In 2022, we are hoping that many of our favorite Boulder area events will return. For year-round and seasonal things to do in Boulder, check out our complete list of things to do in Boulder County.
Louisville WinterSkate
When: Through February 14, 2022
Located at the Steinbaugh Pavilion in Historic Downtown Louisville WinterSkate is an old-fashioned ice skating rink complete with skate rental, concessions and traditional holiday music. Celebrating its thirteenth year as the original outdoor ice skating rink in the community, WinterSkate presents the perfect opportunity to enjoy the winter season in a beautiful small-town setting. Louisville WinterSkate is held at the Steinbaugh Pavilion, 824 Front Street in Historic Downtown Louisville. Hours and pricing details, click here.
Old Man Winter Bike Rally & Run • Lyons
When: February 6, 2022
Bundle up and get ready to run and/or ride some of Colorado’s best roads and trails at the Oskar Blues Brewery Old Man Winter Rally. Riders – choose 50km or 100km of dirt, snow, sweat, and beer rolling through the world-famous cycling mecca of Boulder County. Runners can crush the 5.4-mile run course, a fast, flat “Best of Lyons” tour, that integrates singletrack trails, red rock canyon, and gravel paths. Everybody gets luxury aid stations with real food and hydration, a hot meal and a cold beer at the finish line, and a killer post-ride party with great music, a fire pit, and a massive raffle.
Boulder International Film Festival
When: March 3 – 6, 2022
The Boulder International Film Festival brings films and filmmakers from around the world to Boulder for a four-day celebration of the art of cinema in February. Featuring a wide variety of films from local, national, and international filmmakers, including many that have gone on to significant box-office success and multiple Oscar nominations. Adding to the BIFF experience are events featuring nationally renowned chefs, filmmaker happy hours, multiple opening night Galas, talented musicians, and much more. The Festival attracts more than 25,000 film enthusiasts, media, and industry each year.
Boulder Arts Week
When: March 25 – April 2, 2022
The 6th annual Boulder Arts Week celebrates Boulder artists, the week is Boulder’s only large-scale, inclusive celebration of our community’s vibrant arts and cultural offerings, promoting and celebrating our city’s thriving creativity. Join Boulder to celebrate the city’s excellent artists and arts and culture offerings such as art walks, First Fridays, exhibitions, performances, dance, music, theater, public art, artist demonstrations, lectures, readings, and workshops.
Boulder County Farmers Markets • Boulder & Longmont
When: April – November 2022. In Downtown Boulder on 13th& Canyon Blvd every Saturday from 8 AM – 2 PM & every Wednesday from 4 PM – 8 PM; In Longmont every Saturday at the Boulder County Fairgrounds from 8 AM – 1 PM.
Boulder County Farmers Markets are running a little differently, but they are still a great place to source local foods. Read through BCFM’s safety precautions to help you plan your market experience during these times, or to make a shopping reservation. You can find that information here.
Tulip Fairy and Elf Festival • Downtown Boulder
When: Sunday, April 24, 2022, from 1 – 5 PM
Spring officially arrives in Downtown Boulder with the Tulip Fairy and Elf Festival. Festival-goers can witness the vibrant Tulip Fairy, along with pint-sized fairies and elves, parade around the Pearl Street Mall, welcoming the tulips. This beloved springtime tradition in Boulder features special events and activities for girls and boys and celebrates the more than 15,000 tulips that adorn the world renowned Pearl Street Mall throughout the spring season. The event includes live stage performances, face painting, free activities for children, and more! This event is free.
Conference on World Affairs • CU Boulder
When: April 6 – 9, 2022
The Conference on World Affairs is a year-round unit of the University of Colorado Boulder, offering events without admission fees to the Boulder community, students, and the public. The most popular event is CWA Week, taking place in early April each year. CWA Week is a festival of ideas featuring 200 panels, 100 speakers, and performers, over 5 days, attracting more than 70,000 in cumulative attendance each year. The Conference also presents the CWA Speaker Series where thought leaders in their field join together for a campus visit with an evening discussion open to all. The Conference on World Affairs will be held at the University of Colorado Boulder. This event is FREE and open to the public.
Bluebird Music Festival • Boulder
When: April 23 & 24, 2022
The Bluebird Music Festival returns to Boulder, Colorado in April for its fourth year! The event will feature full sets as well as Strings & Stories sets from Margo Price, Colin Meloy (The Decemberists), Waxahatchee, Langhorne Slim, The Lone Bellow, Bedouine, Cole Scheifele, Scott T. Smith, Emelise and more. Tickets start at just $29 at www.bluebirdmusicfestival.org. The event benefits the Future Arts Foundation.
