Ned Gravel returns for another two-wheeled celebration on July 12 in Nederland. Credit: @commuterwarfare
Go up, up and away at the Erie Balloon Festival on July 12. Courtesy: Erie Balloon Festival
Twang Fest
Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 4, Gold Hill Inn Beer Garden, 401 Main St. $30 cash for music; $20 for barbecue
Celebrate the Fourth of July with some finger lickin’ barbecue chicken, with all the fixins. The soundtrack is appropriately themed: honky tonk and Americana from Halden Wofford & the Hi*Beams, Brother & the Hayes, Ansel and the Brain Tattoos. It’s the perfect way to wind down after Gold Hill’s pancake breakfast and parade.
Rooftop Rodeo
Monday, July 6 through Saturday, July 11, Estes Park Events Complex, 1125 Rooftop Way. $29+ per night
Put those cowboy boots to use for once and head to the highest rodeo in the country. For six nights straight, some of the world’s top rodeo contestants will be wranglin’, ridin’ and mutton bustin’ in the shadows of Rocky Mountain National Park. Festivities also include live music and behind-the-scenes tours for an inside look at the rodeo world.
Ned Gravel
7 a.m. Sunday, July 12, Snyder St. and E. 2nd St., Nederland. $38+ for riders
Ever had the itch to bike 70 miles straight up the side of a mountain? If you answered yes, then seek help — from Peak to Peak Endurance, that is. The Nederland-area nonprofit hosts its annual gravel bike race this month, with rides ranging from a leisurely 10-mile course to a grueling 69.5-mile chug up 8,300 vertical feet. If that’s not your thing, there’ll be music, food and ice cold beer at the finish line starting at 10 a.m.
Gilpin County Fair
Friday, July 17 - Sunday, July 19, Allen Memorial Fairgrounds,
Ah, county fairs. Fried food, barnyard animals, rides, and … mining competitions? At Gilpin County’s 34th rendition, you can expect all the usual fair fare with a small town atmosphere, plus a circuit of gold panning, spike driving and hand mucking events to pay homage to the region’s rich mining history.
Party in the Peaks
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 19, Nederland Farmers Market, 80 E. 2nd St. and 85 E. 1st St., Nederland. Free
It’s not a Ned summer without the biggest farmers market bash in the Peak to Peak. Head out to the Nederland Farmers Market for their annual festival, featuring 60 vendors, activities and plenty of craft booze. When you’re done filling your tote bag, hit the main stage for live music from Hundred Pound Housecat, Selasee and The Fa Fa Family.
Mountain Research Summer Seminar Series
7 p.m. Wednesdays, Megaron Building Mountain Research Station, 818 County Road 116, Nederland. Free
You don’t have to drive down Boulder Canyon to enroll in class. Learn about soil, snowmelt, microbiomes, mountain watersheds and more from CU scientists at the university’s mountain research station during this weekly series that’s free and open to the public. Organizers recommend showing up 15 minutes early to park and get settled.
Erie Balloon Festival
6 a.m. Friday, July 10 through Sunday, July 12, Colliers Parkway and County Road 5, Erie. Free to attend; $20+ for balloon rides
Get up with the birds, then get up where the birds fly at this annual gathering of hot air balloon enthusiasts. Balloons launch en masse daily at 6 a.m., filling the sky with color and just a little bit of magic. If early mornings aren’t your thing, join the Saturday night glow. Not quite ready to get carried away? Enjoy a ride for just $20 with the balloon tethered tightly to the ground.
Summer Fest: Out of the Box
3-9 p.m. Saturday, July 11, Firehouse Art Center, 667 4th Ave., Longmont. Free
Longmont’s Firehouse Art Center is taking art and culture mobile this summer with their Out of the Box festival series. Join the nonprofit along with St. Vrain Cidery and Abott & Wallace distilling for drinks, music and immersive mobile art galleries popping up in Uhaul trucks throughout the city’s creative district.
Boulder Environmental / Nature / Outdoors Film Festival
Thursday, July 16 through Sunday, July 19, Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $250 festival pass; $17.25 per film
Get up close and personal with the planet we call home at the 2026 Boulder Environmental / Nature / Outdoors Film Festival. This annual cinematic showcase brings you four days of narrative, documentary features and short films from around the world — plus opening and closing receptions with live music, food and libations along with post-screening Q&As featuring guests from the world of film, science and outdoor sports.
America 250 + Colorado 150: Free Family Day
11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, July 11, Colorado Chautauqua, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. Free
Looking for a day of free outdoor fun for the fam? Celebrate major historic milestones for Colorado — and America, if that feels right to you — during this summer celebration, presented by the Colorado Music Festival. The day includes a bilingual family-friendly concert featuring Peter and the Wolf, plus local vendors, a petting zoo and a whole lot more.
Pearl Street Arts Fest
Friday, July 17 through Sunday, July 19, Pearl Street Mall, Boulder. Free
Downtown Boulder transforms into a juried outdoor gallery during this annual celebration of all things visual art. From contemporary sculpture to traditional watercolors and points in between, Pearl Street Arts Fest features more than 1,500 works by local artists vying for Best Functional Art, Best 3D Art, Best 2D Art and — of course — Best of Show.
RockyGrass
Friday, July 24 - Sunday, July 26, Planet Bluegrass Ranch, 500 W. Main, Lyons. Resale $100+
Why drive six hours to Telluride when you’ve got the biggest bluegrass festival on the Front Range in your backyard? The 54th annual RockyGrass is back, so head to Lyons and stomp along to three days of non-stop jamming. Day passes and on-site camping are still available, so snatch them up before they hit the resale market.
Buffalo Bill Days
Friday, July 24 - Sunday, July 26, Parfet Park, 719 10th St., Golden. Free
Originally a trail ride up Lookout Mountain to Buffalo Bill’s grave, Golden’s signature event looks a little different 80 years later. Get in the spirit of the wild, wild west with line dancing lessons, cowboy church, a parade and float competition and plenty of live music. If you’re still standing after all that, take the drive up to the gravesite and pay your respects to the man himself.
