The 13 Best Festivals in Ski Country

Ah, festival season. The time of year when we can break out our fringe shorts and funky boots, and throw glitter every which way in the name of live music, art, food, and drink.

Watch: The Best Festivals All Year Long

Except what if festival season wasn’t really a season at all, but happened year-round at our favorite ski resorts? It just so happens that there are a plethora of festivals happening throughout the year that harness the merriment skiing brings us.

If you’re ready to don your favorite festival ‘fit, here’s a list of our favorite ski-country festivals broken out by season.

The Best Festivals in Ski Country

Summer

May 31-June 1: The Outside Festival, Denver, Colo.

The newest festival on this list is none other than Outside Inc.’s celebration of all things outdoors. (Disclaimer: Outside Inc. owns SKI Magazine.) Taking place May 31-June 1, the second-annual festival will offer a mix of events and swag from Outside’s magazine brands including SKI, Backpacker, and Yoga Journal, headlining music by indie rock band Khruangbin, Lord Huron, and American bluegrass band Trampled by Turtles, plus a speaker series featuring Alex Honnold, Salema Masakela, David Blaine, Diana Nyad, and Katie Burrell. There will also be a mini film festival for, you guessed it, outdoor-inspired movies. Tickets for the Outside Festival are still available and children under 12 are free with the purchase of an adult ticket.

June 20-22: Food & Wine Classic, Aspen, Colo.

Perhaps one of the most famous food festivals in the country, the Food & Wine Classic takes over Aspen for a weekend every June with over 80 seminars and demonstrations, appearances by food celebrities like Mark Bittman and Mawa McQueen, and a massive amount of food tastings. The festival has been around for a long time—it’s in its fourth decade of celebrating all there is to eat and drink in the ski town. There are events all day long on each day of the festival, so if you’re planning on attending you’ll want some sort of schedule to make sure you can prioritize everything you want to see, eat, and drink. Passes are on sale now and are as expected, at Aspen prices. The lowest level for a consumer starts at $2,950 with the most expensive option topping out at $5,500.

July 9-13: Tremblant International Blues Festival, Mont Tremblant, Que.

The charming Canadian ski village comes alive during the summer with an extensive list of festivals, but if you can only pick one, the International Blues Festival is a surefire win. For five days the quaint village is taken over by music and best of all— it’s free. Celebrating it’s 30th anniversary this summer, the blues festival is is a combination of amazing performances and family offerings set in Tremblant’s charming pedestrian village. If you can’t fathom the idea of visiting Tremblant and not skiing, you’re in luck. The mountain has one run open all summer long with synthetic snow, so you can make the festival a true après event.

July-August: Deer Valley Music Festival, Park City, Utah

The Deer Valley Music Festival hosts live performances starring the Utah Symphony on various days spanning most of the summer. You can catch Broadway’s Nikki Renée Daniels and a live orchestra playing Patriotic Pops to kick things off on July 3, or a performance by electrifying violinist Lindsey Stirling on July 25. On Aug. 1-2, The Beach Boys will take the stage for two nights of nostalgic favorites. Check out the full list of performances here. Tickets are sold both individually or in packages where the more you buy, the more you can save, and there are free performances as well.

        More Festival Fun: Read Here

Aug. 16: Brews, Jazz, and Funk Festival, Palisades Tahoe, Calif.

The name says it all. If you’re looking for quality beers (and cocktails), groovy jazz music, and bouncy funk, this is the place to be. What’s more, all proceeds from the annual Brews, Jazz, and Funk Festival benefit the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe. The festival has two stages with a total of three performances. Catch The Floozies, Pressing Strings, and Dinamico on Aug. 16. Tickets are available now for $20 or at the door for $28. Children 12 and under are free.

Autumn

Oct. 10-12: Flaming Leaves Festival, Lake Placid, N.Y.

Lake Placid’s Flaming Leaves Festival is no exaggeration. If you haven’t been to the Northeast for fall foliage yet then make this your year. Nestled in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains, Lake Placid’s Olympic resort town is the perfect base camp for the festival. What sets this event apart from other fall festivals is the ski jumping competition, which takes place at the 1980 Olympic venue. In addition to the competition, there is live music, food, drinks, and local craft vendors. This year’s event will take place Oct.10-12 and tickets can be bought for various events and range in price. Season pass-holders with 2025-’26 season passes to Mt Van Hoevenberg, Whiteface, Gore, and Belleayre receive free admission.