Erie Town Fair and Balloon Festival
When: Mid-May 2022, Date TBA
The Erie Town Fair and Balloon Festival hosts over 200 craft and food vendors; performances on stage at Coal Creek Ball Park offer a variety of entertainment by local groups, carnival games, and hot air balloons. Hot air balloons launch in the mornings on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Colorado National Golf Club. On Saturday, the Town Fair will host vendors from and feature a Balloon Glow in the evening as well as fireworks to conclude the day’s festivities. Balloon Launches: Colorado National Golf Club, 2700 Vista Parkway, Erie, Town Fair & Balloon Glow: Historic Downtown Erie & Coal Creek Park, 575 Kattell, Erie This event is FREE.
Boulder Creek Festival • Downtown Boulder
When: May 28 – 30, 2022
For over thirty years, the Boulder Creek Festival® has been the unofficial kickoff to summer in Boulder. The Memorial Day weekend festival includes three days of festivities featuring a large variety of events, activities, food, and entertainment unique to the Boulder community. Featuring nine separate event areas with 500 vendors showcasing everything from community arts and crafts to healthier alternatives and technology while a spectrum of music and dance is performed on three performance stages. The festival also features carnival rides and food and beverage vendors. The festival will be held along the Boulder Creek corridor, extending from Broadway to 14th Street (west to east), between Canyon Blvd. and Arapahoe Ave. (north and south) Click here for a detailed map. Admission to this event is FREE.
BolderBOULDER
When: Monday, May 30, 2022
BolderBOULDER is one of the largest and most highly acclaimed 10Ks in the world. Whether you want to run or enjoy watching, BolderBOULDER is a ton of fun! Almost 1.2 million runners, joggers, walkers and spectators of all ages have gathered over the years to create a spectacle that defies description. Olympic medal winners and hopefuls, grandmothers and kids, running enthusiasts and one-race-a-year guests from all over the world come together at the foot of the Rocky Mountains to form one of the sport’s truly unique events. Each year BolderBOULDER hosts 50,000+ participants and 100,000+ spectators throughout the course for what we like to call the biggest and best Memorial Day celebration on earth.
Colorado Shakespeare Festival • Boulder
When: June 5 – August 7, 2022
The Colorado Shakespeare Festival was founded in 1958 and is still going strong. Held every summer at the picturesque Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre and the indoor University Theatre on the University of Colorado Boulder campus, this festival is consistently among the most critically acclaimed of its kind in the nation. CSF’s award-winning education program also presents classes, workshops, and camps for all ages throughout the year. This summer’s performances include Two Gentlemen of Verona, All’s Well That Ends Well, The Book of Will, and Coriolanus. The Colorado Shakespeare Festival will be held at Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre, University Theatre.
Boulder County Pride
When: June 6 – 12, 2022
Every year in June, Out Boulder County hosts Boulder County Pride Week, with events throughout the area. The week traditionally concludes with a parade and day of activities and fun. More information here.
Bands on the Bricks
When: Wednesdays, June 15 – August 3, 2022, from 5 – 9 PM
For 25 years, Bands on the Bricks has been Boulder County’s premier outdoor summer concert series taking place on the one-and-only Pearl Street Mall. A not-to-be-missed summer tradition, the 2022 season features 8 weeks of free concerts every Wednesday. Enjoy live performances from the best local musicians along the front range while dancing under the stars.
Chautauqua Summer Concert Series • Boulder
When: Throughout Summer 2022
Live entertainment at beautiful Chautauqua Park will be happening all summer long! Chautauqua 2022 Summer Concert series will feature a variety of live performances. This summer’s lineup will be announced in the coming weeks, keep up to date here. Chautauqua Auditorium, 900 Baseline Rd, Boulder, Colorado 80302.
Ralphie’s Independence Day Blast • Boulder
When: July 4, 2022
Ralphie’s Independence Day Blast has been a Boulder tradition since 1941. Crowds of thousands gather each year at CU’s Folsom Field to enjoy Boulder’s largest fireworks display and local entertainment and of course, Ralphie. This event is hosted by the associates of WK Real Estate, the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU), and the City of Boulder. Ralphie’s Independence Day Blast will be held at CU’s Folsom Field, 2400 Colorado Ave, Boulder, CO 80302. This event is FREE.
Tube to Work Day • Boulder Creek
When: Date TBA, Summer 2022
Boulder’s annual aquatic commute, Tube to Work Day is back (hopefully!!?? Fingers crossed!) in 2022, keeping Boulder fun. Get caught in Boulder’s weirdest traffic jam (you won’t regret it). Free breakfast party, live music, awards for best tube/costume, streamside DJ, and bacon fishing from above. Helmet and close-toed shoes are mandatory, as is registration (but the event is FREE). Bring your own tube! Tube to Work Day begins at Eben G. Fine Park and ends at Central Park in downtown Boulder. This event is FREE. Register here.
50th RockyGrass Festival • Lyons
When: July 29 – 31, 2022
Every year in late July, Lyons becomes the center of the bluegrass universe as generations of legends and future-legends and Festivarians converge under the red rock cliffs of the St. Vrain River at Planet Bluegrass for RockyGrass. Bluegrass lovers who have kids can rejoice — kids 12 and under enter for FREE! Rockygrass is family-friendly, offering a kids area to include a variety of fun, planet-minded activities throughout the day, including crafts, slacklining, tubing the St. Vrain, a musical instrument petting zoo, kids music performances, knot tying, and much more. RockyGrass is held at Planet Bluegrass, 500 W Main St, Lyons, Colorado 80540.
