Events & What’s Happening
One of the largest fiber arts festivals in the Rocky Mountain region, featuring alpacas, llamas, sheep, and artisan fiber vendors at the Fairgrounds.
💡Kids love meeting the alpacas and llamas up close — bring a few dollars for animal feed and arrive early on Saturday for the best crowd-free animal time.
A summer-long classical music festival presenting professional orchestra concerts and chamber music performances, many held at the historic Park Village Playhouse.
💡The outdoor and informal venues make this surprisingly toddler-tolerant; check the schedule for free community concerts held in Bond Park.
One of Colorado's oldest rodeos held at the Estes Park Fairgrounds, featuring bull riding, barrel racing, and calf roping at over 7,500 feet elevation — billed as the 'world's highest outdoor rodeo.'
💡Seats fill fast so arrive 30 minutes early; the kids' mutton bustin' event early in the show is a highlight for young children.
An outdoor craft beer festival held in downtown Estes Park featuring Colorado breweries, live music, and food vendors along the scenic Fall River corridor.
💡Families are welcome and non-alcoholic options and food trucks are available; the riverside setting makes it easy to let kids explore the river walk while adults sample beers.
A four-day festival celebrating Celtic heritage with Highland athletic games, pipe bands, border collie demonstrations, Irish dance, and clan gatherings at the Estes Park Fairgrounds.
💡The border collie sheepherding demos and the kids' area with Celtic games are free with admission and deeply engaging for school-age children.
A free family festival in Bond Park celebrating the famous fall elk rut, with bugling demonstrations, elk calling contests, wildlife presentations, and artisan vendors.
💡Combine Elk Fest with an early morning drive through Moraine Park in Rocky Mountain National Park to see and hear wild elk bugling — a truly unforgettable experience for kids.
A beloved nighttime holiday parade through downtown Estes Park featuring illuminated floats, marching bands, and a visit from Santa Claus to kick off the holiday season.
💡Dress in serious layers — temperatures drop sharply after sunset at this elevation — and stake out a spot on Elkhorn Avenue at least 30 minutes before the parade starts.
Weekly free story time for young children at the Estes Valley Public Library, featuring read-alouds, songs, and simple craft activities geared toward ages 2–6.
💡A perfect rainy or smoky-sky day activity; arrive a few minutes early to get a good spot on the rug and let kids browse the children's section afterward.
Weekly outdoor market in Bond Park featuring local produce, handmade crafts, baked goods, and Colorado food artisans with views of the mountains.
💡Come before 10am for the best selection and a quieter atmosphere — kids enjoy the baked goods vendors and the adjacent playground in Bond Park.
Free outdoor concerts held in Bond Park on Sunday afternoons throughout the summer, featuring a variety of local and regional musical acts in a family-friendly mountain setting.
💡Bring a blanket and picnic lunch from a nearby deli; kids can roam the grassy park area safely while the whole family enjoys live music.
Weekend ranger-led nature programs for families at various locations within Rocky Mountain National Park, covering wildlife, geology, and ecology with hands-on activities for children.
💡Pick up a free Junior Ranger booklet at the visitor center and have kids complete activities throughout the day to earn an official Junior Ranger badge by end of visit.
Planning Your Visit
Neighborhoods & Areas
Local Tips for Families
- 💡Rocky Mountain National Park requires timed entry permits from late May through mid-October — book yours on recreation.gov the day tickets release at 8am MT, exactly 30 days in advance, as the Bear Lake corridor permits sell out within minutes on peak dates.
- 💡The elk herd that lives in town grazes on the lawn in front of the Estes Park Visitor Center on MacGregor Avenue nearly every evening from late August through October — park at the Visitor Center lot around 6pm for guaranteed close-up sightings without entering RMNP.
- 💡Sprague Lake inside RMNP has a fully paved, fully flat half-mile loop around the lake that works for strollers and wheelchairs — it is the single most accessible trail in the park and offers stunning reflections of Hallett Peak, best photographed in the first hour after sunrise.
- 💡The free RMNP Bear Lake Road shuttle runs from the Glacier Basin Park & Ride on Bear Lake Road from late May to mid-October — parking at the lot is free and the shuttle eliminates the impossible parking situation at Bear Lake trailhead in July and August.
- 💡Estes Park's Safeway on East Elkhorn Avenue is the primary grocery store and significantly cheaper than any restaurant for breakfast and lunch supplies — stocking a cooler at Safeway for trail lunches can save a family of four $40-60 per day compared to Elkhorn Avenue café prices.
- 💡Moraine Park Discovery Center, located inside RMNP near the campground, offers free 20-minute Junior Ranger programs for kids throughout summer — pick up a Junior Ranger booklet at any RMNP visitor center and kids receive an official badge upon completion, which costs nothing beyond park entry.
- 💡Trail Ridge Road, which crosses the Continental Divide at 12,183 feet, typically opens Memorial Day weekend — drive to the Alpine Visitor Center at Fall River Pass (11,796 feet) early in the morning before afternoon thunderstorms develop and before the parking lot fills, typically by 10am in peak season.
- 💡Hi Country Stables inside RMNP at the Moraine Park and Glacier Creek corrals offers one-hour and two-hour guided horseback rides through the park with no prior riding experience required — book online weeks ahead as summer slots fill by early June.
- 💡The Estes Park Aerial Tramway on Prospect Mountain operates from late May through early September and lifts riders 1,400 vertical feet in about 4 minutes to views of Longs Peak and the entire valley — children under 5 ride free and it avoids any actual hiking for families with very young kids.
- 💡Downtown Estes Park holds its free Catch the Glow winter parade on the Friday after Thanksgiving on Elkhorn Avenue, the official kickoff to the holiday season, with the Stanley Hotel and downtown shops illuminated — the event is free and significantly less crowded than summer visits while still being fully family-accessible.