Head out across the state for events celebrating beer, wine, mushrooms, bluegrass, art and then some

By the Thirst Team

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

Telluride Mushroom Festival today through Sunday

Telluride becomes the center of the mycology world this week. The 46th annual event includes a mushroom costume parade, mushroom foraging, identification and dining, as well as lectures and discussions about psychedelic and medicinal mushroom research and legislation.

The Puff Ball costume dance party and select individual events are sold out, but festival passes, day passes and individual event tickets are still on sale.

Bluegrass festival in Idaho Springs Friday and Saturday

The Mighty Argo Cable Car opened this spring. Now it is going to the next level (literally) with the mountaintop Rapidgrass Bluegrass Festival. Daily festival tickets start at $80, including the cable car ride.

Front Range Wine Festival in Windsor Saturday

The 14th annual Front Range Wine Festival is coming to Windsor. Tickets cost $50 online and $60 at the gate, and include a commemorative wine glass, wine tote and unlimited tastings of more than 300 Colorado wines.

VIP tickets also are available, including VIP Tent Access with catered food and wine bar. Also, shuttles are available to several local hotels.

Crafts, Cocktails, & Corks in Winter Park Saturday

Crafts, Cocktails & Corks brings wineries, breweries and distilleries together at Winter Park's Rendezvous Event Center for an afternoon of tastings, live music and local food. The annual fundraiser also features artisan vendors and a friendly "Best Of" competition, with proceeds supporting youth programs in Grand County.

Steinley Cup Brewfest in Wyoming Saturday

Every summer should include a jaunt into Wyoming for some Western heritage, open spaces and … beer? The Steinley Cup Microbrew Festival and Competition comes to a fun island in Saratoga. And it’s OK to spend some money on gas because tickets are only $30 for a day of live music and sampling beers from the Rocky Mountain region and beyond.

Etienne Charles brings his Creole Orchestra to Balistreri Vineyards on Saturday. | Photo provided

Jazz in the Denver vineyards Saturday

The Etienne Charles Creole Orchestra headlines KUVO jazz radio’s 21st annual Live at the Vineyards fundraiser concert. The show starts at 5:30 at Balistreri Vineyards in northeast Denver. GA and VIP tickets are available, and the event also includes gourmet food and award-winning Balistreri wines, including four exclusive KUVO signature selections.

Mountain Music Fest in Evergreen Sunday

Actor Kevin Bacon and composer Michael Bacon, aka The Bacon Brothers, will headline the all-day Mountain Music Fest at Buchanan Park in Evergreen. The lineup also includes Neoni, Christie Huff, Michael Morrow and the Culprits, Grady and the Hootin’ Bandits, and Alex Hagar.

Area students manage stage production, sound, ticketing, and event operations for the festival, and proceeds support local student programs through the Wooden Hawk Foundation.

PLAN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS

Breckenridge International Festival of Arts Aug. 20 to 23

Summit County presents a wide range of global artists for 10 days of multidisciplinary events. Each day has a theme and a wide variety of events, shows and interactive experiences. Click here to read our story from last year and learn more about the festival.

Palisade Peach Festival Aug. 21 and 22

The town of Palisade also will celebrate its most famous export at its annual peach festival in Riverbend Park.

The event includes peach drinks, food trucks, vendors, live music, a peach cuisine showdown, peach eating contest, paddleboarding for peaches and more.

Tickets start at $10, with additional options available for farm tours and feast in the field dinners.

Overland Expo Aug. 21 to 23

The Overland Expo Mountain West returns to Loveland. It’s billed as the world’s largest trade show, education fair and community event for overlanding motorcyclists, RVers, campers and more.

Camping is available at the event, which takes over The Ranch complex Friday through Sunday.

Nederland Jazz & Wine Aug. 22

The fifth annual Nederland Jazz & Wine Festival is likely to sell out, just as it did in each other incarnation. It's a day of music and libations in a beautiful mountain town. The event delivers six hours of diverse live jazz and unlimited samples from wineries, distilleries, breweries and non-alcoholic drink makers, plus food trucks and food and crafts vendors.

Proceeds support Teens Inc. outdoor leadership programs in the Nederland area.

Boulder Taco Fest Aug. 22

In addition to the namesake tacos from acclaimed local restaurants, Boulder Taco Fest on Saturday includes live music, authentic lucha libre wrestling, tequila and family activities.

