Come summertime, ski resorts don’t quite have the same hustle and bustle as the winter. However, there are still a lot of great events that make ski resorts and ski towns a fun mountain getaway. Discover some of the best summer festivals and events happening in ski towns across North America.
Summer Festivals And Events In The Mountains
Aspen Music Festival, Aspen, Colorado
If you love classical music, then look no further than the world-famous Aspen Music Festival, which is as famous for its concert programming as it is for its music school that trains young musicians. More than 400 budding artists join trained professionals for a summer of music and skill building. Aspen Music Festival features over 400 public events from June to August, including orchestra concerts, chamber music performances, fully staged operas, lectures, and shows for kids. While prices vary based on event, tickets for some weekend performances start as low as $45.
Among the Aspen Music Festival’s most unique events is Aspen Music on the Mountain, taking place weekly during the summer. Students play chamber music atop Aspen Mountain to the backdrop of the Elk Mountain Range. A gondola ticket or strenuous hike is required, but the experience and views are worth it. Summer 2026 dates are: July 11, 18, and 25; August 1, 8, and 15.
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Targhee Bluegrass Festival, Grand Targhee, Wyoming
For more than 35 years Grand Targhee has been bringing blues, jam, and bluegrass bands to its iconic ski resort for a long weekend of great music for the Targhee Bluegrass Festival. Festival-goers can enjoy three days of music featuring new artists and returning all-stars in early August. Three-day passes start at $309. After a day of fun in the sun, settle into the nearby festival-designated campground and gaze up at the stars. The 2026 Targhee Bluegrass Festival lineup includes headliners Sierra Ferrell, Jesse Welles, and Railroad Earth, among many other fantastic acts.
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Vail Dance Festival, Vail, Colorado
Vail Dance Festival began in 1989 and has since built a reputation as one of the finest dance events in the country. During the two-week, mid-summer festival, the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater and Vail Valley welcome several talented acts, including Alonzo LINES Ballet of San Francisco, the Colorado Ballet, the Paul Taylor Dance Company, the Festival debut of A.I.M by Kyle Abraham, and appearances from the New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Royal Danish Ballet, Philadelphia Ballet, and more. Tickets can generally be purchased for as little as $20.
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Sun Valley on Ice, Sun Valley, Idaho
Although the snow is gone come summer, Sun Valley’s winter theme continues with Sun Valley on Ice, a summer staple at America’s original destination ski resort on select evenings during July, August, and September. Shows feature award-winning skaters and the very talented Sun Valley on Ice cast. Get close to the ice with grandstand seating or relax and enjoy the uniqueness of the terrace’s premier seating, which comes with a buffet and bar service. Although the complete lineup hasn’t been announced yet, information can be found on Sun Valley’s website.
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Snoqualmie Days, Snoqualmie, Washington
Snoqualmie Days (formerly known as Snoqualmie Railroad Days), happening in late August, has been an annual summer festival at Snoqualmie since volunteer firefighters began organizing it in 1939 to celebrate the arrival of the town’s first fire truck. Today, the Northwest Railway Museum’s passenger rail program operates on the same rail line that brought the first regional tourists to the Falls on July 4, 1889. Events include a grand parade, Fields of Fun for kids, a music crawl, train rides, a fireman pancake breakfast, and more. This year’s event happens August 22 and 23.
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Deer Valley Music Festival, Park City, Utah
Summer at Deer Valley is filled by the sounds of the Utah Symphony. Every July and August, the orchestra, filled with accomplished, award-winning performers, trades in its home at Salt Lake City’s Abravanel Hall for venues around Park City, including the premier venue—an outdoor stage outside Deer Valley’s Snow Park Lodge. Show offerings range from classic orchestra repertoire, like Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, to orchestra spins on contemporary works, like a concert dedicated to the music of Celine Dion. Tickets often begin at $40.
Tremblant International Blues Festival, Tremblant, Quebec, Canada
Tremblant International Blues Festival isn’t just one of the best summer ski resort events, but one of the best and largest music events in all of Canada. Blues music is everywhere at the Tremblant International Blues Festival, from the historic cobblestone streets to wilderness stages and much more. More than 100 free shows, street music, and family activities take over Tremblant from July 8-12, 2026, making this an extraordinary celebration of blues music.
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Canada Day, Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia, Canada
There are so many great places to celebrate Canada Day (July 1). However, few ski resort villages can compare to the vibe and atmosphere of Olympic Plaza in Whistler. Canada Day in Whistler includes a parade through the main village, a free outdoor concert, and mini-events, including art demos, yoga, music performances, and a First Nations welcome and drum circle. Turn it into a getaway over several days, as Whistler offers so much during the summer.
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4848 Festival, Snowshoe, West Virginia
They call the 4848 Festival a festivacation, which is fitting for this fun-filled event at Snowshoe. The 3-day mid-July event features craft beer, plenty of food, lake activities, scenic lift rides, and live music from popular bluegrass and country music performers. A 3-day adult general admission ticket runs in the $300 range and includes access to all music, the 4848 mountaintop village experience, Shavers Lake beach, and activities including paddle boarding, kayaking, scenic lift rides, euro bungee, a climbing wall, and more. Pair your festival ticket with lodging for the best rates. This year’s headliners are Greensky Bluegrass, The Revivalists, and STS9.
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Arts Jubilee, Cranmore, New Hampshire
The annual Arts Jubilee is a five-concert series spread throughout the summer at Cranmore Mountain Resort in North Conway. The series began in 1983 with a mission of bringing world-class music to the valley, and it does just that. Bring your family and spread out your blankets at the base of the North Slope to enjoy the shows in this relaxing outdoor setting. Tickets at the gate are $20. Make a weekend of it by enjoying Cranmore’s Adventure Park. Kids 12 and under can attend for free.
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Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, Telluride, Colorado
Telluride Blues & Brews is a multi-stage eclectic mix of blues, indie, funk, rock, jam band, gospel, and soul music that takes over Telluride at the end of every summer, with the 2026 event scheduled for September 18-20. Music is just half of it, though, with the festival featuring excellent craft breweries from all over the country. The Brewers Showcase features events spanning the festival weekend, including tasting sessions with several breweries pouring unlimited samples for attendees. Events for kids, late-night club shows, morning yoga, and plenty of food and craft vendors all combine to make this a very special three-day event each September. Three-day passes begin at $330.
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Fourth of July Celebrations
Let’s not forget the Fourth of July celebrations, as there are a lot of them happening at ski resorts across North America. Below are a few to check out.
Mammoth Mountain, California, cranks up the celebration early with a pancake breakfast, followed by the Footloose Freedom Mile run, a parade on Old Main Street, a pops concert, an art show, and a gorgeous fire display at Crowley Lake.
Vermont is the place to be in New England for fun mountain town events over the Fourth of July weekend. Stratton hosts tons of live music, a laser and fireworks show, and lodging specials. Stowe’s Fourth of July celebrations are listed as some of the best by Fodor’s. Stowe’s celebrations include parades in the hamlet of Moscow and Stowe Village, an old-fashioned village festival, the world’s shortest marathon run, and a fireworks show in the Mayo Event Fields.
We’d be remiss not to mention the Midwest. Harbor Springs, where you’ll find Boyne Mountain, has a big day lined up with the Paul Revere 5k and 10-mile runs, Art in the Park, Main Street Parade, and Fireworks at dusk over the harbor.
Header image ©Aspen Music Festival And School/Elle Logan
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.onthesnow.com ’
