Summer in Breckenridge offers a wide variety of things to do, including activities and events the whole family will enjoy. If you’re visiting during our favorite season and looking for more than just hiking each day, keep reading to discover family-friendly summer events you won’t want to miss.
Breckenridge is open for the 2024/25 ski and snowboard season! After a beautiful summer and extended fall, we are back on snow and couldn’t be happier. Opening Day is a special time, kicking off months of snow flurries, warm drinks, powder days, and the thrill of being on the mountain once again. Whether it’s your first time or your fiftieth, Opening Day at Breckenridge Ski Resort is an event filled with excitement, nostalgia, and community spirit.
Skiers and snowboarders assemble on Opening Day 2019.
For the Best of Breckenridge team and snow diehards alike, Opening Day at the local ski resort is like being transported back to Christmas morning as a kid. Weeks before, the air begins to chill, dustings of snow cover the mountain tops, ski passes are discussed and purchased, trip plans are made, and preseason workouts begin. All this builds anticipation for the upcoming snow season, reaching a crescendo on the first day the lifts start turning.
The Best Of Breckenridge team loves observing the tradition of joining in on the Opening Day fun. Here they are at the start of the 2022/23 season.
The night before, gear is pulled out of closets, skis and snowboards are hastily tuned, and alarms are set for an early start. Much like waiting for Santa, it’s hard to sleep, excited to return to snow, strap in for the first time, and feel those first-day wobbly ski legs.
Opening Day 2021. Praise Ullr!
If you arrive before the lifts begin to spin, you can feel the electricity in the air as eager skiers and snowboarders line up in the lift maze. Friends reconnect with high-fives, stories are shared, and new friendships are made instantly. The ski resort usually amps up the excitement with music, donuts or another sugary snack, and a few words over the microphone to hype the upcoming season.
Once the first chair is loaded, a cheer rings through the air — it’s finally time!
The Best Of Breckenridge Team takes their first chairlift ride of the 2023/24 Snow Season.
There’s something magical about that first ride up the chairlift on Opening Day at Breckenridge: the crisp mountain air, the crunch of fresh snow under your boots, and the feeling of being back where you belong — on the slopes.
The first chairlift ride of a new season.
A few years ago, Breckenridge Ski Resort upgraded its snowmaking system, and no matter how much natural snow has fallen, early-season conditions have been surprisingly good ever since.
Enjoying the first snow and runs of the season. Opening Day 2020.
After a lap or two, some people might head to Ullr Café, Robbie’s Tavern, or the TBar for celebratory drinks, while others might hurry off to work or school. But everyone unstraps with the feeling of, “We’re back,” knowing there’s a whole season of possibility ahead.
Cheers to a new season!
For all these reasons, Opening Day holds a special place in the Best of Breckenridge team’s hearts, and it’s something we look forward to every year. So, here’s to Opening Day and a new season on snow — we can’t wait to see you out there this winter!
Our Opening Day ski legs were feeling great!
If you’re looking for a place to stay just steps from the slopes this early season or Opening Day, we highly recommend the Grand Colorado on Peak 8 or the Grand Lodge on Peak 7. Click here for special discounts!
If it isn’t the mountains, the charming town, or the many winter activities that are drawing you to Breck, it must be one of these events. Are you on the fence about when to visit our town? Here are a few dates to steer you in the right direction.
Join us in Breckenridge as winemakers and wine enthusiasts from around the world gather in the Rocky Mountains this August! Sip back and relax during one of the the Grand Tastings featuring an impressive, curated assortment of over 300 domestic and international wines, premium craft beers and seltzers.
If you’re on the fence about what dates to visit Breckenridge this summer, consider joining us for one of these events! There are endless activities and things to do in Breckenridge during June and July.
Off-season? What off-season! No matter what time you visit, the town of Breckenridge will be bustling with energy and events! From daunting athletic endurance events to delicious culinary feasts and everything in between, Breckenridge has a wide variety of events that cater to all different sorts of visitors & locals. Start planning your trip and use this guide to figure out which events you want to attend.
Cheers to the New Year! Kick off 2025 with an exciting fireworks show, at the Base of Peak 9 hosted by the Town of Breckenridge. Come back later for a party on the mountain with the Toyota Takeover weekend. Enter to win raffles, enjoy warm waffles, and après ski parties all weekend long. If you’ve ever built a snowman, watch what the pros can do at the International Snow Sculpture Championships! Professional sculptors from different countries form teams and descend upon Breckenridge to turn 5-ton blocks of snow into intricate works of frozen art. The sculpting can be viewed from January 20—24, and the viewing period is from January 24—29 at the Tiger Dredge Parking Lot.
Visit the Riverwalk Center the day after Valentine’s Day for an enlightening and thought-provoking conversation about Metamorphosis.
During March, you can soak up the sun and groove to the sounds of Spring at two more installments of the Five Peaks Music Festival.
