While ski resorts during the summer don’t quite have the hustle and bustle of winter, there are still a lot of great events and festivals that make for a fun weekend getaway. Ski resorts and ski towns throughout North America host amazing festivals all summer long. Below, you’ll find our picks of some of the great summer festivals and events in the mountains at in ski towns across North America.
Summer Festivals and Events in the Mountains
Targhee Bluegrass Festival, Grand Targhee, Wyoming
The Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival has been bringing music to the sweet sound of blues and jam bands to Wyoming for 35 years. Festival-goers can enjoy three days of tunes featuring new artists and returning all-stars in early August. A Tier 1 three-day pass will cost around $300. After a day of fun in the sun, settle into the nearby festival-designated campground and gaze up at the stars. This year’s lineup includes Greensky Bluegrass, Lukas Nelson, Molly Tuttle, and many more incredible artists.
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Aspen Music Festival, Aspen, Colorado
If you love classical music, then look no further than the world-famous Aspen Music Festival, which is as famous for its concert programming as it is for its music school that trains young musicians. More than 400 young artists join trained professionals for a summer of music and skill-building. Aspen Music Festival features 200 public events from June to August, including concerts by several orchestras, chamber music performances, fully staged operas, lectures, and shows for kids. More than 100,000 audience members enjoy it. Tickets for some weekend performances can start as low as $45.
Among the Aspen Music Festival’s most unique events is Aspen Music on the Mountain, taking place weekly during the summer. Students play chamber music atop Aspen Mountain to the backdrop of the Elk Mountain Range. A gondola ticket or strenuous hike is required, but the experience and views are worth it.
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Vail Dance Festival, Vail, Colorado
Vail Dance Festival began in 1988 and has since become one of the finest dance events in the country. Two weeks of thirteen performances are held in mid-summer at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, along with special events across the Vail Valley. This year’s lineup features performances from Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet of San Francisco, the Colorado Ballet, the Paul Taylor Dance Company, the Festival debut of A.I.M by Kyle Abraham, and appearances from the New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Royal Danish Ballet, Philadelphia Ballet, and more. Tickets go for as low as $10 on the back lawn, while premium tickets and packages are also available for those who want to take in more than one performance.
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Sun Valley on Ice, Sun Valley, Idaho
While the snow has dissipated at Sun Valley come summer, the winter theme continues with Sun Valley on Ice, which has become a summer staple at America’s original destination resort. Shows feature medal-winning skaters and the very talented Sun Valley on Ice cast. Get close to the ice with grandstand seating, or relax and enjoy the uniqueness of the terrace’s premier seating, which comes with a buffet and bar service. Check out this summer’s Sun Valley on Ice schedule at sunvalley.com.
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Killington Wine Festival, Killington, Vermont
Wine lovers can raise their glasses to a weekend full of sips and cheers at the Killington Wine Festival. This summer celebration of vino, hosted by the Killington Pico Area Association, brings international and local wineries together in mid-July for a fun summer wine tasting event. The festival includes a Friday night Estate Gala and a Saturday Grand Tasting hosted in the K1 Lodge. Wines can be paired with gourmet dishes crafted by the resort culinary team and savored while participants stroll through booths and shop from local artisans. Tickets for the general Saturday tasting start at $90.
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Snoqualmie Days, Snoqualmie, Washington
Snoqualmie Days (formerly known as Snoqualmie Railroad Days), happening in late August, has been an annual summer festival at Snoqualmie since volunteer firefighters began organizing it in 1939 to celebrate the arrival of the town’s first fire truck. Today, the Northwest Railway Museum’s passenger rail program operates on the same rail line that brought the first regional tourists to the Falls on July 4, 1889. Events include a grand parade, Fields of Fun for kids, a music crawl, a 5K run, train rides, a fireman pancake breakfast, and more.
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Tremblant International Blues Festival, Tremblant, Quebec, Canada
Tremblant International Blues Festival isn’t just one of the best ski resort events, but one of the best and largest music events in all of Canada. Blues music is everywhere at the Tremblant International Blues Festival, from the historic cobblestone streets to wilderness stages and much more. More than 100 free shows, street music, and family activities take over Tremblant for five days in July for this extraordinary celebration of blues music. The festival will celebrate its 30th anniversary this year, so be on the lookout for special activities and shows.
