If you’re a food lover and enjoy a good gathering — why not go to a food festival?
Burgers, mac and cheese, donuts, food trucks, fried chicken, tacos, vegan and vegetarian — you name it, a food festival is for this. All over Colorado this summer, there are heaps — some more extravagant and some free. Whether you want to stay in Denver or trek to a mountain city, there are plenty of chances to live your foodie dreams out . Take a look at our round-up of awesome Colorado food festivals happening from May to September.
May
Photo courtesy of 25th Colorado BBQ Challenge on Facebook.
Truck Stop Rally – Five Points
When: Saturday, June 1
Where: 26th and Welton, Denver
Cost: Free
The Lowdown: The second stop for the moving food Truck Stop Rally will be held at the Five Points neighborhood. Several blocks of Welton will be blocked off with tons of food trucks, booze, a live music stage, local vendors, games, giveaways and tables set up for sitting and chowing down. You will find everything from BBQ to tacos to shwarma and craft drinks.
The Annual Whiskey + Doughnuts
When: Saturday, June 1, 2 – 9 p.m.
Where: Number 38, 3560 Chestnut Pl., Denver
Cost: $36 — $69, get tickets here
The Lowdown: A doughnut and whiskey throwdown? Sounds good to us. The annual Whiskey + Doughnuts is a gathering of local Colorado makers sampling their sugary creations and hard drinks. A total of 30 vendors will be there: 23 distilleries and seven doughnut makers. The entry consists of unlimited tastings, so come thirsty and hungry.
Taste of Fort Collins
When: Friday, June 7 – Sunday, June 9
Where: Civic Center Park, Old Town Fort Collins
Cost: $20, get tickets here
The Lowdown: Taste of Fort Collins is all about the food with a great deal of stalls and trucks slinging empanadas, waffles, wings and more. As for drinks, the local breweries Odell and New Belgium will be on tap and there will also be cocktails out of Mystic Mountain Distillery. However, the coolest thing about this festival is the rings, and this year, Rick Springfield will be playing Saturday and Uncle Kracker on Sunday.
Denver BBQ Festival
When: Friday, June 14 – Sunday, June 16
Where: Broncos Stadium at Mile High, 1701 Bryant St., Denver
Cost: Free entry; VIP packs here
The Lowdown: Free BBQ festival at the Only Mile High Stadium? Count us in. The Denver BBQ Festival will feature famed pitmasters from all over the country: Tennesse, Missouri, Mississippi, Texas, New York and Jason Ganahl from GQue BBQ here in Denver. This festival has got all the meat — 18,000 pounds of it to be exact. If you want to try out the very best of the best BBQ, this is your opportunity to try.
25th Colorado BBQ Challenge
When: Thursday, June 13 – Saturday, June 15
Where: The Town of Frisco, 1 Main St., Frisco
Cost: Free entry
The Lowdown: The 25th Annual Colorado BBQ Challenge in Frisco will comprise 70+ BBQ’ers competing in several different categories. Food sampling, demos and food vendors will line the road for your eating enjoyment. However, the highlight of the event may be the adorable baby pig races — see the schedule here. You can even run yourself at the Bacon Burner 6k that Saturday morning.
The Big Eat
When: Thursday, June 20, 6 – 9 p.m.
Where: The Galleria at Denver Performing Arts Complex, 1400 Curtis St., Denver
Cost: $65, get tickets here
The Lowdown: The annual Big Eat hosted by EatDenver is a one-night celebration of Denver’s independent restaurants and this year it will bring together over 60 of the city’s best eateries. Here, you can sample snacks from some of Denver’s beverages and top chefs from 17 breweries and beverage makers. If you ’ re not a drinker, tea and kombucha will be served as well.
Denver Greek Festival
When: Friday, June 21 – Sunday, June 23
Where: Assumption of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 4610 E. Alameda Ave., Denver
Cost: Free — $5, get tickets here
The Lowdown: Opa! The Denver Greek Festival is in its 54th year and is one of the biggest cultural festivals in the nation. It will feature Greek dancing and music, a massive Greek boutique full of authentic arts and sculpture, and tours of the iconic ‘Gold Dome’ at the church. Most importantly though, Greek food. Gyros, souvlakia, spanikopita, saganaki (flaming cheese), baklava and even more will be provided.
Arvada on Tap – Craft Beer & BBQ Fest
When: Saturday, June 22, 1 – 6 p.m.
Where: 11200 Ralston Rd., Arvada
Cost: $35, get tickets here
The Lowdown: Arvada on Tap is currently in its fifth year of celebrating the town, craft beer and BBQ. General entry to the festival includes unlimited beer tastings from over 25 breweries and lots of BBQ samples. There will also be music and a kids zone. If you haven’t been to Arvada, this is a fun day to check it out.
