COLORADO, USA — Labor Day weekend is here! Although it may be the unofficial end to summer, there's still time to head outdoors and experience all that Colorado has to offer during the season.
"A Taste of Colorado" is just one of many festivals this weekend which include music, food, arts, crafts, wine and beer celebrations, plus three duck races.
There are early signs of autumn, however. College football kicks off in Denver and Colorado Springs and the first Oktoberfest steins of the year will be raised in Keystone and Beaver Creek.
Check out one of these awesome events happening across the Centennial State this Labor Day weekend!
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DENVER — Colorado's annual Labor Day weekend food and music celebration returns to Denver's Civic Center Park. No matter what kind of food you crave, you'll find it at this festival with more than 50 restaurants and food trucks offering taste-sized portions to full-sized meals. Three stages will feature dozens of musical acts from a variety of genres at the festival from Saturday to Monday. The headliners at this year's A Taste of Colorado include KC and the Sunshine Band, Kool & the Gang, and Grand Funk Railroad on Saturday, Dwight Yoakam, LOCASH, and Cassadee Pope on Sunday, and Scott Stapp, Toad the Wet Sprocket, and Taylor Dayne on Monday. A Taste of Colorado is free to attend, but bring money for food tickets, carnival rides and shopping. Visit ATasteofColorado.com for a full entertainment schedule.
COLORADO SPRINGS — A Southern Colorado tradition returns this weekend with the Colorado Springs Labor Day Lift Off which runs Saturday to Monday. The free event will begin each morning with a hot air balloon mass ascension of over 70 balloons accompanied by breakfast and drinks from local vendors. Throughout each day there will be skydiving demonstrations, wakeboarding exhibitions, paddle boarding, live entertainment, chainsaw carving and donut eating competitions. Evening balloon glows are set for Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 p.m. The Colorado Springs Labor Day Lift Off takes place at Memorial Park. See the full schedule at ColoradoSpringsLaborDayLiftOff.com.
CREEDE — Creede's Labor Day Weekend Celebration is packed with events including a balloon festival, mountain run, salsa fiesta, ATV rodeo and more. The Balloon Festival is set for Friday to Sunday with balloon lift offs each morning with coffee and donuts. The Creede Mountain Run will take place Saturday morning. Participants will enjoy the breathtaking San Juan Mountains in 2 mile, 12 mile, 22 mile and 50K runs. Registration is available at CreedeMountainRun.com. The Salsa Fiesta is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday with 15-plus salsa stations throughout the downtown area with local chefs creating their best original salsas. To see the complete Labor Day Weekend schedule, visit Creede.com.
WINDSOR — Windsor's largest family-friendly event is back for a 98th year this Labor Day weekend. This year's Windsor Harvest Festival theme is "Windsor: Building Relationships, Dreams and Memories." The festival runs from Saturday to Monday with live music, a street dance, mud volleyball tournament, all-town BBQ, cruise-in car show, pancake breakfast, horse-drawn carriage rides, outdoor games, beer garden, movie screening in the park, firework show Saturday night and much more. Balloon launches are planned for Saturday and Sunday at 6:30 a.m. at Eastman Park. The best growers and artists will show off their garden in the annual Garden Show and Veggie Art with entries being judged at Main Park. Sunday and Monday over 150 vendors will be selling their arts, crafts and food alongside kids’ amusement rides and games at Main Park. The 2019 Windsor Harvest Festival Parade will step off at 9 a.m. Monday from Walnut Street and Highway 257. Visit WindsorHarvestFestival.com to see the complete schedule.
PUEBLO — Colorado's biggest summer event is back for a second weekend. The Colorado State Fair continues through Monday with a carnival, 4-H exhibits, agricultural competitions, tractor pulls, live music performances, rodeos, bake offs and amazing food options. The Beach Boys will perform Thursday, the Toughest Monster Truck Tour will roar on Friday, country music star Brett Young on Saturday, and 38 Special on Sunday. A demolition derby is planned for Saturday night. See the full fair schedule at ColoradoStateFair.com.