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Canada Day, Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia, Canada
There are so many great places to celebrate Canada Day (July 1). However, few ski resort villages can compare to the vibe and atmosphere of Olympic Plaza in Whistler. Canada Day in Whistler includes a parade through the main village, a free outdoor concert, and mini-events, including art demos, yoga, music performances, and a First Nations welcome and drum circle. Turn it into a getaway over several days, as Whistler offers so much during the summer.
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Savor Big Sky, Big Sky, Montana
Savor Big Sky, happening early in late June, celebrates food, wine, and spirits amidst Big Sky’s beautiful setting. This long weekend festival invites foodies to expand their palate courtesy of world-renowned chefs, wineries, breweries, and spirit purveyors. Events include farm-to-table dinners, wine seminars, and live music. Savor Big Sky culminates with a Grand Tasting event featuring over 100 wineries from the most renowned regions. Come hungry.
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4848 Festival, Snowshoe, West Virginia
They call the 4848 Festival a festivacation, which is fitting for this fun-filled event at Snowshoe. The 3-day mid-July event features craft beer, plenty of food, lake activities, scenic lift rides, and live music from popular bluegrass and country music performers. A 3-day adult general admission ticket runs in the $300 range and includes access to all music, the 4848 mountaintop village experience, Shavers Lake beach, and activities including paddle boarding, kayaking, scenic lift rides, euro bungee, a climbing wall, and more. Pair your festival ticket with lodging for the best rates. This year’s headlines include Lake Street Dive, Greensky Bluegrass, and Dark Star Orchestra.
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Arts Jubilee, Cranmore, New Hampshire
The annual Arts Jubilee is a five-concert series spread throughout the summer at Cranmore Mountain Resort in North Conway. The series began in 1983 with a mission of bringing world-class music to the valley, and it does just that. Bring your family and spread out your blankets at the base of the North Slope to enjoy the shows in this relaxing outdoor setting. Tickets at the gate are under $20. Make a weekend of it by enjoying Cranmore’s Adventure Park. Kids 12 and under can attend for free.
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Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, Telluride, Colorado
Blues & Brews is a multi-stage eclectic mix of blues, indie, funk, rock, jam band, gospel, and soul music that takes over Telluride at the end of every summer. Music is just half of it, though, with the festival featuring excellent craft breweries from all over the country. The Brewers Showcase features events spanning the festival weekend, including tasting sessions with 21 breweries pouring unlimited samples for attendees. Events for kids, late-night club shows, morning yoga, and plenty of food and craft vendors all combine to make this a very special three-day event each September. A 3-day pass runs around $300. This year’s lineup is The Black Crowes, Thundercat, and Lukas Nelson.
» View Telluride Summer Lodging Options
Fourth of July Celebrations
Let’s not forget the Fourth of July celebrations, as there are a lot of them happening at ski resorts across North America. Below are a few to check out.
Park City’s Fourth isn’t just one day of celebrations, but several. The celebrations include the Deer Valley Music Festival, Utah Symphony Pops Concert, 5k fun run, and Main Street Parade. Mammoth Mountain, California, cranks up the celebration early with a pancake breakfast, followed by the Footloose Freedom Mile run, a parade on Old Main Street, a pops concert, an art show, and a gorgeous fire display at Crowley Lake.
Vermont is the place to be in New England for fun mountain town events over the Fourth of July weekend. Stratton hosts tons of live music, a laser and fireworks show, and lodging specials. Stowe’s Fourth of July celebrations are listed as some of the best by Fodor’s. Stowe’s celebrations include parades in the hamlet of Moscow and Stowe Village, an old-fashioned village festival, the world’s shortest marathon run, and a fireworks show in the Mayo Event Fields.
We’d be remiss not to mention the Midwest. Harbor Springs, where you’ll find Boyne Mountain, has a big day lined up with the Paul Revere 5k and 10-mile runs, Art in the Park, Main Street Parade, and Fireworks at dusk over the harbor.
Header image ©Aspen Music Festival
April 15, 2025
