Local Businesses Joining Mountain Madness
Rick Langenberg
Move over Telluride, Breckenridge, Manitou Springs and other Colorado mountain hubs as Teller County and the lower Ute Pass is making a serious run as the Special Event King for the Summer of 2026.
Well, maybe that’s slight exaggeration, but our infamous Summer of Fun is bustling big time and killing any further skepticism about the need for doing regular festivals. The ongoing fight over marketing and parking is suddenly taking a back seat
More importantly, the COVID-19 curse has ended, a setback which put many traditional events on a hiatus status for way too long.
Call it one positive byproduct of our lengthy dry spell and scorching weather, or just a change of attitude regarding summer festivals in the mountains, but mega crowds are jamming into our mountain hubs on the weekends for special events like never before.
At the time of this writing, the Green Box Arts Festival concluded its closing act, the Amis due Teche band, a rare style of Cajun music, one of nearly 160 events held over a two-week period that left everyone dancing and singing. Of course, the more popular events featured the Oklahoma City Ballet shows, the new art installations, a rare literary “journey” experience outdoors, a film glimpse into the Santa Fe Opera, art forums and more.
“This year’s festival was wildly successful,” reported Scott Levy, executive director of Green Box. “The secret is out of the bag. We had more people here than ever before.”
Scott wasn’t kidding as its kick-off July 4 day was amazing, courtesy of the 250th birthday celebration of America, capped by a parade, a pie eating contest and festive block party. Securing a parking spot in town was the only downside of the festival’s opening day.
Although it’s too early for hard-core counts, Levy estimates that at least 10,000 came to town to attend the various events, including many rookie Green Box participants. He attributes part of the surprising crowd surge due to more awareness regarding Green Box and yes, timing.
He noted that summer festival-goers had their choices of attending rodeos in Colorado Springs or enjoying Green Box events. And with cooler temperatures, it was hard to beat the latter choice.
This success of Green Box in 2026 comes in the wake of last year stellar “Off the Beaten Path” kinetic installation across the lake, which went viral and attracted national attention. Throughout the summer and fall, 100,000-plus folks frequented GMF in 2025 to see this exhibit.
GMF isn’t expecting the same crowds this year, but their art installations continue to draw people into town, especially the new Open House (open sanctuary-like) exhibit and the main “Weight of the Sky” signature Lake Street painting display, that greets Gazebo visitors.
Regular art tours too will be held every Saturday throughout August and September, starting at 11 a.m. at the Farm Stand.
But Green Box is just one example of an early successful festival season.
America’s Mountain Festival and Donkey Derby Days
America’s Mountain Festival hit the jackpot again. This year’s festival featured many new free events for those who may not have wanted to participate in the various country music acts, with such additions as a western art show, huge vendor displays, a frontier kids’ zone and of course, the Clint Vahsholtz championship race car.
But for music fans, the crowds at the concert were engaging and quite friendly. They even welcomed yours truly, as I stood out as probably someone who was not a country music fan, with a Yes rock band hat and attire that was probably more inclined for a golf outing. No, not a big country music fan, but admit I was mesmerized by the performance of Jenna Paulette, who really gave you a feel for cowboy and cowgirl heritage.
And if you sought to hear some different music, you could stroll down to the Ute Lodge and catch a free acoustic performance by Matt Sheahan, who does stellar versions of many 60s songs and even Pink Floyd and Peter Gabriel tunes. Nothing like Matt’s version of Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” to round out the evening.
This is a quality of this year’s festival season somewhat absent in past years: More participation by area businesses, especially with the rise of niche bars and coffee shops in Woodland Park and opening of the new Tava House. The special events in town are starting to resemble more of a community celebration.
As noted by marketing director Mike Perini, “This event (America’s Music Festival) was created to bring people together, celebrate our mountain heritage and create an experience that benefits the entire community. We believe we accomplished that goal.”
As a result, many folks are looking forward to next year’s festival.
And when it comes to historic traditions, the earlier Donkey Derby Days celebration in Cripple Creek featured crowds of possibly close to 50,000. This event has grown dramatically over the last few years and is revamping its former status as the festival that defines Cripple Creek. The Two Mile High Club has really rallied behind this festival and given it a push that rivals Derby Days of the past. And that is a hard act to follow.
Victor too is gaining the same reputation of Manitou with its flair for zany events, only without Manitou’s parking hassles
More to Come
More festivals are slated in the next couple of weeks, including the Vino & Notes music and wine festival at Memorial Park. And in late August, the Salute to American Veterans Rally rolls into Cripple Creek and Teller County.
Sure, special events draw many emotional comments and pro and con opinions. With the region’s growing special event push, many contend that Woodland Park should take a more aggressive role in marketing, similar to what Cripple Creek does. This is one complaint, directed at the City Above Clouds, that I somewhat agree with.
And yes, special events often pose challenges regarding parking and noise. But for these special days, these are good problems to have.
If you haven’t partaken in Teller’s Summer of Fun, now is your final chance.