BUENA VISTA — The 2nd annual Seven Peaks Festival begins Friday in Buena Vista. The festival features three days of country music and camping. This year’s lineup includes festival co-founder Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Maren Morris, Jon Pardi, Mitchell Tenpenny, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Ryan Hurd, Steep Canyon Rangers, The War and Treaty, Tenille Townes, Caylee Hammack, Clare Dunn, HARDY, Lauren Jenkins, Larkin Poe, Kendell Marvel, Rapidgrass, Teddy Robb, Seaforth, Chris Shiflett, Rita Wilson, and more. Also, "Hot Country Night," which takes place on Friday, will feature Travis Tritt, Tracy Lawrence, Diamond Rio and Deana Carter and a special performance by Bentley’s own Hot Country Knights. Festival and camping passes are available at SevenPeaksFestival.com.
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DENVER — The Colorado Buffaloes and Colorado State Rams meet for the 91st time Friday night at Broncos Stadium at Mile High in the final “Rocky Mountain Showdown” in Denver. The Buffs lead the series 66-22-2. The Showdown kicks off at 8 p.m. The football game will head to Fort Collins 2020 and then will not be played in 2021 and 2022. After the break, the Buffs and Rams will meet in Boulder in 2023 and Fort Collins in 2024. So, enjoy the tailgating and soak in the stadium atmosphere for one last time, and get your tickets now.
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COLORADO SPRINGS — Troy Calhoun begins his 13th season as head football coach at the U.S. Air Force Academy on Saturday. Calhoun’s Falcons open the 2019 season at 1:30 p.m. against the Colgate Raiders at Falcon Stadium. Head to AFTickets.com to reserve your seats.
FEDERAL HEIGHTS — This is the final weekend of 2019 to visit one of America's largest family water parks. Water World's final three days of operation this season are Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., weather permitting. Water World features more than fifty attractions, from kids rides to huge thrill rides. Most food and drinks can be brought into the park making it perfect for picnics, plus parking is free. Avoid the lines and get your tickets online.
DENVER — Elitch Gardens will celebrate the holiday weekend with a fireworks extravaganza. The fireworks show will start at 10 p.m. (park closing time) Sunday night. You can grab park passes at ElitchGardens.com. Elitch's will be open on weekends through Saturday, Nov. 2.
MANITOU SPRINGS — Manitou Springs' Memorial Park is the site of this weekend’s Commonwheel Artists Co-op 45th annual Labor Day Art Festival. The festival will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday to Monday. There will be dozens of art vendors, live music, food options, beer garden and kids’ activities. Admission is free!
ESTES PARK — The Estes Park Arts and Crafts Show brings over 100 artisans to downtown Estes Park every Labor Day weekend. This year's show runs from Saturday to Monday at Bond Park. The show, when combined with the shops and restaurants of downtown, make Estes Park a great weekend destination on the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park.
FOUNTAIN — The 50th annual Golden Harvest Parade and Fall Festival arrives Monday in Fountain. The Labor Day Parade begins at 10 a.m. Monday and will run along Main Street and Ohio Avenue. The Fall Festival opens at 10:30 a.m. at John Metcalf Park. A tractor pull is set for 11 a.m. Sunday at Metcalf Park.
KEYSTONE — Oktoberfest season officially arrives with Saturday's 7th annual Oktoberfest at Keystone’s River Run Village. Attendees will be raising their steins, dancing to oompah bands and savoring delicious German fare. The festival will have a kids’ area with face painting, bounce house and dance performances from the Edelweiss Schuhplattlers. The Das Bier Burner 5K kicks the day off with family-friendly races at 12 p.m. The festival, which runs from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., will have live music, food, seasonal beer and free admission. If you buy a commemorative 2019 stein, you'll get three beer tokens. Race registration and stein tickets are available online.
BEAVER CREEK —Beaver Creek’s long-running Oktoberfest is a family-friendly celebration of traditional live music, food and drink the heart of a Bavarian-inspired village. Festivities planned on Friday, Saturday and Sunday include stein-hoisting competitions, pretzel tossing, kids’ zone, Oktoberfest shuffle, best-dressed contest and live music from The Helmet Fricker Band, Trachtenkapelle, and more. A complete schedule can be found at BeaverCreek.com.
LITTLETON — The 5th annual Brews & Views is back at Hudson Gardens on Saturday. Hosted by the City of Littleton and Hudson Gardens, this 21-and-older event features craft beers from Colorado breweries, music, games, local vendors, Colorado food trucks and stunning views of natural and open spaces. There are four levels of beer festival tickets at AltitudeTickets.com.
