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By Trigg Skoe

Ouray Ice Festival, Ouray

January 24th to 27th, 2019

In a small canyon in the town of Ouray, three days are filled wall-to-wall with ice climbing enthusiasts and fans alike. From beginners to professionals, watching those brave enough to scale these massive ice formations will take your breath away. At the festival, vendors exhibit daily and hold clinics, so attendees can not only check out the latest gear from leading outdoor retailers they can also try it out. At night, the climbing is lit up (truly, like under lights), movies and music play, and spontaneous dance parties break out. This event is free and open to the public during the day, while some night activities require a ticket. After taking the long trek to this fest, you should also stop off at some of the Ouray hot springs.

Winter Wondergrass, Steamboat Springs

February 22nd to 24th, 2019

If you are into bluegrass, the experience of Steamboat’s Winter Wondergrass simply can’t be found anywhere else. In this iconic mountain town Winter Wondergrass blows up the base of the mountain with indoor stages in huge decorated heated tents, an outside main stage, a kids’ zone, a VIP lounge, and a massive collection of food trucks and cocktail bars. This festival brings together the best in bluegrass, jamgrass, and roots music and aims to create an authentic community for the adventurous spirit. The Winter Wondergrass tickets range from $99 to a full on VIP experience for $499 (though  kids under 12 are free). Come partake in this amazing community and fun festival — that also values the opportunity to teach about responsibility, love, and community. Each year, Winter Wondergrass gives back $100,000 to local environment groups, youth education and global humanitarian causes. Plus, you can avoid I-70 and go via Wyoming or the Poudre Canyon!

Frozen Dead Guy Days, Nederland

March 8th to 10th, 2019

Yep, you read that right. This festival celebrates a frozen dead guy.  Needless to say, this is one of the most unusual festivals in the world. This is its 18th year of celebrating a frozen dead guy, hence the festival name: Frozen Dead Guy Days. Bredo Morstoel is the man who makes this all possible as his body was frozen after his death in 1989 in hopes he could be brought back to life when technology advanced. Bredo was a Norwegian man who lived happily there all his life and directed the parks and recreation department in Bærum County for more than 30 years. After being transported around from Norway to California, Bredo ended up in Nederland, Colorado with his son taking care of his body, then his daughter, and finally the city of Nederland took over. The Frozen Dead Guy Festival is one that celebrates life with thousands of people joining Bredo’s corpse every year. The events consist of coffin races, some great music (especially at the Blue Ball on Saturday), a polar plunge, a parade of hearses, a frozen salmon toss and a lot more. Join the frozen dead guy Bredo. And if you really want to bring it — dress up as the Ice Queen and Grandpa for a chance to win the costume contest.