The best Colorado winter festivals for 2022-23

A kayaker is pulled along the Ullr Fest parade route in downtown Breckenridge on Jan. 10, 2019. Andy Cross, Denver Post file

By Sarah Kuta

Special to The Denver Post

Festivals add a special sparkle to Colorado’s already dazzling winters. With jubilant live music, soul-warming food and drinks,colorfulparadesandonly-in-winter activities like snow carving and ice climbing, these events have become belovedcold-weathertraditionsintheCentennial State.

Here are some of Colorado’s best winter festivals to attend this season.

Fire Festival

Dec. 2-4, Telluride, telluridefirefestival.org

Ifyou’relookingforsomethingexciting and different this winter, look no further. This weekend in idyllic Telluride celebrates fire arts and performance. There are free shows, live music, firey art cars and hands-on workshops in aerial acrobatics, partner hooping/juggling and the basicsofpropaneandsteelfireart.It’saltogether unlike your usual weekend fest, for sure.

Ullr Fest

Dec. 8-11, Breckenridge, gobreck.com/ event/ullr-fest

If you’ve never formally acquainted yourselfwithUllr,theNorsegodofsnow andskiing,thisisyourchance.Breck’sannual 10-day shindig, hosted by the residents and businesses of this charming mountaintownsince1963,isacelebration ofallthethingsthatmakewinterinColorado so great: fresh powder, ice skating, curling, bonfires, parades, Viking-inspired costumes and, yes, even shot skis.

Jason Nelson of Ouray makes his way up a route at the Ouray Ice Park. Helen J. Richardson, Denver Post file

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Wintersköl

Jan. 12-15, Aspen, aspenchamber.org/ events/winterskol

Back in 1951, when skiing was still in its infancyinAspen,agroupoflocalsgottogether to usher in the winter season and, thus, Wintersköl was born. Over the last 70-plus years, this once-small gathering has grown to become one of the Roaring Fork Valley’s most cherished traditions. Though the schedule is still being finalized, past festivals have included snow sculptures, fireworks, a torchlight ski parade on Aspen Mountain, contests, races, historicalexperiencesandsomuchmore.

Aspen Gay Ski Week

Jan. 15-22, Aspen, gayskiweek.com

As the longest-running and largest gay ski week in the country, Aspen Gay Ski Week has been promoting inclusivity — and fun — in the sport of skiing for more than40years.Thereareover-the-topparties, ski meet-ups, dinners, games of drag bingo, comedy shows and tons of other lively events that are open to all.

Ouray Ice Festival

Jan 19-22, Ouray, ourayicepark.com/ ouray-ice-festival

Pull out your puffy coat and make your way to the “Switzerland of America” for this small mountain community’s annual ice climbing festival. For four days every January, ice climbers from around the world descend upon Ouray to test their mettleontheicywaterfallsandmanmade climbingstructuresoftheOurayIcePark. There are also film screenings, happy hours, gear expos and other chances to mixandminglewithfellowoutdoorspeople. Oh, and much-needed soaks in the town’s inviting hot springs. week is Jan. 27-Feb.1, Breckenridge, gobreck.com/event/international-snowsculpture-championships

Watch in amazement as teams from around the world carve 25-ton blocks of snow standing 12 feet tall into detailed sculptures — all with just elbow grease and hand tools. No power tools are allowed at this whimsical competition! Carvers spend up to 94 hours perfecting their frosty masterpieces, which turn downtown Breck into a temporary outdoorartgallerythat’sperfectforstrolling through with a steaming cup of cocoa in your hands.

Winter X Games

Jan. 27-29, Aspen, aspensnowmass.com/ visit/events/x-games-aspen

Gape as some of the best skiers, snowboardersandsnowmobilersfromaround theworldcompletegravity-defyingtricks at Aspen’s Buttermilk Mountain during this year’s X Games. The rad snowsports competition,thatyoumayhavepreviousTeam Breckenridge’s “Let it Snow” sculpture looms over a model of the project during the 29th International Snow Sculpture Championships in

Sena Tomita of Japan competes in the women’s snowboard SuperPipe finals at Buttermilk Mountain during the X Games on Jan. 22. She won the gold medal.