MESA — Powderhorn Mountain Resort's Gears & Beers arrives Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. There will be live music by Black Lab and the Banjo and Wave 11, multiple beer vendors, volleyball, cornhole tournament, photo scavenger hunt and opportunities for biking throughout the bike park at Powderhorn Mountain Resort. Admission is free and all ages are welcome.
SALIDA — The 8th annual Salida WineFest celebrates vintages of wines from around the world as well as samples from Colorado winemakers. There will be local food vendors, live music and creations from local food and art vendors. Salida WineFest takes place Saturday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Riverside Park. Each ticket, which are sold online, comes with a commemorative wine glass, wine bottle tote and unlimited wine samples.
SNOWMASS — The Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Experience is a popular three-day music festival on the grounds outside the Snowmass Village Recreation Center. This year's lineup includes Weezer, Portugal. The Man, Sting, John Mayer, Luke Combs, H.E.R., ZZ Ward, Turkuaz, Eldren, Wildermiss, and more. The festival runs Friday to Sunday. Unfortunately, as of this writing, Saturday passes were sold out with only Friday and Sunday tickets available at JazzAspenSnowmass.org.
DENVER — The 7th annual Denver Broncos Fit 7K and Expo arrives this Sunday at Broncos Stadium at Mile High. The largest 7K walk/run in the country starts at the stadium, loops through the Sloan Lake area and finishes on the stadium's 50-yard line. Broncos players, alumni, cheerleaders and Miles the Mascot will be greeting fans and signing autographs. Participants receive a finisher's medal, t-shirt and can access the Broncos Fit Expo which will have free health screenings, medical information and family-friendly activities. The Broncos Fit Expo is free and open to the public. Broncos Fit 7K registration is available online.
BOULDER — Boulder will close out summer with the 21st annual Boulder Creek Hometown Festival, which runs Saturday to Monday. There will arts and crafts exhibitors in Central Park, live performances, food court and beer garden. The 8th annual Classic Car and Motorcycle Show runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday on 13th Street. The Rocky Mountain Beer Festival Tour will hold its second date of the summer on Monday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Great Boulder Duck Race makes a return this year for its 31st anniversary. The race will launch at 2 p.m. Monday at Civic Park between the 9th and 11th Street Bridge. Ducks are available for purchase online.
GEORGETOWN — The 3rd annual Gold Rush Duck Race is a fun, community event where participants "buy" rubber ducks, which are then dumped into Clear Creek. The ducks float to a finish line downstream and the "winners" receive prizes including cash, gift certificates and more. Funds from the duck race support Historic Georgetown, which works to preserve historic buildings, objects, sites and areas. You can purchase one duck or a five-quack online. Winners don't have to be present, but organizers say it makes it more fun!
VAIL — The Vail Rotary Club is hosting its annual rubber duck race at 3 p.m. this Sunday. The club will send about 12,000 ducks down Gore Creek. The race will begin at the Covered Bridge and end at the Vail Rotary International Bridge. The owner of the first duck that enters the chute will win $5,000. This event serves as a fundraiser for the Vail Rotary which supports many Vail-area organizations. Ducks are available for adoption online.
RIDGWAY — Ouray County is ready for rodeo! The 2019 Ouray County Labor Day Rodeo begins Sunday with a CPRA Rodeo at 1 p.m. at the Ouray County Fairgrounds. Monday schedule includes a parade at 10 a.m., BBQ in the Park at 11 a.m. and CPRA Rodeo at 1 p.m. Rodeo events are free for children 12 and under and for active military personnel.
PAGOSA SPRINGS — The 24th annual Four Corners Folk Festival opens Friday with live performances from The Mammals, Lindsay Lou, Mile Twelve, and Maybe April. The Pagosa Springs event continues Saturday with Billy Strings, Amy Helm, Molly Tuttle, Lindsay Lou, JigJam, Wild Rivers, and The Arcadian Wild. Earls of Leicester, Darrell Scott, The East Pointers, Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley, Wild Rivers, and Maybe April take the stage Sunday. You can buy your festival tickets at FolkWest.com.
DENVER — Indecent, the newest production at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, is the true story of a play that defied the odds and defined a community. Pulitzer-winning playwright Paula Vogel’s drama tells the story of Sholem Asch’s groundbreaking play, The God of Vengeance, and the artists who risked everything to share it even after its Broadway debut was deemed “indecent.” The play follows scandals, war and rewrites as a dedicated few refuse to be silenced. The Tony-nominated work, which evokes the Jewish experience through traditional songs and dancing, opens Friday and plays the Space Theatre through Sunday, Oct. 6. Visit DenverCenter.org for showtimes and tickets.
