"Summer Starts Sooner" this Memorial Day with Early Openings, Live Outdoor Music + Special Events Kicking off the Summer Season

Aside from a handful of spring snowstorms, it’s felt like patio-sitting summertime for longer than usual this spring, thanks to a relatively dry, warm winter. Early-season trails have been hike and bike ready since March, the sun has been shining, aspens are already budding, and wildflowers are even starting to pop. So it definitely feels like TIME to kick off summer here in the mountains!

Grand County summers are as good as it gets: from exploring the three lakes region and soaking in the old-school charm of Grand Lake’s boardwalk, to hopping on hundreds of miles of singletrack, catching live outdoor music, golfing our world-class courses, relaxing on a sunny patio, camping, rodeos, and more: sweet summertime here in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado is the season we all look forward to. And this year, we're getting a jump start on summer, kicking the season off on an earlier-than-usual Memorial Day weekend full of summer vibes that rolls right into a fun-filled, event-packed June. 

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

COW PIE BINGO

One of my favorite events of Memorial Day weekend is Cow Pie Bingo, a fun and outside-the-box annual fundraiser hosted by the Fraser Valley Elementary School Parent Advisory Committee. The quirky event is fitting for a town whose unofficial slogan is "Keep Fraser Funky." Here’s how it works: a giant 1,000-square bingo grid is painted on the arena, and guests can purchase squares for $20 each, 3 for $50, or 6 for $100. Each square is randomly assigned a number. After 1 pm, three cows are released into the arena, and the game is on! Wherever the first “patty” lands wins the Grand Champion prize of $1,000, the second wins $750, and the third takes home $500. With only 1,000 squares available (sold out last year), I'd recommend grabbing your squares early. And if you can't make it day-of, no worries! You don't have to be present to win. You can purchase your tickets here. 

Held at the High Country Stampede Rodeo grounds on Saturday, May 23 from 11am-5pm, the fun-for-all-ages event offers free admission with access to bounce houses, a photo booth, live animals, and more. There will be plenty of food, drinks, and treats like ice cream from Charlie's Frozen Treat Shop available for purchase. They'll even have some extra (back by popular demand) fundraiser games like Chicken Plop and Cow Pull. It’s a fun way to spend the day while supporting our community and schools! And when you finish up at the Cow Pie Bingo, head over to Rendezvous Event Center for the Summer Starts Sooner concert event!

SUMMER STARTS SOONER 

The Winter Park & Fraser Chamber of Commerce is embracing summer arriving ahead of schedule this year! With the warmer weather already settling in, they called an audible and are kicking off the season early with a free live concert at the Rendezvous Event Center in downtown Winter Park, appropriately dubbed Summer Starts Sooner. So grab a (provided) chair and enjoy the show on Saturday, May 23, from 4:30–8 pm. Mat Kearney will headline the evening with his blend of folk-pop, acoustic rock, and light hip-hop influences. He’ll be joined by local-favorite, Denver-based Rob Drabkin, best known for his hit “It’s a Beautiful Day." If you haven’t heard it before, I'd recommend giving it a listen. It’s hard not to sing along!

And just to add to the fun, the event will also feature family-friendly activities like a mechanical bull, bounce houses, and lawn games. Best of all, it’s completely free. No tickets needed. Just show up, enjoy the music, and kick off summer in the best possible way!

WINTER PARK RESORT SUMMER OPENING DAY

The Summer Starts Sooner event also happens to line up perfectly with opening day at Winter Park Resort! On Saturday, May 23, Trestle Bike Park officially opens for the season, and they’re celebrating with a summer kickoff bike sale at Trestle Bike Shop from 10am–4pm. Shop professionally serviced 2024 and 2025 demo bikes that are fully dialed and ready to hit the trails. Even better, every bike purchase comes with a season pass included, plus 10% off the listed price.

The resort is also opening its summer base activities and scenic gondola rides on May 23, with the newly renovated alpine slide as a highlight! Summer operations will run throughout Memorial Day weekend before shifting to weekends only until they shift to daily operations on June 19.

Compared to last year’s June 13 opening, that means we’re getting nearly an extra month of summer fun at Winter Park Resort this year!

GRAND LAKE MEMORIAL DAY PARADE

The Grand Lake Memorial Day Parade takes place on Memorial Day: Monday, May 25 at 10am. It's a classic small-town mountain event, with veterans, community groups, horses, service organizations, flags, and plenty of locals and visitors lining Main Street along Grand Lake boardwalk to watch. After the parade, the community gathers in Town Park for a memorial ceremony honoring those who served. Really getting to the heart of Memorial Day and its purpose, the Grand Lake parade goes beyond a simple kick off to summer and seeks to truly remember those who gave their lives for our country.


MORE MAY HAPPENINGS

GET YOUR GOLF ON!

