Head out across the state for concerts, theater, drinks festivals and other events

By the Thirst Team

Welcome to our roundup of the best events across Colorado through early July. Check out our June performing arts preview here, and read on for other happenings all over the state. For more, check out our events calendar.

Fort Collins Beer Week continues through Sunday

After a hiatus, 20 Fort Collins breweries will unite for a week of collaborations, education, events and specials. The centerpiece is a beer festival from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday at the Drake Center. There also will be seminars and events about beer history, growing local hops, homebrewing and fermentation science.

Durango Playfest continues through Sunday

The Durango PlayFest is a week of staged readings, workshops and special events focused on new theatrical works. The festival brings playwrights, actors and directors together to develop original productions while giving audiences an early look at plays that may go on to wider productions.

Fairplay concert series starts Friday

A Brother’s Fountain opens Fairplay’s summer concert series on Friday. The free monthly shows are on Fifth Street. The second show is Hazel Miller and the Collective on July 24, followed by Chris Daniels and the Kings on Aug. 28.

Stranahan’s new concert series starts Friday

Heavy Diamond Ring and Travis McNamara (of Trout Steak Revival) kick off a new quarterly concert series at Stranahan’s Distillery in Denver. Tickets cost $40, and also include a cocktail, bottle discounts and a voucher for a free distillery tour and tasting at a later date.

Blues from the Top Festival in Winter Park Friday to Sunday

The Blues from the Top Music Festival returns to the Rendezvous Event Center in Winter Park. Headliners include the Wood Brothers, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Los Lobos. The Grand County Blues Society, which hosts the event, is a nonprofit that promotes blues and roots music through live performances, music outreach and education. The group also supports hospital music therapy departments, and has donated more than 800 instruments to children with life-threatening health issues.

Tico Time Country Festival outside Durango Friday to Sunday

Robert Holmes, owner of Tico Time River Resort, said he started planning a country music festival quickly after news spread that the long-running Country Jam festival in Grand Junction would not happen this year. The festival headliners are Paul Cauthen, Randy Rogers Band and Larry Fleet, with a packed weekend of supporting acts.

Tico Time River Resort has become an emerging music festival destination in the Four Corners region, hosting multiple events each year that bring together music, camping, art and community along the riverside property near the Colorado–New Mexico border.

Lavender festival in Palisade Friday to Sunday

The Colorado Lavender Festival event celebrates its 15th anniversary in Palisade. Lavender is a beautiful landscape addition and budding Colorado cash crop perfectly suited to Colorado’s high-desert climate.

Festival director Olivia Coe said this year’s “15 Years of Loving Lavender” edition will focus on the history of lavender in Colorado and beyond. It includes private farm tours, a large vendor fair, art classes and free educational lectures and workshops.

Salida Wine Fest Saturday

The Salida Wine Festival Wine returns after a seven-year hiatus with tastings from more than 20 Colorado wineries, plus live music, food and gift vendors.

Salida Chalk Festival Saturday

The Town of Salida also hosts its third annual chalk festival, with temporary murals across downtown by more than 25 professional and emerging artists. Community members also can create art and register in adult and youth contests.

Tribute band showdown in Longmont Saturday

Left Hand Brewing in Longmont hosts its annual Leftapalooza music festival. The event is a competition among some of the area’s best tribute bands. Last year’s winner, Van Zeppelin (covering Van Halen and Led Zeppelin, obviously), will return as this year’s headliner at 7:30 p.m. The music begins at 11:30 a.m., with tributes to Pink Floyd, Shinedown, the Offspring, Fleetwood Mac, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath on tap.

Snowmass Rendezvous Saturday

The 10th Snowmass Rendezvous brings unlimited samples of beer, spirits, ciders, seltzers wines and more, as well as vendors and live music, in Snowmass Village, near Aspen.

Keystone Bacon & Bourbon Festival Saturday and Sunday

Well-crafted bacon and bourbon are two of life’s decadent and delicious delights. Both are plentiful at this festival, where attendees sample Colorado whiskies, bacon and bacon-inspired cuisine. Families are welcome, with live music, competitions and Camp Bacon activities and classes for kids.

Keystone Stars and Guitars Festival July 3

Keystone follows up the bacon extravaganza with a day of music and star-spangled fun. Groove in Motion and The Goonies will play cover songs alongside the Salida circus and an artisan market before the Stories in the Sky drone show.

Breckenridge Wildflower Week July 2-12

The first Breckenridge Wildflower Week is timed to coincide with peak bloom season. Highlights include guided hikes and tours, sustainability education, a community yoga class, crafts and workshops, botanically inspired menus and cocktails, art vendors, live music and plein air painting.

Cherry Days in Paonia July 3-4

Paonia celebrates both Independence Day and its favorite local fruit during Cherry Days. Cherry-themed activities include a bakeoff and a pit-spitting contest. There also will be a parade, dance performances, a wood splitting contest and cornhole tournament.

South Park Bluegrass Festival July 3-4

Alma Town Park hosts two days of bluegrass artists including Kyle Tuttle, Jake Wolf, Mark Morris and Friends, Alex Thoele, Coral Creek, Half Pelican (featuring Joy Adams of Big Richard) and Taylor and Bonnie Sims (also of Big Richard).

Fundraising comedy shows for animal rescues July 9

Comedy to the Rescue is Clay Foley’s stand-up comedy tour benefitting local animal shelters and rescues. He will bring the show to the Denver Comedy Lounge on July 9 to raise money for Animal Rescue of the Rockies. Denver comedian Sam Ellefson opens the show. Tickets cost $65, including dinner.

Taste of Arvada July 10

More than 50 restaurants, craft breweries and distilleries, coffee shops and non-food vendors from across the Denver metro area offer samples at the Taste of Arvada festival on Thursday, July 10. Restaurants and bars also vie for coveted prizes in their categories, with winners chosen by attendees. Tickets are on sale now, and applications are still available for vendors and sponsors.

Bobstock Music Festival in Fort Morgan July 10-11

The free Bobstock Music Festival returns to Glenn Miller Park in Fort Morgan. More than 20 bands will play on five stages. New jack swing pioneers Color Me Badd headline on Friday. Classic rock legends Night Ranger headline on Saturday.

Brewers Rendezvous in Salida July 11

The 30th Brewers Rendezvous will bring together more than 60 Colorado craft breweries against the backdrop of the Collegiate Peaks and the Arkansas River. In addition to sampling beers, it is a great opportunity to meet brewers and brewery owners, as the event also serves as an annual meeting for the Colorado Brewers Guild.

Colorado Craft Walk July 12

Blanchard Family Wines brings the Colorado Craft Walk back to Denver’s Dairy Block. The event includes spirits and beer, in addition to the wines that make Blanchard’s wine walks so popular. Taste unlimited samples, and meet creative and fun Colorado craft libations producers. Thirst Colorado will have a booth at the event as well, so stop by to meet the team and enter a ticket giveaway.

Save the date: Fairplay Living History Days Aug. 8-9

Dozens of volunteers and history buffs dress up and reenact historic events and characters every summer at South Park City Museum in Fairplay. The event transports attendees back to frontier life in the 1880s, with a rustic cookhouse, horse rides, old west shootouts, gold panning and much more.

As always, please send us your events and announcements. We’re happy to share them. If they don’t fit in this events roundup, we will add them to our events calendar.