DENVER — KOOL Koncert, one of Colorado's most eagerly anticipated annual events, will bring Heart, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and Elle King to Pepsi Center on Saturday. Heart, with Ann and Nancy Wilson, is returning to the road for the first time in three years. The band's "Love Alive" tour will stop in 39 cities this summer. Tickets for the KOOL Koncert 2019 are sold at AltitudeTickets.com.
COMMERCE CITY — Phish will headline three nights at Dick's Sporting Goods Park this weekend. Single-day or three-day tickets are being sold for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday event. AltitudeTickets.com is the place for Phish tix.
WINTER PARK — Country music star Dustin Lynch headlines the 2nd annual Country at the Park at Winter Park’s Rendezvous Event Center. This year’s concert lineup also includes King Calaway and Chancey Williams and the Younger Brothers Band. Doors open at 12 p.m. Saturday. Snag your tickets at AltitudeTickets.com.
TRINIDAD — The Trinidad Round-Up Association's 109th annual Labor Day Weekend is a four-day celebration at the Las Animas County Fairgrounds. The weekend includes two rodeo performances, Saturday night dance, performance by the Westernaires, beer garden, expo, concessions, vendors, stick horse races, kids’ nickel scramble and more. The Labor Day Parade steps off at 9 a.m. Monday in downtown Trinidad. Check out TrinidadRoundUp.Homestead.com to see the complete schedule of events.
FORT COLLINS — New Belgium Brewing’s annual traveling beer, music and bicycle festival returns to Fort Collins on Saturday. Tour de Fat aims to raise money for local non-profits while celebrating bicycles and offering entertainment by comedians and musicians. A bike parade begins at 10 a.m. and the free festivities at New Belgium Brewing begin at 11 a.m.
CASTLE ROCK — The 3rd annual Castle Rock Brew Fest Under the Stars is Saturday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Millhouse at Philip S. Miller Park. Ticket admission includes samplings from Colorado craft breweries, live music by several bands and hors d’oeuvres from local chefs under the stars. You can get your tickets at this link.
SEDALIA — The annual PoloFest, a one-day music and polo event, is set for Saturday at Denver Polo Club. The 2019 polo tournament and music festival will have live performances by Kygo, Sofi Tukker, Chelsea Cutler, and Zach Heckendorf. PoloFest is located 35 miles south of downtown Denver on Santa Fe Drive. Different ticket tiers are sold at PoloFest.com.
DURANGO — Durango, which serves as a gateway to the world famous Million Dollar Highway, is the home of this weekend's three-day Four Corners Motorcycle Rally. The weekend opens Friday with a Veterans Poker Ride benefiting the Durango Elks Lodge. On Saturday there will be vendors, live music and the La Plata County Fairgrounds hosts the Hooligan Dirt Bash Saturday night. The rally continues Sunday with a burrito breakfast, chopper show, motorcycle rally parade, live music, vendors and much more. Visit FourCornersMotorcycleRally.com to see a complete event schedule.
LOVELAND — Colorado's largest motorcycle rally, Thunder in the Rockies Bike Rally, is a four-day event beginning Friday with live music including local and national bands, competitions, over 100 vendors and hundreds of bikers at Loveland's Thunder Mountain Harley-Davidson. The 15th annual Bike Show is set for Saturday and the Forever Family Ride on Sunday. Hairball will perform Saturday at Thunder Mountain Amphitheatre and Queensryche and Dokken on Sunday with tickets sold through TicketWeb.com. To see the full schedule, head to ThunderintheRockies.com.
TELLURIDE — The annual Telluride Film Festival is this Labor Day weekend. The prestigious event features many films premiering for the first time in North America. From Friday to Monday, more than 50 programs will be screened in ten venues. The lineup of the 46th Telluride Film Festival will not be revealed until the weekend.
DENVER — The Colorado Rockies continue their homestand this Labor Day weekend with a four-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Friday night’s game has Stranger Things ticket packages available, while the first 10,000 fans to Coors Field on Saturday will snag a Rockies lunch bag. After the game Sunday afternoon, the classic baseball flick The Sandlot will be show on the jumbotron. The best place for tickets is Rockies.com/Tickets.
