Fall Festival and Harvest Season Adds Color to Colorado

DENVER, Aug. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The taste of a cold Colorado craft brew, the excitement of a perfect pumpkin and the sights of trees in all shades of gold against a mountain backdrop. Fall is the time of year to hit the road in Colorado and experience a variety of fun festivals and harvest celebrations. A sampling of events and packages can be found below. For a complete list of hot deals, visit www.hotdealscolorado.com.

Leaf Peeping and Outdoor Adventure:

• Autumn from the sky in Colorado Springs: September 4-6. The 34th Annual Colorado Balloon Classic will showcase mass ascensions with more than 100 balloons and a variety of concessions and entertainment. www.balloonclassic.com
• Films and fall leaves in Aspen: September 29-October 3. Aspen Filmfest provides leaf peeping by day and film watching by night featuring the most talked about independent films of the year. www.aspenfilm.org
• Hear the elk bugling in Estes Park: October 2-3. Elk Fest offers visitors a chance to view the changing colors of the leaves and elk in the wild during the rutting season, as well as expand their knowledge of these beautiful creatures. www.estesnet.com

Cool Views and Cooler Brews:

• Pedal the streets of Ft. Collins: September 4. Sponsored by New Belgium Brewing Company, Tour de Fat begins with a massive costumed bike parade. The parade is followed by beer, musical acts and bike themed festivities. www.newbelgium.com/tour-de-fat
• Beer samples galore in Denver:  September 16-18. This year the Great American Beer Festival welcomes more than 2,238 beers offering attendees the chance to sample some of the finest brews in the world and learn about all things beer. www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com
• Taste of the Alps in Breckenridge: September 17-19. Breckenridge's Oktoberfest includes a fun-filled weekend of fall foliage, great parties, Paulaner Bier, genuine German cuisine and collectable steins. www.gobreck.com

Harvest Festivals:

• Soak up Colorado's wine country in Palisade: September 16-19. Make the pilgrimage to Palisade to sample a growing array of Colorado wines and participate in a variety of events at the Colorado Mountain Winefest. www.coloradowinefest.com
• Get spicy in Pueblo: September 24-26. Head to Pueblo for the annual Chile and Frijoles Festival and learn about the area's agriculture, taste its renowned home-grown chilies and pinto beans and view the works of artisans. www.pueblochamber.org  
• Be amazed at Anderson Farms: September 25-Oct 31. Anderson Farms' Fall Festival embodies the fall harvest season with a pumpkin patch, hay rides and Colorado's largest corn maze. www.andersonfarms.com

SOURCE Colorado Tourism Office