If you still haven’t made plans for Memorial Day or want to mix things up from your annual BBQ, there’s plenty to do around Colorado. The long weekend is full of outdoor festivals to help kickstart the summer season. Enjoy watching colorful balloons lift off from Cañon City, cheer for a burro race through Georgetown, or sip a cold beer from Eddyline Brewery while watching kayakers race down the Arkansas River.

Explore more Colorado events on our OutThere Colorado Events Calendar!

1. CKS Paddlefest

If you’re headed up to the mountains this Memorial Day, be sure to stop through the beautiful town of Buena Vista for loads of river fun. The CKS Paddlefest is a 3-day event packed full of on-and-off the river events for all ability levels to enjoy including clinics, competitions, races, live music, beer gardens, volunteer opportunities, gear swaps, and demos. This is an event you won’t want to miss!

MORE EVENT DETAILS: Click Here!

2. Cañon City Balloon Classic

Spend the weekend exploring Cañon City and watch as hot air balloons soar high above the desert landscape each morning and glow in the park at dusk. This event has a little bit of everything- skydivers, live music, great food, award winning wines from the Winery at Holy Cross Abbey, local artwork, races, kids’ activities, and of course, plenty of colorful hot air balloons to ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ at.

Admission Prices: FREE

MORE EVENT DETAILS: Click Here!

3. MeadowGrass Music Festival

Escape the city and make camp in Black Forest for three days of talented and diverse national, regional, and local musicians including Joan Osborne and the Denver-based band Paper Bird. In its ninth year, MeadowGrass has perfected creating a relaxing and fun, family-friendly atmosphere offering kids’ concerts, a kids’ play zone, morning yoga classes, tasty food vendors, and music workshops. Tickets can be bought for single day performances or the whole weekend.

Admission Prices: $0-$350

MORE EVENT DETAILS: Click Here!

4. Wildflower Hike at Bald Mountain

Although Colorado wildflowers put on their biggest show in late June and early July, many begin to bloom and show their colors in springtime. Join volunteer naturalists in Boulder as you hike up Bald Mountain in search of some of these spring wildflowers. Enjoy the beautiful scenery and frequent overlooks along the way.

MORE EVENT DETAILS: Click Here!

5. Denver Arts Festival

Art lovers will want to venture out to Stapleton for the 18th annual Denver Arts Festival. Artwork of all different mediums from glass to furniture, and clay to photography will be featured from over 140 local and national artists. Stick around for live music from Dotsero and the Wendy Woo Band.

Admission Prices: FREE

MORE EVENT DETAILS: Click Here!

6. Historic Georgetown Pack Burro Race

Believe it or not, Colorado adopted Pack Burro Racing as the state sport in 2012. This Saturday you can watch this sport firsthand as burros and their handlers run eight miles from Georgetown to Empire and back. So, what is Pack Burro Racing exactly? Dating back to Colorado’s 19th-century miners, legend has it that two miners who both struck the same gold vein raced each other back to town, burros in tow, to stake first claims. Nowadays a handler and a burro typically run an assigned race course together with the burro led on a rope at all times. The burro most also be wearing a pack saddle with 33 pounds worth of historical mining gear including a pick, gold pan, and shovel, in addition to any extra gear the runner desires. At no time can the runner ride the burro…although the runner may carry the burro at any time.

Admission Prices: FREE for spectators, $50 entry fee for race participants

MORE EVENT DETAILS: Click Here!