GRAND JUNCTION — The final home series of the season at Suplizio Field has arrived. The Grand Junction Rockies will host Colorado-rival Rocky Mountain Vibes on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The final Rockies home game of the 2019 season begins at 1 p.m. Monday. Head to MiLB.com for tickets.
DENVER — After returning to their winning ways last weekend, the Denver Outlaws shift stadiums in Denver this weekend when they host the Boston Cannons. The teams will meet at 3 p.m. Saturday at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium on the University of Denver campus. Seating is all general admission and tickets can be purchased here.
COLORADO SPRINGS — The Switchbacks FC will battle Phoenix Rising FC at 6 p.m. Saturday at Colorado Springs’ Weidner Field. Saturday’s soccer match is a “Free Underwear Night,” plus beer is $1 for the first 30 minutes after gates open (5 p.m.). Visit AXS.com to snag your game tickets.
DACONO — Colorado National Speedway will hold a two-day Labor Day double-header this weekend. Saturday’s evening of short track NASCAR-sanctioned racing will include a super late model main event, legend cars, pure stocks and trains followed by a post-race firework show. Sunday will have a bonus night of CNS racing with late models, pro trucks, super-modifieds, extreme trucks and circle drags. Tickets are available at the box office or ColoradoSpeedway.com.
VAIL — The Gourmet on Gore is a food lover's paradise. From Friday to Sunday, the festival will offer open-air tasting with wine, beer, spirits and culinary creations from Vail's top chefs. Most of the Gourmet on Gore events in Vail Village offer free admission although a Tasting Tour requires tickets. Visit GourmetonGore.com to see the full schedule.
PUEBLO — The newest addition to Major League Eating’s slate of annual eating contests will take place in Pueblo this weekend. The 2019 World Slopper Eating Championship will be held at the Colorado State Fair, aka the “spiritual home of the slopper.” The slopper features a cheeseburger lovingly-smothered in delicious green chili. Utensils will not be provided for the competitors. The eight-minute championship competition will take place at 3 p.m. Saturday at the PB&T Bank Pavilion at the Colorado State Fair. Registration is closed, but fans are encouraged to come watch!
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — The 8th annual Yampa Valley Crane Festival will be held Thursday to Sunday in Steamboat Springs and Hayden. The festival features four-days of mostly free events, but some activities including crane-viewing shuttles and those with limited space, require advance registration and small fee. Organizers say the best way to view cranes are the four guided crane-viewing events throughout the festival. This year’s event also will have speakers, workshops, educational displays, story-telling event, aerial arts dancers, walks, coloring contest, children and family activities and more. See the full schedule at ColoradoCranes.org.
PARKER — Celebrate the Labor Day holiday with a nice half marathon, 10K or 5K. There's a distance for everyone at Monday's races at Parker's Salisbury Equestrian Park. Runners of all abilities are welcome. Each participant gets a running shirt, finisher's medal, chip timing and great post-race food. Each race will start during the 7 a.m. hour Monday. Race registration is available at ColoradoRunnerEvents.com.
FORT COLLINS — The 3rd annual FORTitude 10K will take place on Labor Day. The race celebrates the best of Fort Collins and Colorado State University and finishes at Sonny Lubick Field at Canvas Stadium. The first waves will launch at 8 a.m. Race registration can be completed online.
PUEBLO — The 2019 Stampede 5K run and 2-mile fun walk are set for Saturday in Pueblo. Organized by the Colorado State Fair, the family-friendly 5K event starts inside the fairgrounds at Fountain Park and moves through the historic Pueblo neighborhood while the 2-mile walking course will begin at Fountain Park and travel the perimeter of the grounds. Registration can be complete here.
COLORADO — One of cinema’s most magnificent achievements will return to movie theaters nationwide for two days only. Lawrence of Arabia, a film made to be seen on the big screen, will return to theaters on Sunday, Sept. 1 and Wednesday, Sept. 4, presented by Fathom Events as part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series. Starring Peter O’Toole as T.E. Lawrence, the British soldier who unites the Arabic Empire to fight against the Turks, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn and Omar Shari, the film won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture of 1962 and Best Director for David Lean. Tickets for Lawrence of Arabia can be purchased at FathomEvents.com or participating theater box offices.
Would you like to see your favorite Colorado festival, fair, expo, concert, drama, musical, ballet, run or event listed in 9Things? Send it to alexander.kirk@9news.com.
Have an amazing Labor Day weekend!
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