8 Ways to Enjoy Colorado Snows & Opera House Shows

Colorado’s mountains are full of fresh snowfall, and the Colorado Opera Houses Circuit invites visitors to enjoy the snows and shows. From festivals to live music, dance, and more, opera houses welcome winter-lovers to events that warm body and soul.

Here are eight ways to enjoy the Colorado Historic Opera Houses Circuit this winter.

Photo: Aspen Chamber Resort Association

1) Attend a Festival.

There’s plenty of fun to be had at our winter festivals—a comedy fest, wine tasting, gay ski week, and horses and cowboys pulling skiers over jumps! See our calendar for details.

• 24th Annual Telluride Comedy Festival (Feb. 15-18, Sheridan Opera House)
• Ouray Winter Wine Festival 2024 (Feb. 17, Noon – 7 p.m., Wright Opera House)
• Aspen Laugh Festival 2024 (Feb. 21-24, Wheeler Opera House)
• Gay Ski Week (Feb. 24-March 2 – Evening events Feb. 28-March 2, Sheridan Opera House)
• Leadville Ski Joring & Crystal Carnival Weekend – Open House (March 2, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Tabor Opera House)

Photo: Sarah Schwab Photography

2) Catch a Live Concert.

From guitar to rock to Americana, and from opera to Black Opry Revue, you’ll find plenty to love in the opera houses’ winter lineups. Learn more on our calendar.

Sheridan Opera House

• Leftover Salmon Live in Concert (Feb. 9 & 10, 9 p.m.)
• Black Pistol Fire Live in Concert (Feb. 12, 8 p.m.)
• Birds of Play and Friends Live in Concert (Feb. 23, 9 p.m.)
• Big Something Headspace Tour with the Reis Brothers (March 6, 8 p.m.)
• Donavon Frankenreiter (March 10, 8 p.m.)
• moe. Live in Concert (March 14 & 15, 9 p.m.)
• Nershi Hann Trio Live in Concert (March 16, 9 p.m.)
• Monophonics Live in Concert (March 23, 9 p.m.)

Wheeler Opera House

• International Guitar Night XXIV (Feb. 9, 7:30 p.m.)
• AMFS presents The Met: Live in HD – Anthony Davis’s X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X (Feb. 27, 5:30 p.m.)
• Wheeler Associates presents The Black Opry Revue (Feb. 29, 7:30 p.m.)
• AMFS presents The Met: Live in HD – Bizet’s Carmen (March 5, 5:30 p.m.)
• AMFS presents The Met: Live in HD – Verdi’s La Forza del Destino (March 12, 5:30 p.m.)
• Classic Albums Live performs Dire Straits: Brothers in Arms (March 16, 7:30 p.m.)

Photo: Aspen Chamber Resort Association

3) Shred the Slopes.

Glide down abundant fresh snow at Aspen and Telluride! You’ll find excellent conditions for skiing and riding at these world-class resorts.

Photo: DanceAspen / Wheeler Opera House

4) Enjoy Dance & Burlesque.

Whether you like contemporary dance or burlesque, or both, Colorado’s opera houses have you covered. Check our calendar.

• DanceAspen “Limitless” (Feb. 16-17, 7:30 p.m., Wheeler Opera House)
• Telluride Theatre's Burlesque (March 27-31, Sheridan Opera House)

5) Go for a Soak.

Warm up this winter in pools with mountain views! Find your bliss at hot springs throughout the Ouray / Telluride area.

Photo: Faren Wilbur

6) Solve a Murder Mystery.

Who did it? Find out at this murder mystery series at the Wright Opera House. See details on our calendar.

• Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre: Murder at the Pizzeria (Feb. 23, 6 p.m.)
• Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre: Girls Just Wanna Have Guns (March 22, 6 p.m.)

7) Enjoy All Kinds of Winter Sports.

Colorado offers many fun ways to experience winter wonderland. Enjoy cross-country skiing, ice skating, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling, at all three Circuit mountain towns. Go ice climbing at Ouray Ice Park, or hire an ice climbing guide in Telluride. Try sleigh rides or fat bike rides in Aspen, and much more.

8) Check Out Even More Opera House Events.

See the latest styles at an AIDS fashion show fundraiser, hear of explorers’ adventures, and laugh at a well-known comedian’s antics. Find it all on our calendar.

• Telluride AIDS Benefit Fashion Show (Feb. 24, Sheridan Opera House)
• Changemaker Speaker Series, Into the Canyon: Between River and Rim with Pete McBride and Kevin Fedarko (March 20, 7:30 p.m., Wheeler Opera House)
• Mike Birbiglia: Please Stop the Ride (March 23, 6:30 p.m., Wheeler Opera House)

Learn more about the opera houses, and plan your trip today!