Boulder County Fair • Longmont
When: Date TBA
The Boulder County Fair, located at the Boulder County Fairgrounds in Longmont, is the longest-running county fair in Colorado, established in 1869. The Boulder County Fair offers an entertaining and educational experience for the whole family with fun-filled events and activities like carnival rides and games, classic fair food, music, demo derby, and rodeos. For updates, click here. The Boulder County Fair is held at the Boulder County Fairgrounds, 9595 Nelson Rd, Longmont, CO 80501. Cost: FREE (Parking is also FREE.)
Boulder International Fringe Festival
When: August 2022, Date TBA
The Boulder Fringe Festival is an eclectic event that allows audiences to enjoy unique “fringe” artists in a variety of Boulder venues at an affordable price. The first-ever Fringe Festival took place in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1947 when a group of artists who were not mainstream enough to be accepted into a larger festival decided to form a new festival on the “fringes”. Since the original festival, hundreds more have been held around the world. Boulder’s festival is loosely modeled on the original, offering performing artists of every genre, large and small, an opportunity to be a part of the festival. In order to keep the Boulder Fringe Festival as inclusive as possible, the costs for artists to participate are kept low and there is a lottery system in place for picking the 20 performers that make up the festival. Most performances are one hour or less, and are scheduled festival-style, so you can come to one show and stay for one or two more. Tickets for each show are very affordable, allowing audiences from all walks of life to attend. In addition, every dollar made from ticket purchases goes directly back to the artists. For the full schedule, click here.
Rocky Mountain Folks Festival • Lyons
When: August 12 – 14, 2022
Spend a glorious Colorado summer weekend celebrating songs and stories from around the musical and geographic world along the St. Vrain River at the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival at Lyon’s magical Planet Bluegrass Ranch. Numerous camping options nearby include: on-site at the festival grounds, along the St. Vrain at the new River Bend Campground (across the street from the Ranch), or under the cliffs at Meadow Park (an easy five-minute walk to the festival). This family-friendly festival is FREE for kids under 12, with a whole host of activities: Tube the St. Vrain River through Planet Bluegrass. Paint, sculpt, and assemble in the arts & crafts tent. Build sandcastles on the beach. Join the variety of fun, planet-minded activities throughout the day including slacklining, tree climbing, nature studies, a kids music performance, an instrument petting zoo, and much more. The Rocky Mountain Folks Festival is held at Planet Bluegrass, 500 W Main St, Lyons, Colorado 80540.
Lafayette Peach Festival
When: August 20, 2022
The Lafayette Peach Festival centers around world-famous all-natural Palisade, Colorado peaches. Enjoy peach pies, peach cobbler, and peach smoothies. Food vendors, crafters, antique dealers along with some of the finest artists from the Front Range and Western States will be showcased. Children’s activities, live entertainment and music throughout the day. Over 30,000 pounds of Certified Organic Peaches from Morton’s Orchard’s, Tate Orchards and Red Fox Run Orchards in Palisade, CO. will be available in 4 locations along Public Rd.
Boulder Creek Hometown Festival • Downtown Boulder
When: September 3 – 5, 2022
Just as the Boulder Creek Festival® kicks off the summer in Boulder County, the Boulder Creek Hometown Festival is the perfect bookend to close out the summer event season. This event features arts & crafts exhibitors in Central Park, live performances at the Bandshell, a Classic Car & Motorcycle Show, a food court & beer garden, and much more! Don’t miss out on the festivities of this community event each Labor Day weekend. The festival will be held along the Boulder Creek corridor, extending from Broadway to 14th Street (west to east), between Canyon Blvd. and Arapahoe Ave. (north and south). This event is FREE.
Street Wise Art-ivism Mural Festival • Boulder
When: September 2022, Dates TBA
Street Wise Boulder ARTivism Mural Festival is an annual Boulder arts event whose mission is to amplify arts and culture, represent diversity, equity and inclusion through public art while encouraging conversations around social justice and community resilience. Check out the 2021 Mural Artists here! 30+ incredible artists will be working all week long to give Boulder new visions for a rad future. As the murals go up, you are invited to (respectfully) watch the artists do their work, and see all the murals in their complexities and beauty. Street Wise is a self-guided, and self-paced walking or biking tour of the murals, you will be able to use QR codes to learn more about the artists and stories behind the art. Mural tour maps will be available on the website.
Oktoberfest Boulder
When: September 2022, Date TBA
Oktoberfest Boulder presented by Paulaner Brewing Company is a classic Oktoberfest celebration with live music, beer games, German games and more! Lineup includes live music from 40oz to Freedom Sublime Tribute Band, Wake Up & Live (Bob Marley Tribute), and the Polkanauts. This event will be held in Boulder’s Central Park.
