Boulder's Classic Spring & Summer Festivals 

Ever get so excited about a festival or event that you plan an entire vacation around it? Spring and summer in Boulder are teeming with amazing, can't-miss festivals, which make the perfect excuse to come to this pretty town at the foot of the Rocky Mountains — and stay awhile.

Music  |  Arts & Culture  |  Sports & Movement  |  Family  |  Food

Music Festivals

Modern Jazz & Soul Fest

April 11-12, 2025
Inaugural modern jazz and soul festival at Roots Music Project. This landmark two-day event will showcase some of the most compelling voices in contemporary jazz and soul music under one roof.

Bluebird Music Festival

April 18-20, 2025
All-star lineup in a historic theater. Gregory Alan Isakov, Jeff Tweedy, Joy Oladokun and more perform in this festival with solo, acoustic performances inside the stunning Macky Auditorium.

Colorado MahlerFest

May 14-18, 2025
Passionate musicians honoring a legend. A celebration of the great composer Gustav Mahler during a week-long festival, culminating in two orchestral performances of one of Mahler’s major symphonic works.

 

 

 

 

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Cultural Caravan's June Festival

June 5-15, 2025
More than a dozen concerts across a ten-day festival. Cultural Caravan celebrates diversity, builds community through music and connects artists and audiences in meaningful ways through this lively annual musical festival.

Boulder Jewish Festival

June 8, 2025
A celebration of Jewish arts and culture. Enjoy a full day of festivities, including bands and performances, a Jewish food festival, a curated marketplace showcasing fine art and family-friendly activities. Open to everyone as an opportunity to connect and learn.

Bands on the Bricks

June 11-July 30, 2025
Oldies to alternative and everything in between. Boulder County's premier outdoor summer concert series takes place in the heart of the city on the bricks of the one-and-only Pearl Street Mall, complete with a large outdoor beer/margarita/wine garden.

Flatiron Sounds Music Festival

June 21, 2025
Single-day festival held in the historic Chautauqua Park. Enjoy musical performances from local Colorado bands, a beer garden, a variety of food trucks and a local artisan market featuring a variety of local Colorado vendors.

Chautauqua Summer Series

June-August, 2025
Big names, small venue. Summer brings the kickoff to Chautauqua’s series featuring concerts, silent movies, theater, dance, forums, and family events — all beside the stunning Flatirons.

Colorado Music Festival

July 3-August 3, 2025
Classical music greats, historic locale. This internationally acclaimed, six-week summer festival is held at the historic Chautauqua Auditorium, showcasing an orchestra of professional classical musicians from all over the world.

Colorado Brazil Fest

TBA, 2025
Celebrating Brazilian music, dance and culture. Boulder Samba School hosts this lively festival, one of the largest in the nation, featuring high-energy performances and educational music programs at the Boulder Bandshell.

Opera in the Park

August 2-3, 2025
Bella Voce, a magical open-air concert celebrating the grandeur of Italian opera. Experience the brilliance of American operatic classics in a spectacular outdoor setting at the Boulder Bandshell.

Arts & Culture Festivals

BOCO International Flamenco Festival

April 1, 2025
Enriching Colorado's culture with the art of Flamenco. The Dairy Arts Center hosts BOCO International Flamenco Festival, packed with shows by legendary performers.

Conference on World Affairs

April 7-10, 2025
Ideas and discussions on everything conceivable. A free conference hosted by the University of Colorado that's open to the public, with panel discussions, keynote presentations and performances by international experts on a huge range of topics. Described by The New York Times as an "extravaganza of discussion and debate.”  

Boulder Startup Week

May 12-16, 2025
Fresh tech and entrepreneurial ideas. Startup Week brings innovators and the community together with 200 events throughout the free, five-day lineup.

Boulder Plein Air Festival

May 31-June 6, 2025
Painters inspired by the outdoors. A week-long celebration welcoming artists of any skill level to make art en plein air in and around Boulder, with the opportunity to exhibit and sell their works.

Arts in the Park at the Bandshell

June-August, 2025
Vibrant performances in open air. Taking place at the Glenn Huntington Bandshell in Boulder’s Civic Area, this year's Arts in the Park will showcase talent from the Boulder Ballet, Boulder Symphony and Boulder Opera in four performances through June and July.

