Music/Blossom Fest.

What: Cañon City Music and Blossom Festival
Where: Cañon City
When: Weekend in early May

Strike up the band! Hey, let’s strike up dozens of bands!

While the “blossom” part of this festival seems to be dependent on whether a few local fruit trees are doing well this spring (vestiges of a time when there were many orchards in this area), there can be no doubt that the “music” portion of the weekend is in full bloom. Schools from across the state and even a number of schools from other states send marching bands, concert bands, jazz bands, and orchestras to perform and compete at this musical weekend.

The most popular event is the parade on Saturday afternoon down the main street of Cañon City. Marching bands of all shapes, sizes, and ages perform. Uniforms range from kids in jeans and identical t-shirts to elaborately costumed musicians led by majorettes and followed by flag teams, all in coordinated colors and cadence.  Interspersed among the bands are antique cars, soldiers, Shriners, clowns, funny cars, and other visual delights. Bring a lawn chair, or sit on the curb to enjoy this spectacle.

Other events include indoor performances by the bands and orchestras as they compete in their various musical divisions. Food booths and a craft fair are scattered around the parade area. On Sunday, there are other entertainers on stage near the center of town. There are even some rodeo events and a fly-in at Fremont County Airport scheduled to coordinate with the festival.

For more information, contact:
Cañon City Music & Blossom Festival Corporation
PO Box 1914
Cañon City, CO 81215-1914

719-275-7234 (festival information)
800-876-7922 (Chamber of Commerce)