Gypsum Daze, the hometown summer weekend in Gypsum, Colorado
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Gypsum's year, on one page

A hometown weekend that has run for three decades, a free festival of Latin American culture, motocross race days, and a real small-town holiday season. KDVR called Gypsum one of Colorado's best mountain towns with a twist. The twist is that it still throws parties for itself, not for tourists.

The Gypsum Daze parade and concert weekend
Every July

Gypsum Daze

The anchor of the whole calendar, more than 30 years running. The parade rolls down Valley Road, the 5K is a 32-year tradition, and the weekend packs in a classic car show, a jalapeno eating contest, a youth talent show, food trucks, and a carnival where about ten bucks buys an unlimited-ride wristband. It all builds to a headline country concert by the golf course. Past stages have held Diamond Rio and Scotty McCreery; 2026 brought Chris Janson and Mackenzie Carpenter.

30+
Years running
32
Years of the 5K
$10
Carnival wristband
Dates & details at townofgypsum.com
Summer

June through August

Jun
-

High Country Opens

Gypsum Creek & Coffee Pot Rd · Snow leaves the upper roads: LEDE Reservoir camping, alpine fishing, and the long moto loops come back online.

Jul
4

Independence Day Celebration

In town · Gypsum's own Fourth of July, separate from Gypsum Daze. Two hometown parties in one month.

Jul

Gypsum Daze

Town-wide · The hometown weekend: parade, 5K, car show, carnival, and a headline country concert. Details →

Sum
-

Down Valley Get Down

Gypsum · The town's summer concert series. Live music, lawn chairs, and long light. Check the town calendar for this season's lineup.

Sum
-

Dry Lake Motocross Days

Dry Lake Motocross Park · Practice days and race weekends on 160 town-owned acres of moto dirt.

Aug
-

National Night Out

In town · The community-and-first-responders block party that small towns do right.

Every September

Fiesta Americas

A free, family-friendly celebration of Latin American culture: live music, food, and performances that fill the town each September. In a community where most residents are Hispanic, this isn't a themed event, it's Gypsum being itself. If you only make it to two Gypsum weekends a year, make it Gypsum Daze and this one.

Fall

September through November

Sep

Fiesta Americas

In town · Free music, food, and performances celebrating Latin American culture. One of the valley's most authentic community days.

Oct
-

Gyptober Fall Fest

In town · Gypsum's fall festival: pumpkins, costumes, and small-town October done properly.

Sep
-

Big-Game Seasons

GMU 44 & the Flat Tops · Archery through the rifle seasons, September into November. The hills fill with camps as Gypsum does what it does best.

Nov
-

Last Dry Trails

Hardscrabble & the Gypsum Hills · The banana belt keeps riding and hiking open weeks after the upper valley goes white.

Winter & the Holidays

December through March

Dec
-

Home for the Holidays

In town · The town's holiday kickoff, joined by a gingerbread contest and a holiday lighting contest that turns the neighborhoods festive.

Dec
31

New Year's Eve Fireworks

In town · Gypsum closes the year with fireworks of its own. No lift ticket required.

Jan
-

Rec Center Season

Gypsum Recreation Center · Leagues, lap swimming, climbing, and courts in 57,000 square feet of winter refuge.

All
-

Ski Days Upvalley

Beaver Creek & Vail · Sleep in the banana belt, ski the big mountains: about 25 minutes to Beaver Creek and 35 to Vail.

Always Confirm

Check dates before you go

Dates shift year to year and this page is community-curated. The Town of Gypsum posts the official calendar. Running a local event we should list? Tell us.

Official town calendar Submit an event
Good to Know

Gypsum events FAQ

Every July, usually around the third weekend, and it has been running for more than 30 years. The weekend includes the Valley Road parade, a 5K with 32 years of history, a classic car show, a jalapeno eating contest, a youth talent show, a carnival, food trucks, and a headline country concert near Gypsum Creek Golf Course. In 2026 the stage belonged to Chris Janson and Mackenzie Carpenter. Confirm exact dates on the Town of Gypsum website.

A free, family-friendly celebration of Latin American culture held each September, with live music, food, and performances. In a town where most residents are Hispanic, it is one of the most authentic community events in the Eagle River Valley, and one of the best reasons to point the car down valley.

Gypsum sits in the valley's banana belt, so town stays milder and drier than the resorts. Winter means leagues, swimming, and climbing at the 57,000-square-foot rec center, the holiday event run from Home for the Holidays through the New Year's Eve fireworks, and easy ski days upvalley: Beaver Creek is about 25 minutes away and Vail about 35.