It's officially golfing season as courses open up this spring! Tee up at one of our four world-class courses with unparalleled scenery: Pole Creek Golf Club, Golf Granby Ranch, Grand Elk, and Grand Lake Golf Course. All open to the public and all within 25 miles of each other, you can even play two different courses in a single day if you're feeling ambitious! Courses opened up early this year, with Grand Elk kicking the season off on April 29, and Granby Ranch and Grand Lake Golf Course opening on May 1. Pole Creek is set to open in May, with the date yet to be determined! 

GRANBY RANCH BIKE PARK OPENING DAY + BIG MOUNTAIN ENDURO

Granby Ranch’s lifts start turning for summer on Wednesday, May 27, and their downhill bike park has quickly become a favorite for mountain biking enthusiasts. A little more low-key than Trestle with shorter lift lines and a smaller base area, the riding still packs a punch, especially for intermediate and advanced riders. That said, it’s not just for downhill riders. Granby Ranch also offers a huge network of cross-country trails at a variety of ability levels, so you can easily hit the trails without ever hopping on a lift. To kick off the season, Granby Ranch will also be hosting the Big Mountain Enduro event May 28–31, bringing some fun energy to the start of summer riding season. Fun fact: homeowners in the Granby Ranch neighborhood get complimentary bike park passes. Check out a full list of homeowner benefits here. 

FRASER BIKE PARK GRAND OPENING

If you haven't checked out the new Fraser Bike Park, I'd highly recommend it! An incredible addition to our community, the new bike park is a key piece of Fraser's newly adopted Comprehensive Plan, Fraser Forward. Following a soft opening in the fall, the Town of Fraser is kicking off summer with the official grand opening on Saturday, May 30. The all-day event starts with a ribbon cutting at 9:00 am and rolls into a full lineup of activities for riders of all ages and abilities. From open clinics and skills sessions to jump line demos, a kids bike parade, and food trucks, there’s something for everyone. Local pros from Shred BMX will come out for the opening, along with bike maintenance clinics hosted by Ice Box Mountain Sports. In between sessions, riders can enjoy open riding the park, plus food, drinks, live broadcasting from KFFR, and plenty of Fraser swag giveaways. Whether you’re there to ride, learn, or just soak in the energy, it’s sure to be a fun, community-focused way to celebrate the start of mountain biking season!


JUNE: LIVE MUSIC, RODEOS, THEATRE + SPECIAL EVENTS

FREE OUTDOOR SUMMER CONCERTS

Live outdoor music is a hallmark of our mountain summers, and you can find free weekly shows from Winter Park to Grand Lake all summer long. Almost all of them kick off in June: 

GRANBY RODEO

Bust out your western wear for the Granby Rodeo at Flying Heels Arena! They kick off their summer rodeo series on Saturday, June 6, with rodeos running most Saturdays throughout the summer. They'll have special guests like the Shockwave Trick Riders and the Westernaires as well as fun events like motorcycle barrel racing throughout the summer. Their big Independence Day weekend celebration includes rodeos and fireworks July 3–5. 

The junior rodeo starts at 1pm and the open rodeo at 7pm. You can buy tickets at the gate (adults: $20/kids 6-12: $15, kids under 6: free, seniors: $10, military: free with ID) for non-holiday events. And parking is always free! If you haven't checked out one of our local rodeos, June is your chance to get in on the small-town, authentic western fun at Granby Rodeo!

ROCKY MOUNTAIN REPERTORY THEATRE 

The longer, warmer days bring theater season in Grand Lake! Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre, dubbed "Colorado's Premier Summer Musical Company" by The Denver Post, starts its summer performances in June. Shrek the Musical's opening day is June 5, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels the Musical starts June 19. Get your tickets online in advance, grab dinner at one of Grand Lake's incredible dining options, and enjoy the show!

BLUES FROM THE TOP

A staple Winter Park summer event, the 24th Annual Blues from the Top Music Festival will be held at Rendezvous Event Center in downtown Winter Park June 26-28. Grand County Blues Society is really packing in the fun for the beloved event that kicks off our music festivals for the summer.  Headliners like Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jimmie Vaughn and the Tilt-a-Whirl Band, Los Lobos, and the Wood Brothers will take the stage this year. This year, you can enjoy two stages of music: main stage and the Side Stage in the "Electric Avenue" vender village. Be sure to get your tickets in advance for this 3-day event right in the heart of Winter Park!


HOPE TO SEE YOU OUT THERE!

Summer in Grand County is my favorite: from laid-back, sun-soaked days to jam-packed adventure, I try take advantage of it all. I'm hopeful you can find time to enjoy the mountains this beautiful time of year! I'll for sure be out and about as summer kicks off a little earlier this year, and I'd love to bump into you around town. If the mountain life is calling you home this summer, let's connect! I can't wait to learn more about your mountain-living dream and answer any questions you have about real estate here in Grand County!

Posted by Leah Bishop on

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