The Turnpike Troubadors at the Outdoor Stage, 2015; photo by Todd Purifoy.

Steamboat MusicFest, the ONLY festival that brings the finest Texas and Americana music to the snow, sweeps the Colorado Rockies each January for a full week of sport and song. The festival boasts a stunning roster that includes both legends and rising talents alike. Seventy bands will perform over the six days in the heart of the Rocky Mountains featuring free après-ski concerts, evening concerts and special engagements throughout the week. More than 40 live performances will feature an increasingly diverse line up of artists with styles ranging from country to rock, blues to bluegrass, folk and western swing and everything in between.

NOTE: Verify availability of accommodations before, say, booking a plane ticket and showing up at the front gate—they do have a history of selling out. Also, pricing is varied due to the wide variety of amenities that the different lodging options available. I don’t know, maybe a fireplace, hot tub, sauna, or in-suite kitchen don’t appeal to you…Whatever the case, the pricing grid is one of the coolest we’ve seen, with links to pages specific to each suite, condo, etc.