It’s Winter, Time To Celebrate

Winter festivals are underway in Colorado. Here's a list of fun events to make the most of the coldest months.

I'll be the first to admit I'm not a cold weather fan. I'd take the beach over a mountaintop any day. I know that's against the local religion but it's how I'm wired. However, if I had a festival to go to every weekend, I could handle the elements much better. Lucky for me, Colorado has plenty and most include live music and beer! Winter's feeling warmer already!

Jan. 10-13: ULLR Fest - This looks like fun! This Viking vibe event is celebrating its 55th anniversary in Breckenridge.

Jan. 11-14: Wintersköl Celebration - Toast winter in Aspen with snow sculptures, Apple Strudel Downhill and more. It's their 67th annual.

Jan. 13 and 14: Winter Festival and Winter Trails Day - Estes Park's Winter Festival! Try some world-class chili, enjoy great live music, family activities, and plenty of Colorado beer & wine.

Jan. 18-21: Ouray Ice Festival - If you're an ice climber, this is it. Live music, food and more all weekend in Ouray. If you're not a climber, you can always down a beer from a safe distance.

Jan. 22-29: Budweiser International Snow Sculpture Championships - These works of art are unbelievable! Cool stuff in Breckenridge the final weekend of January.

Jan. 26 and 27: Winter Brew Fest - It's the winter version of this huge Denver beer celebration. Live music, vendors and more at Mile High Station.

Jan. 26-28: Rio Frio Ice Fest - This annual fire-and-ice party includes ice sculptures, wacky snowmen, and more in Alamosa.

Jan. 26-28: UllrGrass - Golden's wild 3-day music and beer festival that takes place in Parfet Park and New Terrain Brewing Co during the last weekend in January.

Jan. 31-Feb. 4: Snowdown - This year they're celebrating 40 years of Snowdown, The Original Cabin Fever Reliever!

Feb. 7-11: Steamboat Springs Winter Carnival - Check out one of the oldest winter festivals in Colorado! It's the 105th annual in Steamboat. Ski-jumping competitions, dog-sled pulls, The "Donkey Jump", and more.

Feb. 23-25: SkiBike Festival - Lessons, demos, races and more at the beautiful Purgatory Resort, Durango.

Feb. 9-11: Loveland Fire and Ice Festival - This award-winning festival brought over 40,000 guests in 2017. This festival brings together the arts, live music,  ice and fire sculpting, culinary, fireworks with a musical light show.

Feb. 9-18: Cripple Creek Ice Festival - Ice sculptors transform blocks of ice into works of art! 2018 marks the 11th year for this event. This years theme is Renaissance in Ice!

Feb. 16-18: Midwinter Bluegrass Festival - Shake off the mid-winter blues with some well, mid-winter blues at this 33rd annual event, Northglenn Ramada Plaza in Denver.

Feb. 24-26: WinterWonderGrass - Bluegrass music, cold brews, local food, and more in Steamboat Springs.

March 3 and 4: Leadville Ski Joring & Crystal Carnival - Ski Joring is a competition where a horse and rider pull a skier through a course that has gates, jumps, and rings. Crazy! It's in Leadville.

March 9-11: Frozen Dead Guy Days - Finally, it's the festival with the coolest name. The party's three days featuring 30 bands in heated super tents and outrageous events including coffin racing, costumed polar plunging, frozen t-shirt contests and much more. Celebrating its 17th year in Nederland.

Credit: The Gazette