Head out across the state for music and art festivals, and celebrations of Colorado history and harvests

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.

Ukulele festival in Durango Friday to Sunday

The Rocky Mountain UkeFest returns to various downtown venues in Durango. This year’s performers include Ukulele Gent, Chavacado and Dr. Mary Kleinsorge.

The Strater Hotel also hosts workshops, jams and other interactive events, and will offer a discount code for festivalgoers.

Leadville Boom Days Friday to Sunday

Leadville Boom Days is an annual historical celebration of the Old West and Leadville’s mining history. The weekend festival includes burro races, contests of mining skill, and a street fair with more than 100 food and craft booths.

The 42nd Sculpture in the Park Show and Sale comes to Loveland this weekend. | Photo provided

Sculpture in the Park in Loveland Friday to Sunday

The Loveland High Plains Arts Council hosts the 42nd Sculpture in the Park Show and Sale at the Benson Sculpture Garden. The juried event features more than 2,000 sculptures by 160 artists from around the world. The event opens with a patron party on Friday night, and the show is open to the public all day Saturday and Sunday.

Lafayette Peach Festival Saturday

The focus of the 27th Annual Lafayette Peach Festival is more than 30,000 pounds of fresh, organic Palisade peaches. The event also includes peach pie and cobbler, hundreds of artisan vendors and family entertainment on Public Road in downtown Lafayette.

Fairplay Living History Days Saturday and Sunday

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 other activities.

Bluegrass festival in Idaho Springs Aug. 14 and 15

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.

Crafts, Cocktails, & Corks in Winter Park Aug. 15

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 Aug. 15

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.

Jazz in the Denver vineyards Aug. 15

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 Aug. 16

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.

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.

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.

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.

Save the date: Smalltown Gathering in Salida Sept. 25

Smalltown Gathering is a yoga and music festival at Riverside Park in Salida. This year’s lineup includes The California Honeydrops, Fruition, Moontricks, Daniel Rodriguez, Lindsay Lou, Magoo and Yasmin Williams

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.