Six free Keystone festivals promise cool mountain escapes

Season opens with Bacon & Bourbon Festival June 27 and 28 

By Joe Ross

The Keystone Festivals return with some “bang and twang” that will attract merrymakers hoping to cool off this summer.

Because Keystone is just 90 minutes from metro Denver, folks can quickly zoom up to 9,000 feet in elevation to beat the heat and party in a gorgeous high-country setting. Six free festivals are lined up through fall.

Each festival has themed music on four stages, as well as food, libations and entertainment curated for each weekend. That aside, it’s all about having fun, according to Alexandra Bostic, Keystone Festivals spokeswoman: “We think we are the perfect weekend-long getaway for any Front Rangers – drive up, park once, unpack and rewind as everything you need is right at your fingertips at the base of the mountain and within the village.” 

Back to the bang and twang. The Bacon & Bourbon Festival is a must-attend if one enjoys every twist on bacon that chefs can concoct. Throw in more barbecued meats, live music, neat bourbon, craft beers or other beverages and the day is loaded with fun. 

“All music enthusiasts know that country and rock are two ends of the same spectrum and here at Keystone Festivals we have a deep appreciation for both bang and twang,” according to the website. The Bacon & Bourbon Festival will feature six country bands on Saturday, June 27, and six rockers on Sunday, June 28. Narrow Gauge headlines Saturday and Hell’s Belles headlines on Sunday.

If bacon and bourbon aren’t your thing, fear not I-70 corridor climbers, the Keystone Festivals have five more outings lined up for nearly every taste.

• Stars & Guitars, July 3: Keystone’s patriotic Fourth of July celebration features country and Americana music, family activities, circus acts and plenty of food and drink to keep the whole family rolling. 

• Wine and Jazz Festival, July 18-19: A summer gathering pairing jazz performances with wine tastings. Look for Dotsero, Buckner Funken Jazz and Gregory Goodloe among the 15 bands set to perform. Great food and hundreds of wines will be available to taste. The festival also features a specialized break-out seminar with Scott Thomas of Grappolo Food & Wine School. “This is a coveted part of Keystone Wine & Jazz Festival that always sells out in advance as it is a luxury learning experience within our festival offerings,” Bostic said. “I am especially excited for this year’s seminar, as it is themed ‘The White Lotus Effect.’ (Cue Tanya on a wine vacation in a Colorado spin-off series.) ‘White Lotus’-themed outfits are obviously encouraged.” 

• River Run Village Art Festival, July 24-26: A juried arts festival showcasing painters, photographers, sculptors and other artisans alongside shopping, food vendors and entertainment. Hang out with 80 artists from across the country. 

• Bluegrass & Beer Festival, Aug. 1-2: One of Colorado’s longest-running beer festivals (29 years!), combining craft brews, bluegrass bands and mountain cuisine. Bring your dancing shoes because the string bands will fire up the mountainside. And no hesitation cider and seltzer lovers, you will be covered as well. “Coloradans tend to love nothing more than craft beer and bluegrass music,” Bostic said. This festival “brings lots of mountain-loving locals and Colorado tourists up to Keystone, whether for a day trip or for a long weekend. Bostic is looking forward to listening to The Brothers Comatose on Saturday and Silas Herman & The Tone Unit headlining Sunday. 

• Oktoberfest, Sept. 5: A Bavarian-inspired celebration featuring German beer, brats and music, music, music. Stein-hoisting contests, chicken dances and polka lessons are scheduled. And Kinderfest will keep the kids hopping all day. Oompah!

“Each festival has its own distinct following based on the music genre, time of year, libations, and more,” Bostic said. “Where else in the world can you say you’ve ridden a mechanical pig at 9,280 feet? Or entered and won a bacon eating contest? Then, a few weeks later, you returned to earn your bragging rights during a stein-hoisting competition.”

Entry to all of the festivals is free, but those who want to dive deeper with food, beverages and other entertainment can do so with day passes and other options.