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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2021
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DENVERPOST.COM
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THE DENVER POST
12 festivals to brighten any winter day By Sarah Kuta Special to The Denver Post Winters in Colorado are pretty great — there’s abundant sunshine, a dizzying number of outdoor sports and activities to choose from, and plenty of restaurants, bars, breweries, distilleries and wineries to visit on chilly evenings. The list goes on and on.
But if you find yourself needing a little extra “oomph” in your life this winter, make plans to head to one of these beloved Colorado festivals. From impressive snow and ice carvings to quirky competitions, they offer a little something for everyone. (And they promise to make the winter months fun even if you don’t ski or snowboard!) Note: As with everything these days, check ahead of your visit for updates. The pandemic may yet again interrupt our winter fun.
Ullr Festival
Breckenridge Dec. 8-17
gobreck.com/event/ullr-fest Since 1963, Breckenridge has hosted an epic, 10-day festival honoring Ullr, the Norwegian god of snow. Ullr, who was rumored to be an accomplished skier, was so fast that he created the stars in the night sky as he flew by on his skis. The festival features a big parade down Main Street, a bonfire, an ice skating party, games, gatherings and other fun.
Wintersköl Aspen Jan. 13-16
aspenchamber.org/events/winterskol Aspen held its first Wintersköl celebration in 1951 — more than 70 years ago! — and this beloved “toast to winter” festival has been going strong ever since. Spread across four days, the festival includes the naming of Wintersköl royalty, a soup-making competition, live music, snow sculptures, a scavenger hunt and other family-friendly fun.
A young skier leaps off a jump on a float on Main Street during the 56th annual Ullr Fest parade in Breckenridge on Jan. 10, 2019. Andy Cross, Denver Post file
International Snow Sculpture Championships Breckenridge Carving, Jan. 24-28 Viewing, Jan. 28-30
gobreck.com/event/international-snow-sculpture-championships This beloved annual event features 16 of the world’s best snowcarving teams, who descend upon Summit County to transform 20ton blocks of snow into largerthan-life masterpieces. Even more impressive? The snow artists can only use tools powered by their own muscles, as power tools are strictly forbidden. After five days of carving, they officially unveil their works of art and turn downtown Breck into a very chilly art gallery that’s free and open to all.
Winter X-Games Aspen Jan. 21-23
aspensnowmass.com/visit/ events/x-games-aspen Nearly 100 of the world’s radd-
est athletes will descend upon Aspen-Snowmass again this winter to compete in the X Games, a collection of extreme snow sports events. It’s free to attend and Buttermilk remains open to the public if you’re inspired to ski or snowboard. Everyone age 12 and older will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination to get into spectator viewing and festival areas. There are no ticketed concerts this year, but there will be DJs at XFest and the base area.
Rio Frio Ice Fest Alamosa Jan. 28-30
riofrioice.com The focus of Alamosa’s annual winter festival is unique: a 5K foot race completed entirely on the frozen Rio Grande River. There’s also a fat bike race, a polar plunge, a bonfire, ice sculpting and lots of other chilly festivities. FESTIVALS » 9
Team Breckenridge’s Let it Snow sculpture during the 29th International Snow Sculpture Championships on Jan. 25, 2019. Daniel Brenner, Special to The Denver Post, file