 

 

 

 

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Boulder County Pride Month

June 1-30, 2025
See you at Pride! Whether you’re looking for something the whole family can take part in or a more 21+ experience, there's something for everyone during Boulder County Pride Month. Sign up for teen art classes, adult networking events, music, trivia, dancing and more.

Colorado Shakespeare Festival

June 7-July 27, 2025
The bard under the stars. Each summer, several plays are performed in the historic Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre and in the indoor University Theatre on the University of Colorado's campus. Please note: All shows are currently being held inside the Roe Green Theatre due to ongoing construction at Mary Rippon Theater.

1940s WWII Era Ball

June 14, 2025
A magical night of dancing and history at the Boulder Airport. Step back in time at this 1940s Ball with the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Swing dance, take tours of WWII planes, admire classic cars, take dance lessons and more, all against a scenic backdrop with movie-set lights and props.

Boulder Comedy Festival

June 19-23, 2025
Nationally touring comics and local up-and-comers. Comedians featured on Comedy Central, Netflix and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert come together with festival winners and local comedians to create a sea of hilarity at a couple of popular Boulder venues.

Boulder Environmental / Nature / Outdoors Film Festival

July 17-20, 2025
Environmental awareness through storytelling. Watch documentary features, short films, Q&As and interviews online or at the Dairy Drive-In at the Dairy Arts Center.

Community Roots Art Festival (CRAFt)

TBA, 2025
Highlighting Black, Indigenous and brown self-identified artists. Head to VisionQuest Brewing for one special day of local artwork, performances, giveaways and tasty treats.

NoBo First Fridays

6-9pm every first Friday of the month
Local artists in action. Embark on a free self-guided tour of artists’ studios and creative businesses in the NoBo Art District. Stroll through the area and meet painters, sculptors, photographers and more. Be sure to check the map to see which studios are open and when.

Pearl Street Arts Fest

July 18-20, 2025
Creative souls on display. Tents line downtown Boulder's Pearl Street for this juried celebration of visual arts — from whimsical and modern sculptures to traditional watercolors, oil paintings and more.

Tube to Work Day

TBA, 2025
Wild on the water. Boulderites don their best business attire and hit the creek in this yearly tubing tradition. The event starts at Eben G. Fine Park, but you can catch the view of the hilarious action (e.g. spectators dangling breakfast from atop bridges for tubers to grab) anywhere along the creek near downtown.

Sports & Movement Events

IRONMAN 70.3 Boulder

June 14, 2025
Insanely epic athletes. This "half Ironman" takes place at the Boulder Reservoir with a spectacular Rocky Mountain backdrop. The event has been an athlete favorite for over a decade and is one of the fastest IRONMAN events to sell out each year.

Frequent Flyers Aerial Dance Festival

July 27-August 8, 2025
High-flying choreography. Experience the joy of dancing in the air, for beginners through advanced aerial dancers. Two weeks of classes, lectures/demonstrations, informal discussions and performances.

Family-Friendly Events

Tulip Fairy & Elf Festival

April 27, 2025 (Rain date: May 4)
Unbearably cute kiddos in costume. The Tulip Fairy and hundreds of tiny fairies and elves wake up 15,000+ tulips with a parade and festival on Pearl Street in historic downtown.

Boulder Creek Festival

May 23-26, 2025
Boulder's creekside family festival. Food, art, performances, bazaar, carnival rides and much more — all beside the beautiful Boulder Creek.

Food Festivals

Taste of Pearl

April 6, 2025
Deliciousness in downtown. Spend an afternoon in America’s Foodiest Town tasting delicious chef creations and Colorado wines while strolling around beautiful downtown Boulder.

Upslope Getdown

TBA, 2025
Beer, music, outdoors. A free music festival with Upslope beer, food trucks, games, art and more, held at the Upslope Flatiron Park brewery.

Boulder Taco Fest

August 23, 2025
Tacos, tequila and fun in the sun. Indulge in the tastiest tacos of Boulder, a curated list of craft breweries, eclectic tequilas, high-flying Luchadores, live bands and lots of free fun for the kiddos.

Boulder Farmers Market

Every Saturday, April-mid-November, 2025 (8am-2pm) 
Every Wednesday, May-early October, 2025 (3:30-7:30pm)
A feast for the eyes, palate and soul. The local market takes place outdoors amid a festival-like atmosphere on 13th Street in downtown Boulder.