From sandhill crane migrations to Frozen Dead Guys Days, here’s your guide to can’t-miss events across Colorado through early April

By the Thirst Team

Welcome to our roundup of the best events across Colorado for the next couple of weeks. Check out our March performing arts preview here, and read on for festivals, sporting contests and other happenings. For more, check out our events calendar.

Crane Days in Orchard City Thursday to Sunday

Celebrate the migration of greater sandhill cranes through Delta County this weekend. Eckert Crane Days is a wildlife festival that includes guided viewing, educational presentations and other events in and around Fruitgrowers Reservoir, near Orchard City.

Outdoor winter art sale opens Friday

Each summer, Plein Air@Altitude brings dozens of juried artists to Winter Park to paint outdoors and create original artworks during the week leading up to Labor Day weekend. The first winter edition is taking place this week, and Gravity Haus hosts a gallery March 20 to 30.

Femme Backcountry Festival in Salida Friday to Sunday

The Venture Out Backcountry Festival is a weekend celebrating women in the backcountry. Events around Salida include tours, scavenger hunts, relay races, educational workshops and campfire meetups. The festival welcomes femme, transgender and gender non-conforming people who are comfortable in femme-centered spaces.

Winter Luau in Edgewater Saturday

Joyride Brewing hosts its fifth annual winter luau from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. The party on both brewery floors includes tropical vibes, tiki-inspired beers, Hawaiian music, an oyster bar and tiki mugs.

Women’s expo coming March 26

The SuperiHER Women in Business Conference & Expo will bring prominent speakers and business leaders to the Omni Interlocken Hotel in Broomfield for a full day on Thursday, March 26.

Freedom concert coming to Denver March 27-28

The Denver Gay Men’s Chorus will present “The Pursuit of Happiness: Warding The Freedoms of America,” a concert celebrating the advancements of the LGBTQIA+ community over the last 250 years. The concert on March 27 and 28 at the Elaine Wolf Theatre in Denver will honor trailblazers like James Baldwin, Bayard Rustin, Harvey Milk and Julian Rush.

Celtic festival in Durango March 27-28

Live Celtic music and dance return to the Community Concert Hall at Durango’s Fort Lewis College. Saturday’s headliner is Runa, a Celtic-American supergroup celebrating 14 years together as a band. Acclaimed Nova Scotian sisters Cassie & Maggie headline Friday. The festival also includes Ireland’s Caroline & Tom, Durango’s own Bowmaneers, Forest Thump and Kitchen Jam Band, as well as workshops, dancing and late-night jam sessions.

Frozen Dead Guys Days returns to Estes March 28

The annual celebration of Boulder County’s famous frozen dead guy, Grandpa Bredo, returns to its new home in Estes Park on Saturday, March 28. This year’s edition includes concerts by Andy Frasco & The U.N., Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and Gasoline Lollipops. Other events through the weekend include coffin races, a polar plunge, the frostbite fashion show and the Bands and Bloodys Sunday Brunch.

Food and drink festival in Boulder March 29

The Taste of Pearl is a downtown Boulder event showcasing art, food and drinks. Attendees can wander through galleries and boutiques while tasting libations and bites from Boulder restaurants and Colorado beverage crafters. The event runs from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 29, with early entry for VIP ticketholders and an afterparty at the Velvet Elk Lounge.

Collaboration Fest returns to Westminster April 4

Colorado has plenty of beer festivals, but only one that is all about community and exclusive brews. More than 160 breweries worked together on beers, most of which will only be poured at CollabFest. Put creative brewers together and you get everything from a Watergate Salad Dessert Sour (New Terrain and Seedstock) to a Veggie Casserole Pale Ale (Grossen Bart and Mountain Merman).

Easter with alpacas in Franktown April 4-5

Kids can hunt for Easter eggs in a private pasture at Crazy Hair Alpacas in Franktown. Eggs are stuffed with small toys, stickers, chewy candy and chocolate. The farm is open Saturday, April 4, and Sunday, April 5, from 9 a.m. to 4:20 p.m., with appointments available every 20 minutes. Cost is $40 for a family with one child, and $10 for each additional child. A ranch store also is open, with both locally crafted and imported alpaca products.

Save the Date: Colorado Wine Walk April 26

The Colorado Wine Walk series returns to the Dairy Block in downtown Denver on Sunday, April 26. Blanchard Family Wines hosts winemakers from across Colorado sampling and showcasing their products. Tickets include unlimited wine samples, a commemorative glass, discounted purchases, live music and the opportunity to chat with winemakers and winery owners.

As always, please send us your events and announcements. We’re happy to share them. If they don’t fit in this events roundup, we will add them to our events calendar.