Helen H. Richardson, Denver Post file

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ly watched on TV, includes more than a dozen events on the slopes and terrain parks.

Rio Frio Ice Fest

Jan. 27-29, Alamosa, rioraces.com/riofrio-home

Work up a sweat while running the Rio Frio 5-kilometer foot race on the frozen Rio Grande River, then enjoy other icy festivities as part of this annual celebrationofwinter.Pastfestivalactivitieshave included a bonfire, polar plunge and ice sculpting.

Long nights and cold temperatures got you down? Pay a visit to Golden for UllrGrass,ajoyousthree-dayaffairnamedfor the Norse god of winter. In addition to an impressiveline-upoflivemusic,italsoincludes a beer festival, costume parade, games, food trucks, an Ullr egg hunt and otherperformancesdesignedtobringthe community together.

Snowdown

Feb. 1-5, Durango, snowdown.org

Firstheldin1979tobreakupthemonotony of winter on the Western Slope, Snowdownhasgrowntobecomeahighly anticipated festival in Durango. Now celebrating its 44th year, Snowdown includes more than 100 activities and events, from a parade of lights to whimsical competitions like a beard-growing

A man tries to regain control after losing an edge during a race at the 72nd Leadville Ski Joring Festival in 2020. Daniel Brenner, Special to The Denver Post file

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contest.Donyourbest16th-centurygarb, too, because this year’s theme is “A Shakespearian Revelry, A Week With the Bard. ”

Steamboat Springs Winter Carnival

Feb. 8-12, Steamboat Springs, sswsc.org/ events/winter-carnival

Come for the powder at Steamboat Ski Resort,stayforthewintercarnival,which includes snow sculpting, s’mores, ski jumping, dance parties and more. Hosted by the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club since 1913, the festival is celebrating abiganniversary—110years!—thisyear, so expect extra-special twists to the festivities. plainssnowgoose.com

Even if you don’t consider yourself a “birder, ” it’s hard not to be impressed when you see thousands of snow geese flying in unison in the skies over southeasternColorado.ThegoodpeopleofLamarandsurroundingcommunitiesonthe EasternPlainslovetocelebratetheannualmigrationofthesemajesticbirds—and you can, too, when you attend this fourday festival. Enjoy lectures, excursions, demonstrationsandotherformsofcamaraderie in honor of the birds.

Aspen Laugh Festival

Feb. 21-25, Aspen, wheeleroperahouse.com/laugh-fest

We could all use a few laughs after the last two-and-a-half years. The Aspen Laugh Festival, held at the beautiful historicWheelerOperaHousedowntown,is the perfect temporary antidote to all the doomandgloom.Thescheduleisstillbeing finalized, but the popular gathering

brings together well-known and emergingcomediansforperformancesandother activities.

Leadville Ski Joring & Crystal Carnival Weekend

March 3-5, Leadville, leadvilletwinlakes.com/things-to-do-detail/leadvilleski-joring-crystal-carnival-weekend

MarvelasaskierpulledbyahorsenavigatesdowntownLeadville’sHarrisonAvenue (and flies over jumps!) at this Wild West event in the mountains. The same weekend also features the Crystal Carnival, a chilly festival that includes parties, livemusic,dancinganduniqueraces,like the Nordic paintball biathlon.

Taste of Vail

April 5-8, Vail, tasteofvail.com

Deliciousness abounds at Taste of Vail, which has been delighting the taste buds offestivalgoersintheVailValleyformore than30years.Therearefascinatingseminars,intimatetalkswithwinemakers,daily tastings and other food- and drink-focused activities, with plenty of time for skiing Vail’s legendary back bowls in between.Infact,youcanskirightovertothe festival’s Mountain Top Tasting event, which is held above town at 10,350 feet.

Keepyoureyesopenfortheseotherannualfestivalsstillinplanningforthiswinter season: Cripple Creek Ice Festival, usually held in February (visitcripplecreek.com), Manitou Springs Carnivale Weekend, usually held near Mardi Gras (manitousprings.org/carnivaleweekend) and Frozen Dead Guy Day in Nederland, usually held in March (frozendeadguydays.org).