurt dinner and historic talk

Next Thursday, Feb 13, the Crested Butte Museum will host a full moon ski or snowshoe trip to the Magic Meadows yurt for a catered dinner and exclusive history presentation. A three-course dinner with optional wine pairings will be prepared by Chef Matt Santor of Crested Butte Catering. The dinner costs $150 per person, with wine pairings for an additional $25.

Ice Climbing Youth World Championships

The UIAA Ice Climbing World Youth Championships comes to the Ouray Ice Park this weekend. Athletes ages 13-19 are coming to Ouray from eight countries for both lead and speed contests in several age categories.

Click here for more details.

As always, please send us your events and announcements. We’re happy to share them. If they don’t fit in the Get Out of Town column, we will add them to our events calendar.