Colorado has a variety of winter festivals that feature everything from ice carving and climbing to bonfires, parades, and much more.

Here are ten winter festivals sure to offer plenty of cold weather fun:

1. Cripple Creek Ice Festival

Feb. 15-23, 2025

This ice festival will include head-to-head carving challenges on Saturdays at 12 p.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3 p.m. Carvers will compete in a stadium setting for a $1,000 cash prize each weekend. The festival will also include activities and vendors.

2. Ullr Fest

Dec. 12-14, 2024

Festival-goers will praise Ullr (the Norse god of snow) in hopes of powder-filled ski season. Ullr Fest will include a parade, bonfire, helmet decorating party, and an attempt to break the Breckenridge Distillery Shotski “unofficial” world record.

3. Ouray Ice Festival

Jan. 23-26, 2025

Ouray is transformed into an “ice climbing mecca with people from around the world gathering to celebrate the sport of ice climbing” for this ice festival. The festival features climbing clinics, vendors, presentations, movies, and a huge dance party.

4. Steamboat Springs Winter Carnival

Feb. 5-9, 2025

The Steamboat Springs Winter Carnival will return for its 112th year. First established in 1914, it was a way to forget the hardships of winter. Today, the carnival celebrates athleticism and winter, with events including cross-country races, ski and snowboard races, nightly entertainment, and more.

5. Frozen Dead Guy Days

March 14-16, 2025

Held in honor of cryogenically frozen Bredo Morstel, Frozen Dead Guy Days consists of “three days of frigidly fun happenings spread across Estes Park.” The festival includes unique events such as coffin races, a slow-motion parade, and decorated hearses. There will also be classic winter events like a polar plunge and skiing and snowboarding demonstrations.

6. Winter WonderGrass Festival

Feb. 28 – March 2, 2025

This grassroots mountainside gathering celebrates bluegrass music and Colorado craft beer. The festival will include over 20 Colorado craft breweries with complimentary beer tasting from 2-4 p.m. and more than 25 bands throughout the three-day event.

7. International Snow Sculpture Championships

Jan. 20-29, 2025

Teams from around the world come to Breckenridge to carve 25-ton blocks of snow into sculptures for this event. Sculpting week is Jan. 20-24, 2025 and viewing week is Jan. 24-29.

8. Snowdown

Jan. 24 – Feb. 2, 2025

Located in Durango, this festival has a unique theme each year. Guests dress up in costumes that reflect the theme to celebrate the Snowdown. The 2025 theme is “The Board Game Edition: It’s Your Move.” Snowdown features a light parade, chili cook-off, Bloody Mary contest, and more.

9. Rio Frio Ice Fest

Jan. 24-26, 2025

Alamosa’s ice festival features the Rio Frio 5K on Ice, which is run on the frozen Rio Grande. The festival also includes some classic winter activities like ice sculpture carving, a polar plunge, and some ice skating.

10. Winterskol

Dec. 12-15, 2024

This Aspen festival showcases on-mountain activities, snow sculptures, a soup contest, a craft beer festival, a torchlight descent, and fireworks on Aspen Mountain.