Summertime in the high country is all about the festivals, from food and wine, to adventure, to film and arts. And while a few of the best sold out long ago (sorry Aspen Food & Wine addicts), there are plenty of events that you can still score tickets to. We've got ten of the best, from Vail to Stowe.
↑ GoPro Mountain Games
Where: Vail, Colorado
When: June 4-7, 2015
The GoPro Mountain Games are a huge celebration of adventure sports and music with pro and Am athletes converging on the mountains and rivers of the Vail Valley to compete in nine sports and 25 disciplines. Highlights include the Bouldering World Cup events, slacklining, Stand Up Paddle cross, a half marathon and more. The event features free nightly concerts including G. Love & Special Sauce and Karl Denson's Tiny Universe. The village is packed with vendors and sponsor villages offering clinics and demos—it's lively!
↑ Crested Butte Music Festival
Where: Crested Butte, Colorado
When: June 25–August 9, 2015
Now in its 19th year, the Crested Butte Music Festival will present over 50 events this summer including symphony, chamber, and family music, as well as four mini-festivals—Time Spans, One World, Opera, and Gypsy Jazz. The festival also features several educational programs in every genre. Of note is the free One World Festival taking place over 4th of July weekend at Crested Butte Mountain Resort featuring four up-and-coming bands.
↑ Wanderlust Squaw Valley
Where: Squaw Valley, California
When: July 16–19, 2015
This traveling festival returns to Squaw featuring yoga and meditation instructors, music, speakers, artists and chefs promising an experience that will elevate your mind, body and soul. The festival offers opportunities to get outdoors in Squaw on guided adventures including trail runs, sunset hikes, or mountaintop meditation with live music.
The lecture series includes prominent authors, yoga teachers, health experts, business leaders, and filmmakers speaking on the mindful life.
↑ Snowmass Mammoth Fest
Where: Snowmass, Colorado
When: June 12–14, 2015
This two-day festival at Snowmass Resort promises to deliver three things for sure—music, brews, and chili. Specifically, the weekend features free beer from over 25 microbreweries, a chili cookoff, and music from fifteen bands including Tedeschi Trucks Band, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Doyle Branhall II, Greensky Bluegrass, Donavon Frankenreiter and more all in a beautiful outdoor setting.
↑ Music in the Mountains
Where: Big Sky, Montana
When: June 25– August 27, 2015
Music In The Mountains includes fourteen free concerts and events over the summer in the Town Center Park in Big Sky. Highlights this summer include The Suffers a ten-piece soul band from Houston, Texas on July 16 followed by New Orleans' blues rockers Royal Southern Brotherhood on August 13 featuring Cyril Neville. Music In The Mountains also features a three-day Classical Festival August 7-9 with Peter Bay, the conductor of the Austin Symphony in Texas, conducting the Big Sky Festival Orchestra. The Classic Festival weekend also features masters classes, discussions and a student camp component held in partnership with Montana State University.
Stowe Food and Wine from Tony Campos on Vimeo.
↑ 2015 Stowe Wine and Food Classic
Where: Stowe, Vermont Trapp Family Lodge
When: June 12–14, 2015
The 2015 Stowe Wine and Food Classic celebrates all the culinary offerings of Vermont. The weekend is all about exploring and expanding your palate. The 2015 lineup includes a Spanish Farm to Table Gala Dinner on Saturday night featuring a 5-course dinner and Spanish wines along with music by David Kellar Blues Band. The weekend culminates on Sunday with the Grand Tasting event where visitors have the opportunity to meet and experience samples from winemakers, Vermont craft brewers, and over 30 chefs, restaurants and vendors from around the region.
↑ Telluride Mountain Film Festival
Where: Telluride, Colorado
When: May 22–25, 2015
The 37th annual Telluride Mountain Film Festival is one of America's longest-running film festivals. The films are curated to educate, inspire and motivate audiences about "issues that matter, cultures worth exploring, environments worth preserving, adventures worth pursuing and conversations worth sustaining." The festival attracts an international audience of filmmakers, photographers, conservationists, artists, mountaineers and explorers mingling with locals and visitors throughout the four day festival. Movies are screened in both historical and state-of-the-art theaters in Telluride and Mountain Village.
↑ Sun Valley Summer Symphony
Where: Sun Valley, Idaho
When: July 26–August 19
The Sun Valley Summer Symphony is the largest privately funded, free-admission symphony in America. Maestro Alasdair Neale conducts a full symphony orchestra that includes musicians from major orchestras throughout North America. The summer kicks off with the In Focus Series exploring origins, development and new directions in American classical music. The Sun Valley Summer Symphony highlights include Tony Award winning vocalist Audra McDonald, preeminent American baritone Thomas Hampson, and one of the foremost violinists of our time, Gil Shaham. Venues include the Sun Valley Pavilion, the Sun Valley Opera House as well as the pavilion lawn.
↑ 4 Peaks Music Festival
Where: Bend, Oregon
When: June 19–21
The 4 Peaks festival's goal is to bring great national, regional and local acts to Central Oregon. The intimate family-friendly festival caps ticket sales at 1,000 (kids 10 and under are free), the funky lineup includes World-class improvisational funk band The Motet, Rusted Root, Melvin Seals & JGB, ALO and more.
↑ Jazz Aspen Snowmass
Where: Aspen/Snowmass, Colorado
When: June 26-28 and July 6, September 4-6, 2015
Entering its 25th season, Jazz Aspen Snowmass (JAS) is both a series of multi-day festivals and a summer series of weekly performances featuring outstanding jazz musicians throughout the year. This summer's highlights include the JAS June Experience featuring four nights of headline concerts from world-class musicians including Maceo Parker, Chicago, and Rodrigo y Gabriela. Likewise, the three-day Labor Day experience will feature big time headliners including No Doubt, Hozier, Lenny Kravitz, The Fray and more. The festivals include many smaller stage acts, as well as plenty of food vendors and family-friendly entertainment.
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