Every summer, as snowfields melt into wildflower meadows, a multitude from the Front Range to the Texas panhandle road-trips to Colorado’s high country to revel in hiking and mountain biking and rafting and fly-fishing and—the list goes on, and on (and on). But as anyone who’s lived here year-round will tell you, there’s a lot more to summers in our corner of paradise than singletrack and snowmelt. As Gore Creek and the Eagle River roar with runoff, our outdoor amphitheaters thunder with applause cheering maestros, choreographers, musicians, and dancers, while throngs pack the streets and tents of resort villages reveling in the bounty of winemakers, brewmasters, chefs, and artisans. Weekend after weekend, day after day, until the peaks again are dusted with snow and the lifts start spinning. Here’s a taste of, and a toast to, the quintessential events that define, and refine, our all-too-brief (but nonetheless glorious) warm-weather festival season.