As we close in on the end of 2024, it’s time to start dreaming up a getaway to southern Colorado at Royal Gorge Cabins to coincide with one of the fabulous Cañon City festivals that take place each year!
From the famous Music & Blossom Festival to county-fair revelry and a harvest celebration at our very own local winery, there’s plenty on the calendar to entice you this upcoming year, and you won’t find better Colorado vacation rentals for enjoying it all than Royal Gorge Cabins.
Some Local Cañon City Festivals to Take in This Year on a Royal Gorge Cabins Getaway
Here’s a look at some of the signature Cañon City festivals that help define the year here in the Colorado Banana Belt!
The Cañon City Music & Blossom Festival
The centerpiece of the Cañon City events calendar, the Music & Blossom Festival has been a beloved tradition going way back to the late 1800s, when “Fruit Day” became a well-attended soiree. By the turn of the last century, what had been a harvest-time festival turned into a May Day celebration marking the start of the planting season. The gathering officially became known as the Blossom Day Celebration in 1913.
Today’s multiday festival, which takes place the first weekend in May (April 30th – May 4th this year), now encompasses a slew of varied events, among them the Blossom Parade, which steps off on Main Street between 3rd and 14th streets. The Cañon City Music & Blossom Festival also features the Blossom 5k along the Riverwalk Trail and the biggest community-run school music competition in Colorado.
The Royal Gorge Whitewater Festival
Given that Cañon City is the gateway to some of the best river-running in Colorado, it’s really no surprise the city has its own whitewater festival! The 15th annual Royal Gorge Whitewater Festival takes place in Centennial Park during the 3rd or 4th Friday and Saturday of July and will feature, per usual, a slew of on- and off-the-water delights. Whitewater activities include numerous raft, kayak, duckie, and SUP races, a surfing competition, a SUP parade, demos on the Centennial Park play wave, and a build-your-own boat contest.
Throw in mountain biking, trail running, food trucks, beer, and plenty of live music, and you’ve got a guaranteed good time in the heart of summer at the Royal Gorge Whitewater Festival!
The Annual Harvest Festival at The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey
A nice counterpoint to the Blossom Festival on the fall side of the calendar, The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey’s Harvest Festival takes place in September on the winery’s historic monastery grounds.
Taste some of this fantastic Cañon City wine—including the limited-release Harvest Festival Riesling—and also savor a bevy of food, from wood-fired pizzas and roasted chilies to local produce and cheeses. The Harvest Festival features arts-and-crafts vendors and live music, to boot.
The Fremont County Fair & Rodeo
From July 26th through Aug 2nd, all manner of classic fair fun will be going down in Florence, Colorado’s Pathfinder Regional Park & Fairgrounds, just a hop, skip, and a jump from Royal Gorge Cabins at the Fremont County Fair & Rodeo.
Enjoy rodeo action on both fair weekends as well as FFA and 4-H showcases, concerts, the Fremont County Car Show Off & Cruise, food trucks, and other fun. There’s no cost for general admission!
Where is the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Colorado?
For several years in the 2010s, Cañon City hosted its very own balloon festival: the Cañon City Balloon Classic. This popular but challenging-to-operate event ended in 2018.
However, Colorado hosts other yearly hot-air balloon extravaganzas, not least the Colorado Springs Labor Day Lift-Off (formerly the Colorado Balloon Classic), the biggest of its kind in the region, which takes place each Labor Day weekend. Given the festival grounds alongside Prospect Lake lie only about an hour away from Cañon City, your cabin or glamping tent with us makes a great springboard for enjoying this grand spectacle!
Plan Ahead to Lock Down Your Accommodations for Cañon City Festivals in 2025
The Cañon City area plays host to some of the best-loved festivals in Colorado, and many of them fall during the busy summer vacation season when our little town swells with whitewater rafters and other visitors. A number of the Cañon City events 2025 brings, the Music & Blossom Festival a case in point, will likely see accommodations here fill up, so it’s a good idea to plan well in advance and make your reservations early.
Stay in style at Royal Gorge Cabins! Experience the finest lodging in Canon City, featuring breathtaking views and prime central locations. Reserve your stay with us now.
