Breckenridge, Colorado has something for everyone in 2010. No matter what season you visit this popular ski destination, you can bet that there will be a cultural, sports or entertainment event for you to enjoy. Check out the jam packed year ahead and make your travel plans now!
1. Ski with a Forest Ranger Tour – now through April 2nd – Each Friday at 11 am, volunteer rangers lead a small group of people down the intermediate trail on Peak 7 at the Breckenridge Ski Resort. You’ll learn about local wild life, the history of the area, avalanche awareness and local conservation programs. In order to participate, you must have a lift ticket and intermediate skiing or snowboarding abilities.
2. Breckenridge Beer Festival – April 3 – Who doesn’t like beer? The fifth year of this popular beer festival will be even bigger than ever. Located at Main Street Station, the festival brings together microbrews from breweries around the area. There’s also food, vendors and live music entertainment.
3. Spring Massive – April 1st through April 18th – Spring Massive is a yearly festival that brings diverse activities and people together. Live music, ski and snowboard competitions, food events and a beer festival are packed into the first few weeks of April. Don’t miss the Slopestyle Competition \\and Superpipe Competition.
4. Thursday Wilderness Hikes – June 4th, June 11th, June 18th and June 25th – Explore the summer wilderness with four special tours during the month of June. The tours start at the Breckenridge Welcome Center and are $8 per person/$22 per family.
5. Frisco Roundup – June 5th – This is the first of the Summit Mountain Challenges that the Colorado Freeride association holds throughout the summer. Riders race in four different distances from 3 miles to 12 miles.
6. Summit Foundation Golf Tournament – June 13th and 14th – The Summit Foundation holds an annual golf tournament to raise money for a variety of local non-profit organizations. In addition to the tournament, there is live entertainment, a raffle and silent and live auctions. The cost is $75 for the welcome party on the 13th and $100 for VIPs.
7. Tour De Trash – June 12th – This unique mountain bike tour sends cyclists on a tour right by the local landfill. Once you get past the sights and smells of the landfill, there’s some beautiful mountain wilderness to behold. This tour is one of the Summit Mountain Challenges.
8. Kingdom Days– June 19th through 20th – Breckenridge was accidentally left off of the U.S. map and it came to be known as “Colorado’s Kingdom” until it was incorporate in 1936. Kingdom Days celebrates the old days of gold prospecting, mining and adventure – in some very unique ways! The centerpiece of the event is the Outhouse Races. Teams from around Colorado create portable outhouses to push or pull down the track to the finish line. The winner receives the “Gold Throne” followed by the “Silver Moon” and “Bronze Bucket” (2nd and 3rd place respectively). Other events this weekend include the Repertory Run, Kid’s Dash and a re-enactment of a Wild West gun fight. Live music and museum tours are also part of the fun.
9. Gold Rush Run– June 26th – Another event on the Summit Mountain Challenge circuit, this run features an awards dinner at the Country Boy Mine and drinks provided by the Backcountry Brewery.
10. 2010 Firecracker 50 – July 4th – The Firecracker 50 is a mountain bike racing event that will be celebrating its 9th year in 2010. There are two separate events that cyclists can compete in – the Firecracker 50 (which can be done as an individual or a team of 2) and the Sparkler (a 14 mile portion of the course). Registration opens on March 3rd and the field is limited to 750 race plates.
11. Swan River Rampage – July 17th – This Summit Mountain Challenge event includes a kid’s course, a “middle” course and a “big” course. Awards ceremonies follow the event and you can get two complimentary beers by presenting your number plate.
12. Breck Nordic Center – July 24th – This kid’s only cyclist event is put together by the Summit Mountain Challenge group. The course is a 1.85 mile loop and racers are broken up into six different age and experience groups.
13. Peaks Trail Time Trial – July 25th – This SMC event starts in Breckenridge and finished in Frisco, with 10 different age/skill groups. The total length of the raise is 7.9 miles and pre-registration is recommended. The post race party will take place at the Backcountry Brewery in Frisco.
14. Pennsylvania Gulch Grind – August 14th – This cyclist event from SMC includes a junior boys and junior girls event, as well as a 11.75 mile and 15.25 mile trail group.
15. The Breck Ball – August 21st – The last event of the season from SMC includes a kid’s course, beginner men’s and women’s and advanced men’s and women’s courses. The post race party will be held at the Quandary Grill at the Main Street Station.
16. Labor Day Weekend – September 3rd through 6th – Labor Day brings a lot of activities to the Breckenridge area. The Great Divide Art Festival is back for its 35th year. The Water House Wine Festival takes place at the Great Rubber Duck Race on September 4th, both at Main Street Station. The Wine Festival features live music and samples from over 30 Colorado Wineries. The Great Rubber Duck Race has two separate events – one for adults and one for kids. Local businesses compete to see who can sell the most ducks for participants. Finally, the Breck Crest Mountain Marathon offers three different course lengths for
runners – a 5 mile trail run, half marathon and full marathon.
17. Breckenridge Oktoberfest – September 18th through 20th – Locals and visitors alike look forward to this yearly event that brings a little bit of Germany to Breckenridge. This year will be the 16th annual Oktoberfest and features beer, Bavarian dancers, German food, polka music and a 5K run.
18. The Lighting of Breckenridge – December 4th – This old fashioned tradition brings the magic of the holidays to the Breckenridge area. A holiday craft workshop, a visit from Santa, free cocoa, cookies, caroling and tree lighting are all part of the festivities.
19. Victorian Winter Wonderland – December 4th through 31st – December is a fun filled month in the city of Breckenridge. After the Lighting of Breckenridge event on the 4th, the city is host to holiday art workshops, Main Street caroling, Winter Dew Tour, Winter Wonderettes Performances and the Torchlight Parade and Fireworks on New Year’s Eve.