September-October: Oktoberfest, Various Resorts

Oktoberfest is an event so synonymous with ski resorts that it’s almost unheard of not to host one. If you enjoy grabbing a drink and a giant Bavarian pretzel with friends and maybe even donning lederhosen, then this is the festival for you. Enjoy one of these Oktoberfest celebrations as we endure the final countdown to ski season.

Snowbird, Utah: Every Saturday and Sunday from Aug. 9 through Oct. 12. Admission is free and includes brews and polka music. It’s the perfect time to partake in other summer activities at Snowbird including tram rides and the mountain coaster.

Whiteface, Lake Placid, N.Y.: Sept. 27-28. Whiteface’s Oktoberfest has staples like frothy steins of beer, and plenty of polka dancing, but is fun for the whole family with a whole host of activities including an on-site circus. Tickets are not yet on sale, but packages combining scenic gondola rides and bundles for beer tickets will be available.

Vail: Vail, Colo. Sept. 5-7, Sept. 12-14. Vail’s iconic Oktoberfest celebration spans two weekends and two locations (Vail Village and Lionshead). Vail’s architecture intends to transport revelers to the Bavarian Alps as the town was inspired by founder Pete Siebert’s time in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland during World War II. Oh, and did we mention there are bratwurst-eating contests? It doesn’t get much better than that.

Leavenworth: Leavenworth, Wash. Oct. 3-4, Oct. 10-11, Oct. 17-18. While technically not part of a ski resort, Leavenworth’s Oktoberfest is right down the road from Stevens Pass ski area, and as it calls itself “America’s unofficial Bavarian capital,” we had to include it. There will be German imported beer as well as plenty of local beers, including one collaborative ale brewed specifically for the event. Just like in Germany, there will be a ceremonial tapping of the keg and a whole separate area for kids with a Ferris wheel and root beer garden. Tickets go on sale later this summer.

         Also Read: How to Have Fun at a Festival Without Trashing the Planet

Winter

Jan. 25-Feb. 1, 2026: Whistler Pride And Ski Festival, Whistler, B.C.

There is no better way to kick off the year than celebrating love! The Whistler Pride Festival is taking place from Jan. 25 through Feb. 1, and promises to be a good time for all. Events include après DJ parties, drag bingo, comedy shows, pool parties, guided ski tours, and more. The festival takes place both on the mountain and in the town of Whistler and many events require tickets, which are now on sale. If you’re looking to score a deal on travel, lodging and transportation packages are also available.

Jan. 22-Feb. 1, 2026: Sundance Film Festival, Park City, Utah

Arguably the most famous festival on the list is none other than the Sundance Film Festival. The mountain town transforms into a cultural hub for directors, producers, actors, and of course plenty of cinephiles. Sundance also happens to be the largest film festival in the United States, and while it doesn’t take place at a ski resort, the week does bring in plenty of crowds that deter tourists, which leads to quiet slopes. The next festival is slated for Jan. 23 through Feb. 2, and tickets to film showings go on sale about a month prior. This is as good a time any to note that Sundance is moving to a new location for 2027: Colorado’s favorite college town—Boulder.

Feb. 12-15, 2026: Telluride Comedy Festival, Telluride, Colo.

Going on its 25th year, the Telluride Comedy Festival will once again be taking over the Sheridan Arts Center in town during President’s Day Weekend, Feb. 12 through Feb.15. While the lineup for 2026 has not yet been released, 2025 headliners included Jason Mantzoukas, Seth Morris, Paul Scheer, Rob Huebel, and Holly Laurent, and all proceeds benefit the Arts Center. The festival is broken up into different types of comedy including sketch, improv, and standup, and there is even a locals night with comedy dedicated to poking fun at the town of Telluride. Best of all, the festival begins in the evening, so you have all day to ski.

Spring

Feb. 27-March 1: Winter Wondergrass, Steamboat, Colo.

Winter Wondergrass is a traveling festival that combines music, beer, and camaraderie. The event celebrating the bluegrass community (hence the ‘grass in “Wondergrass”) takes place in Steamboat from Feb. 27 through March 1. The festival is a three-day celebration with plenty of live music and beer tastings (both regular and non-alcoholic). Headlines from the 2025 tour included The Sam Bush Band, Leftover Salmon, Yonder Mountain String Band, Trampled By Turtles plenty more. Early-bird tickets for the 2026 festival are on sale now.

March: Icelantic’s Return to the Rocks, Denver, Colo.

Ski brand Icelantic welcomes spring and the start of the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater season with a snow sports and music celebration. The 2025 festival was the 13th annual installment and featured musical guests GRAMATIK, Zingara, The Funk Hunters featuring Chali 2na, and The Sponges. The date for the 2026 show has not yet been announced, but will surely be a good time.