Sixteen restaurants will showcase tacos and compete for prizes. The event opens with a 5K run to build up a titanic taco appetite. GA and VIP tickets are available, starting at $38, and kids wristbands are free with a paying adult.

Denver Zoo flock party Aug. 22

Tickets are still available for the sixth Flock Party at the Denver Zoo. The adult event pairs animal experiences and live music with craft cocktails and bites from some of the Denver area’s best restaurants and bars.

Evergreen Fine Arts Festival Aug 22 and 23

The lake town of Evergreen is not just a great mountain escape close to Denver. It also inspires great art, and attracts other wonderful Colorado artists from around the state for its festival.

This juried fine art show runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Buchanan Fields. The event is free, and also includes varied kids’ activities, live music and more.

Americana festival at Museum of Outdoor Art Aug. 23

Beloved folk duo Shovels & Rope will headline the Echoes of Americana music festival at Marjorie Park. The venue is connected with the Museum of Outdoor Arts in Greenwood Village. The lineup also includes Langhorne Slim, The Band Loula, Gasoline Lollipops and High Lonesome.

Denver Food and Wine Festival Aug. 26 to 29

The Colorado Restaurant Foundation hosts four days of food, wines and spirits, educational tasting seminars and more.

The main event is the grand tasting on Saturday at the Auraria campus, including appearances by local chefs who starred in the “Top Chef” TV series. The other fan favorite is the Shake + Brake Showdown at Auraria on Thursday night, with some of Denver’s best food trucks and bartenders competing for prizes.

Fairplay concert series closes Aug. 28

Fairplay hosts a free summer concert series on Fifth Street. Blues-rockers Chris Daniels and the Kings close out the series on Aug. 28.

Hogfest in Breckenridge Aug. 28 to 30

The indulgent annual celebration of bacon and bourbon comes to Main Street Station and The Village at Breckenridge. Events include a Friday bourbon pairing dinner, a grand tasting festival and guided bourbon tastings on Saturday. , and Sunday Brunch, this pass unlocks the full Breckenridge Hogfest weekend. For guests who want every major moment in one elevated experience, All-Access is the ultimate way in.

Pints in the Park in Louisville Aug 29

Louisville’s Community Park hosts the Pints in the Park festival. The event includes more than 150 craft tastings from Colorado breweries, wineries and distilleries, as well as live entertainment, silent disco, artisan vendors and food.

Affordable Arts Festival in Littleton Aug. 30

Artists across the nation eagerly sign up to sell their work at a deep discount at the Affordable Arts Festival, a renowned and unique event at Arapahoe Community College.

The event runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., but be warned that the most coveted work sells out early, and patrons line up before doors open. Tickets cost $12.

To learn about the festival and get to know the organizer and some of the artists, read our story here.

Beaver Creek Oktoberfest Sept 4 to 6

The annual fall celebration of Bavarian food and beer also promises Colorado’s largest drone show on Friday and both German music and classic rock cover bands through the weekend. There also will be a kids’ zone, pretzel toss, hammering and fashion contests.

Keystone Oktoberfest Sept. 5

The Bavarian-inspired celebration returns to the beautiful mountain town, with German beer, brats and music. Stein-hoisting contests, chicken dances and polka lessons are scheduled. And Kinderfest will keep the kids hopping all day.

OktoberWest in Steamboat Sept. 11 and 12

The Yampa Valley welcomes fall with the OktoberWest each year. In addition to the beer, there is an annual beef cook-off, lawn game competitions and a vendor market. Friday brings a downtown beer stroll, which raises money for the Young Professionals Network.

On Saturday, the beer garden opens at 2 p.m. (or 1 p.m. for VIPs). Games packages also are available for $250 for four teammates for all four games.

Highland Festival in Estes Park Sept. 11 to 13

The 50th annual Longs Peak Scottish-Irish Highland Festival (aka Scotfest) is the largest celebration of Scottish and Irish communities in North America.

The event includes live music on five stages, plus the international “tattoo,” a ceremonial performance of military music with more than 200 musicians from around the world.

Another highlight is the highland sports competition, drawing professional athletes for caber tossing, hammer throwing and other events. The canine herding, agility, disc-catching and freestyle contests also are popular, as are the guided whiskey tastings.

Save the date: Steamboat Springs Restaurant Week Oct. 3-10

Steamboat’s walkable, diverse and gourmet dining scene will be on full display. Participating restaurants will offer two specials: a curated chef’s choice signature dish or a hometown favorite or go‑to dish. One or both options will be available at most downtown restaurants.

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.