Fun Foodie Festivals in Colorado

When people think of Colorado, food isn’t what immediately comes to most minds, but the state is brimming with delicious, fresh food during the summer. If you’d like to celebrate the bounty of Colorado, look no further than these foodie festivals taking place across the state over the next few months.

Telluride Mushroom Festival photo by Michelle Ellis Photography 1
Telluride Mushroom Festival by Michelle Ellis Photography.

Like strawberry shortcake? Strawberry ice cream? How about simple, fresh strawberries straight off the vine? Strawberry Days in Glenwood Springs is a small town picnic that has evolved into a big summer party.

Taking place June 17-19, 2016, the event features music, an arts and crafts fair, a carnival, a parade and free strawberries and ice cream. This festival is what small town America is all about.

Photo by Robin Proctor, used with permission by the Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association.
Photo by Robin Proctor, used with permission by the Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association.

Cherry pie is my husband’s favorite, so I need to take him to Paonia Cherry Days in beautiful and bountiful Delta County, Colorado. The event takes place over the Fourth of July holiday (July 1-4, 2016) and there’s a whole slew of events taking place including a cherry pie eating contest, because it wouldn’t be a cherry festival without one.

I grew up in an area famous for sweet corn, but perhaps not as famous as Olathe, Colorado. The family-friendly Olathe Sweet Corn Festival (August 6, 2016) has been celebrated for more than a quarter of a century. 

Peaches for you, peaches for me, peaches for everybody at the Palisade Peach Festival on August 19-20, 2016. This popular event includes peach orchard tours, a peach recipe contest and the opportunity to get real foodie at Feast in the Fields. Best to reserve lodging early as this is a popular festival.

Feast in the Fields Palisade Peach Festival
Feast in the Fields (Palisade Peach Festival) by Jim Cox, JC Photography

As a lover of fungi, the Telluride Mushroom Festival (August 18-21, 2016) has been on my radar for a number of years, but I still haven’t made it to the event.

This is a super foodie festival that attracts professional and amateur chefs from Colorado and beyond. This is an educational experience for those who love to hunt and eat mushrooms. The event’s website is chockablock with information.

Telluride Mushroom Festival, Michelle Ellis Photography
Telluride Mushroom Festival, by Michelle Ellis Photography.

Anyone who has lived in Colorado for any length of time will tell you that the best melons come from Rocky Ford in Southeast Colorado. Taste for yourself during Watermelon Day at the Arkansas Valley Fair on August 20, 2016. The fair runs August 17-21.

The Arkansas Valley Fair is the oldest continuous fair in Colorado and is celebrating its 138th year in 2016.

I grew up eating a lot of potatoes, but I still love them. Fried, mashed or baked, I could eat potatoes for breakfast lunch and dinner. If you like taters, get to Greeley Potato Day on September 10, 2016.

Paonia Cherry Festival
Paonia Cherry Days, used with permission from Facebook.

Hosted by Centennial Village, an amazing property operated by the Greeley History Museum, there are demos, hands on activities, entertainment and of course, potatoes for eating. This is a super super kid-friendly event.

Another food item I can eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner are chiles. The Chiles & Frijoles Festival takes place in Pueblo, Colorado September 23-25, 2016. Don’t know what frijoles are? Pinto beans. That’s right, this is a celebration of peppers and beans and you can bet there are plenty of fresh, homemade tortillas too. This is a big festival that takes place at the Union Avenue Historic District in downtown.

Chile & Frijoles Festival Pueblo
Chile & Frijoles Festival, photo by John Wark.

Last, but certainly not least, a festival that would make Johnny Appleseed proud. Apple Fest is held annually in Cedaredge, another Delta County Community. This sweet, small town festival includes a classic car and tractor show, music and more. It takes place on October 1-2, 2016.

If you know about any foodie festivals in Colorado that I haven’t mentioned here, I’d love to hear about it in the comment section. 

Thank you to Colorado.com for providing the information for this post. Colorado.com is your best source for info on the Centennial State.

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