Colorado Winter Celebrations 2013

Just about every Colorado mountain town has one. It's the celebration of all things, snow, slippery, cold and fun. Add some games, a parade here or there, a few turns on the slops and maybe a cocktail and the 'every night is a party' atmosphere that already exists in these towns picks it up a notch.

Breckenridge pays tribute to the Norse god of snow. Steamboat celebrates the combination of winter and western heritage. Aspen's WINTERSKÖL has a canine fashion show along with their festivities. What do they all have in common? Fun!

Here are the winter celebrations for the Colorado mountain towns in 2013.

ULLRFest - Breckenridge

January 06, 2013 - January 12, 2013 in Breckenridge

This annual, week-long homage to Ullr (pronounced Ooh-ler), the Norse god of snow, brings to Breckenridge a legendary Main Street parade along with live entertainment, the Ullr Dating Game, huge parties, Ullympics and a family ice skating party. It’s a week long  celebration for the whole family unlike any other festival anywhere on Earth!

Ouray Ice Festival

January 09, 2013 - January 13, 2013 in Ouray

The Ouray Ice Festival is the premier showcase for the world-class ice climbers and competitors. Climbing competitions, demonstrations, clinics, guided climbs, vendors and activites for spectators make this an incredibly unique festival. You can try climbing yourself, fly across the gorge on a zipline, or just watch.

WINTERSKÖL

Wintersköl, Aspen's annual "toast to winter," dates back to January in 1951 when Aspenites decided to celebrate Aspen's unique connection to winter and snow with an eclectic weekend of festivities.  Today the four day celebration features on-mountain activities, live music, a canine fashion show, WinterFest, fireworks and much more.

Estes Park Winter Festival

The Estes Park Winter Festival presents two days of chili, wine & beer tasting, live music, ice rink, ice bowling and an interactive Candy Land Ice Castle! It features wine and beer tastings from Colorado, a chili cook-off with local cooks and restaurants, local merchants displaying and selling their art, jewelry and so much more! Top it off with live music, featuring SHEL and some of the area's best bands; and you've got a  great way to keep warm while enjoying winter in beautiful Estes Park, Colorado!

Winter Park Winter Carnival

January 26, 2013 - January 27, 2013 in Winter Park

Weekend of fun events,contests starting Friday and continuing through Sunday evening. Event venues include Hideaway Park, downtown Winter Park, and Winter Park Resort.

Steamboat's 100th Annual Winter Carnival

February 6-10, 2013 in Steamboat Springs

This annual celebration includes a variety of events that embraces western heritage and highlight Steamboat's tradition of winter sports. The festivities include ski jumping competitions, the Diamond Hitch Parade which includes the High School band on skis, Street Events on Lincoln Avenue where kids are pulled behind horses on skis in a variety of events, and the Night Extravaganza at Howelsen Hill with a brilliant fireworks display and the famous Lighted Man.

Top 10 Winter Carnival in the World - National Geographic

Ski Joring and Crystal Carnival

March 1-3 2013 in Leadville

Ski Joring is a crazy sport, to watch and participate! Powerful horses pull skiers down the street, over jumps and other obstacles as they gather hoops. It's as dangerous as it is entertaning, and this one of a kind festival is perfectly suited to a one of a kind Colorado town.