Spring rolls on this month, and Breckenridge Ski Resort’s high elevation keeps the snow great late into the season. If you’re ready to watch some of Breck’s top skiers and snowboarders go big on some big mountain terrain, check out the Big Mountain competition hosted by Breckenridge Ski Resort. The Big Mountain Comp brings the vibes for viewers with a great viewing coral at the bottom of Breck’s famed “Six Senses” terrain and with tunes blasting to get the audience and competitors pumped up. Looking for a challenge yourself? You can join in on the Imperial Challenge, which starts in town by bike; competitors pedal to the base of the mountain, skin all the way up to 12,996ft (the top of Imperial Chair), and then ski or ride down! It is a brutal endurance event, but the fun costumes and energy of the competitors make it a light-hearted affair. If a suffer-fest up the mountain isn’t your thing, how about making a splash? To celebrate Peak 8 closing for the season, Breckenridge Ski Resort hosts a pond skim under the Colorado Superchair. Skiers and boarders go from snow to air to water in an attempt to make it out dry, all to the cheers of hundreds of spring break revelers.
The long ski season winds down and finally comes to a close. This event is TBD depending on weather and snow conditions, but whatever the date, you will find die-hard skiers getting their last turns and celebrating the season past.
Summit Foundation Golf Tournament
Summer’s arrival brings a lively atmosphere to town with the Breck Sunday Market every week from June 9 to September 8 at Main Street Station. You can shop local crafts or fresh produce while strolling near the Maggie Pond. Music will set the mood for summer sunsets when the BreckCreate (our local arts district) Airstage opens its door. The classic tow behind chrome trailer has been retrofitted with a stage that can be parked nearly anywhere in town to supply a vibe. And if tequila and mezcal are more your flavor, a new festival is coming to town, the Breckenridge Agave Fest!
Celebrate Independence Day with a parade, the Firecracker 50, a 5K Trail Race, and BreckCreate’s activation in the Arts District. The Firecracker 50 isn’t just any old bike race; this is a 50-mile-long endurance Mountain Bike event where locals and visitors alike can earn their stripes and become stars. Breckenridge has abstained from fireworks shows for the past couple of years with respect to our environment and fire prevention purposes. July continues with the AirStage Après on Thursday nights, the Breckenridge Food & Wine Festival, and a tentative Summer Beer Fest at Beaver Run.
August brings two-wheeled adventures with the Breck Epic road bike race and Breck Bike Week, and culinary delights at the Breckenridge Food & Wine Festival. Don’t miss the Breckenridge Hog Fest – Bacon & Bourbon at Main Street Station and the 24th Summit Foundation Annual Rubber Duck Race. If you haven’t seen thousands of ducks floating down a river for a good cause, make sure to bookmark the rubber duck race. Rumor has it the world’s largest Rubber Duck will be in attendance.
Prost! In September, the leaves will be changing and the beer will be flowing at Breckenridge’s Oktoberfest. Main Street transforms into a walkable Bavarian festival complete with polka music, a stein hoisting competition, strudels and schnitzels, and of course, beer! If German beer isn’t your thing, check out the Strings, Beers, and Ciders event for live music and a variety of beverages to try. Lastly, the Breckenridge Film Festival brings renowned filmmakers up to 9600’ to showcase short films that will get your heart pumping or tug at its strings.
Celebrate with spirits in more than one way during this month. Breck Create hosts a traditional Día de Muertos celebration every year with dancing, art, and other cultural aspects of this Day of the Dead. Breck-o-ween is an event hosted by Après Ski that partners with local bars and businesses to get spooky on Halloween night. Traditionally they have had costume contests, a “Mummy Walk” bar crawl, and more. If that is too ghoulish, kick back and sip a cocktail at the Breckenridge Spirits Festival, which showcases some amazing libations from near and far.
It’s time to get back on snow! Breckenridge Ski Resort hosts Wake Up Breck the day before the mountain opens and partners with local coffee houses all through town to give out free mugs and coffee – you better be at a coffee spot before 7:30 am if you want a mug! The following day is the true kickoff to winter in Breck: Opening Day! Depending on snow, there might only be one or a few trails, but the vibes are through the roof with people reuniting with the mountain and friends.
In the final month of the year, it’s time to get festive! The Running of the Santas and Lighting of Breck christen the holiday season as thousands gather to take in the spectacle happening on Main Street. Ullr Fest is our local gathering to revel and call upon the Norse God of snow for a good winter. Complete with a parade, bonfire, and plenty of Ullr chants, this event is truly Breckenridge’s own and has been going on since the 1960s! Just be prepared, both of these events in December happen outside and can be downright frigid if the weather is right (so make sure to bundle up and sip on a hot chocolate).
As you can see, there is no lack of events happening in Breckenridge no matter what month you decide to visit. If you are looking for a place to stay while taking in one of these events check out these great deals at the Grand Colorado on Peak 8!
Snow Sculpture Competition
Nordic Center
Big Mountain Competition
Pond Skim
Imperial Challenge
Closing Day
Independence Day
Oktoberfest
Día de Muertos
Opening Day