Wine, beer and film festivals abound, plus more horse-pulled skiing on tap

By the Thirst Team

Get Out of Town is our roundup of the best events across Colorado for the next couple of weeks. Check out our March performing arts preview here, and read on for festivals, sporting contests and other happenings. For more, check out our events calendar.

Film fest in Durango today through Sunday

The Durango Independent Film Festival opens today, with events, lectures, parties and, of course, movies. The festival spotlights all varieties of independent film, including adventure, music, animation, nature, comedy, shorts, documentaries, Native cinema, feature films and K–12 student movies.

Colorado Springs wine fest today through Saturday

The Wine Festival of Colorado Springs opens today at the Broadmoor, and runs through Saturday with a series of separately ticketed events. This year’s festival spotlights South African wines, and also includes art, music and food.

Ski joring in Leadville Saturday and Sunday

Leadville hosts its 78th annual ski joring competition this weekend. Ski Joring involves a horse and rider pulling a skier at high speed through a course with gates, jumps and rings. Teams are timed and scored, and will compete for cash prizes.

Beer festival on skis in Frisco Saturday

Brewski is a beer festival on skis, coming to the Frisco Nordic Center on Saturday. Participants wear costumes, ski between beer tasting tents and compete for best costume prizes.

Cardboard derby at Purgatory Saturday

The McDonald’s Cardboard Derby at Purgatory Resort is a race down the mountain in a craft made of cardboard and duct tape. The race starts at 11 a.m. Saturday, with awards up for grabs in several categories. Only 30 teams are allowed to enter, and limited spots remain.

SIDS fundraising beer festival Saturday

The 14th annual SUDS for SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) beer festival runs from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday at Wings Over The Rockies in Denver. The event includes unlimited samples of beer, wine and food, and an adults-only chance to explore the museum. The event raises money to support Angel Eyes, which offers free grief support to families who have lost an infant or young child.

Mile High Beer Festival on Saturday

On Saturday afternoon, more than 40 Colorado breweries, cideries and distilleries will pour samples at Denver’s new Denargo Market (off the Platte River in the RiNo neighborhood). There also will be live music. The festival runs from 2 to 5 p.m., with early entry and VIP options available.

Major comedy festival in Aspen March 11 to 15

The 2026 Aspen Laugh Festival will bring top comedians to the Wheeler Opera House next Wednesday through Sunday. Daily Show correspondent and co-host Josh Johnson has two headlining sets on Friday night. Other comics include Pete Correale, Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, Ali Siddiq, Iliza Shlesinger and Daniel Tosh.

St. Patrick’s Day puppy parade March 14

Boulder Social's third annual St. Patrick's Day Puppy Parade will be on March 14. A percentage of event proceeds benefiting POSO Dog Rescue, which also will have adoptable pups at the event. Registration starts at 11 a.m., and the parade starts at 1 p.m. The event also includes vendors, a dog-friendly menu, party photos and a costume contest. Parade participants will also receive a free beer.

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.