Keystone Bacon and Bourbon Festival
When: Saturday, June 22 – Sunday, June 23
Where: 100 Dercum Square, Keystone
Cost: $20 — $55, get tickets here
The Lowdown: At the Keystone Bacon and Bourbon Festival, you can taste and vote on all types of bacon creations, select a Jim Beam bourbon tour, enter a bacon eating contest and more. In addition, several musical acts will play including two all-girl bands the Sweet Lillies and Hell’s Belles, as well as four other bands. There will also be a child zone and children bacon .
Top Taco
When: Thursday, June 27, 7 – 10 p.m.
Where: Stanley Marketplace, 2501 Dallas St., Aurora
Cost: $75 for general admission, get tickets here
The Lowdown: Tacos and tequila? It doesn’t get much more summery than that. At Top Taco, tons of local restaurants will compete for the best tacos including high creative taco, top traditional, top vegetarian — and high signature tequila cocktail. Admission to the event includes margarita tastings and taco, four voting chips, a tequila tasting and entertainment. There will be over 50 tequilas and mezcals available for tasting, so please do take an Uber of Lyft home.
July
Photo courtesy of Denver Burger Battle on Facebook.
Denver Burger Battle
When: Thursday, August 1, 5:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Where: Stanley Marketplace, 2501 Dallas St., Aurora
Cost: $65 for general admission, get tickets here
The Lowdown: Who makes the best burger in Denver? You’ll have to attend the Denver Burger Battle to find out. The number one title will be competed for by dozens of restaurants around town and there will be a judge’s choice winner and people’s choice winner. Go and sip a craft beer or 2, sample the hamburgers and vote in your favorite one. You can also get a package deal for this occasion and the Vail Rocky Mountain Burger Battle earlier in June using the Double Double package in the ticket connection.
Olathe Sweet Corn Fest
When: Saturday, August 3, 11 a.m. – 9:15 p.m.
Where: Montrose County Fairgrounds & Events Center, 1001 N. 2nd St., Montrose
Cost: $18, get tickets here
The Lowdown: Since 1992, this tiny southwestern Colorado city has been hosting its annual Olathe Sweet Corn Festival. Olathe Sweet Corn is sold in King Soopers and City Market grocery stores. The city celebrates their corn every August with a day of corn eating contests, live music, a climbing wall and other actions. This is a great festival for families and anybody that likes to get a little country.
Denver International Festival
When: Saturday, August 4, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Where: Civic Center Park, 101 W. 14th Ave., Denver
Cost: Free entry
The Lowdown: The Denver International Festival is the city’s largest celebration of international food, music and art — and it’s currently in its fourth year. Our city is home to so many different ethnicities and cultures and that is really celebrated by this festival. You can expect 30+ worldwide restaurants and food trucks, in addition to a beer garden, wine and cocktails. In addition, there will be art from artists all over the world and live music including salsa reggae and much more.
Fort Collins Peach Festival
When: Saturday, August 17, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Where: Civic Center Park, 201 LaPorte Ave., Fort Collins
Cost: $5 for adults, free for ages 15 and under
The Lowdown: Now in its ninth year, the Fort Collins Peach Festival has been a successful and (mind the pun) peachy festival, supporting local charities. The festival is a day full of centric events finish with a cherry pie eating contest and starting with a pancake breakfast that is cherry. There will also be a run and a healthy kids race. Three bands will play throughout the day as well.
Tacolandia
When: Saturday, August 17, 4 – 7 p.m.
Where: Civic Center Park, 101 W. 14th Ave., Denver
Cost: $25, get tickets here
The Lowdown: If you’ve ever wanted to explore Denver’s flourishing Mexican culinary arena, or just wanted all your favorite standard taco joints in 1 place — look no further than Tacolandia. Expect there to be gallons of tequila and plenty of tortillas of the carne asada and carnitas your heart can handle. And since this festival focuses on the authentic genre of the Mexican street food, you’ll find a car show and bands that are bilingual to keep you entertained.
Chef & Brew
When: Wednesday, August 28, 6 – 9 p.m.
Where: EXDO Event Center, 1399 35th St., Denver
Cost: $49, get tickets here
The Lowdown: There’s no debating that Chef & Brew brings the heat when it comes to great bites and showcasing delicious brews. By pairing 20 brewmasters and chefs to compete for the best beer and food pairing the competition brings together the best of both worlds. Local judges will then make the rounds, picking at their favorite for the duo that is best. Expect to leave full and with a new appreciation for the art of the food pairing.
September
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