RARE Steak Festival

Sculpture Park, 1345 Champa St.

MAY raresteakfest.com

RARE Steak isn’t your average food-truck-and-beer festival. Te evening is a culinary experience of craf cocktails and competition for the title of Top Steak, benefting the Colorado Restaurant Foundation. Twenty-fve of the region’s acclaimed steak stewards will prepare their best gourmet steak bites across categories including traditional and creative steaks for all participants to judge for themselves. (Maybe Denver is still a cow town afer all.)

Vail Comedy Festival

Multiple venues in Vail Village and Lionshead vailcomedyfestival.com

Te weekend will include more than 20 events featuring headliners from key comedy hubs on the caliber of the Comedy Cellar, Netfix, HBO, CBS and NBC. Family-friendly entertainment options are available. New this year is a full day of comedy school on May 25 taught by Denver’s favorite local comedy coach and national talent, Christie Buchele. In addition, a national TV booker and comedy writer will be present via video. Beginners are welcome, and all students will have an opportunity to perform.

JUNE 24 - AUGUST 6

ROMEO & JULIET KISS ME, KATE OTHELLO

TICKETS ON SALE NOW centralcityopera.org

Boulder Creek Festival

Boulder Creek from Ninth to 14th streets between Canyon Boulevard and Arapahoe Avenue bouldercreekfest.com

Memorial Day weekend in Boulder is flled with events along Boulder’s iconic creek. More than 30 bands will play on three stages, 20 breweries will participate in Brew Fest, 20 of Boulder’s best food trucks will ofer onsite eats, and 200 vendors will participate in the farmers market. Te Street Wise Art Battle is a painting competition of Boulder’s boldest artists, whose work will be displayed in town throughout the year. Tere will also be family-friendly activities.

Telluride Balloon Festival

Telluride Town Park and Main Street telluride.com

Hot-air balloons lif of at sunrise at 6 a.m. from Town Park (weather permitting) and foat over the valley during summer’s most photogenic weekend. Sunset on Saturday kicks of the GLO event on Main Street, where the community rallies around the illuminated balloons.

Denver Day of Rock

LoDo

JUNE 3

JUNE

10

Five Points Jazz Festival

Denver’s Five Points neighborhood

Toast the history of Five Points, where Miles Davis, Telonious Monk and other legends once wailed away. Denver’s original jazz hot spot pays homage to its roots and renews its commitment to improving accessibility to art, music and culture for all at its 20th annual bash. artsandvenuesdenver.com

JUNE

17 ampthecause.org

Stages for live music pop up throughout LoDo for a free day of rock, held rain or shine. VIP lounge passes including hosted catering and bar are available for purchase. Food trucks will be on site, and a beer garden of local craf beer and ciders will open at 2:30 p.m.; nonalcoholic beverages are also available. Balloon artists, face painters and a silent disco make this into a family-friendly event. Proceeds beneft AMP the Cause, which supports more than 55 local nonprofts.

JUNE

17-18

Cherry FestivalBlossom

Sakura Square, Denver

Celebrate vibrant Japanese culture and heritage through live entertainment, food and drink and a marketplace ofering anime, jewelry, pottery, art and apparel. In its 49th year, the Cherry Blossom Festival benefts both the Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temple and the Sakura Foundation. Admission is free.

cherryblossomdenver.org

Madam Lou Bunch Day

Central City

A little-known part of Colorado’s history is that during the Gold Rush, Central City was a red-light district for local miners. When tuberculosis swept the camp, Madam Lou Bunch’s brothel-turned-makeshif-hospital restored the miners’ health, saving the town. Madam Lou is still honored today for her fast action in caring for the miners, with festivities that include a race of beds on wheels down Main Street, followed by a miners ball as a wink to the town’s past.

visitcentralcity.com