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Breck Create Summer Activities
With Breck Create, creativity knows no bounds. The Breckenridge arts and culture organization offers a summer lineup of classes, workshops and events that promises to captivate your entire family. From time-honored favorites to thrilling new additions, there’s something for everyone eager to explore their artistic inclinations.
Breckenridge Summer Activities
Breckenridge is as much a summer-fun town as it is a ski town, and here at Breck Create, we know that your summer-vacation planning most likely will start with exploring a few family-friendly mountain activities. Luckily, the town and the area are as flush with family-friendly summer activities as they are with arts and culture.
Epic Discovery on Peak 8 is summer-adventure central in Breckenridge. Here you can access the gondola, pan for gemstones, tackle a ropes course, soar on a bungee trampoline, ride the Gold Runner roller coaster, play mini golf and everyone big and small can try a rock-climbing wall. The world-renown ski hill transforms into an alpine slide in the summer. A classic favorite at Breck, choose between three exhilarating 2,600-foot-long slides and control the speed of your cart as you race down berms, turns and straightaways.
No mention of summer in Breckenridge would be complete without hiking and biking opportunities. There are hundreds of miles of trails to be conquered, from beginner to advanced. For those who prefer water activities, Breckenridge and the surrounding area offer rafting, fishing and plain old recreating along with alpine lakes you can hike to. The town is also home to the Breckenridge Golf Club, a 27-hole, municipal, Jack Nicklaus signature golf course—a premier destination for mountain golf.
After all of this adventuring, your family surely will be hungry. Breckenridge has several great restaurants, including those in the Town of Breckenridge as well as on the mountain. Some of our favorites include Briar Rose Chophouse, Hearthstone, Radicato, Fatty’s Pizzeria and Empire Burger. If you’re looking for a place to stay, Breck Create recommends checking with any of our esteemed lodging partners: Breckenridge Grand Vacations, Beaver Run Resorts, Woodwinds Property Management and Summit Mountain Rentals.
Now, to truly make your summer vacation in Breckenridge complete, allow us to suggest some wonderful opportunities to take a creative art class, check out some art and see a little live music. You may even want to plan your vacation around one of Breckenridge’s annual summer events, such as July 4th and the Breckenridge International Festival of Arts (BIFA), both of which include several free community events to help keep your Breckenridge family vacation affordable.
Breckenridge Creative Classes + Workshops
Breck Create summer 2024 creative classes and workshops include several new and exciting additions to the roster as well as perennial favorites such as Toddler Art. Several new classes target kids and teens, including Youth Landscape Printing, Creative Crafts for Kids, Teen Printmaking, Terrific Textiles: Exploring Fiber Arts for Kids, Clay Sculpture for Kids and Mixed-Up Media for Kids. New classes geared toward more mature students include Intro to Film Photography (ages 17+) along with Edible Foraging and Cooking (ages 15+).
Families inspired by sustainability efforts should check out our Precious Plastic studio. Precious Plastic is a worldwide initiative that exists to reduce plastic waste through a combination of people, machines, platforms, knowledge and art. Injection 101 and Injection Open Studio give students a chance to learn to use the machinery and see how the entire process works.
Breckenridge Summer Art Camps
Families visiting in July for a week or more may be interested in Breck Create’s summer art camps for children, tweens and teens. Three summer camp sessions begin July 15th and last through the first week of August. Each session is five days, Monday - Friday, with morning and afternoon options available. Children ages 6 to 13 are welcome. Themed camp sessions include printing, painting and dying with plants; quilting, mask-making and storytelling and more.
Shop Local Artists in Breckenridge
Through the Artists-in-Residence Open Door program, Breck Create supports a vibrant arts community, nurturing local, regional and national artists by providing affordable space for them to work. Visit the artists and their studios through open-door hours and workshops, where you can learn about their practice, view their work and purchase art.
This summer, Breck Create will host two national artists-in-residence: Kayla Powers and Cipriano Ortega along with two local artists-in-residence: Tracy Bligh and Kia Neill.
Kayla Powers, originally from Dallas, Tex., is a place-based fiber artist and naturalist living and working in the North End of Detroit, Mich. As an artist-in-residence with Breck Create, Powers intends to facilitate inspiring workshops and summer camp programs, and to develop an interesting and engaging community art project.
Fridays + Saturdays, Tin Shop, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Cipriano Ortega strives to create works of art that probe the mind and make people question what they perceive as the normative. While in Breckenridge, Ortega plans to delve deeper into his creative practices, including several different musical projects.
Fridays + Saturdays, Robert Whyte House, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Tracy Bligh is a Breckenridge-based oil painter and clay sculptor.
Wednesdays, Fridays + Saturdays, Randall Barn, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Kia Neill is a multidisciplinary artist working with drawing, sculpture, photography and installation inspired by her environment.
Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Fridays, 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturdays, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Ceramic Studio
Enjoy Free Breckenridge Art Exhibitions
Breck Create features two California-based exhibiting artists for the summer 2024 season: Megan Geckler and Gerald Clarke. Geckler and Clarke’s work will be on display at Old Masonic Hall the entire summer; both artists will also be featured in the Breckenridge International Festival of Arts (BIFA) signature program, Trail Mix, alongside local talent Bill Orisich.
Clarke, a citizen of the Cahuilla Band of Indians, works with an astonishing number of artistic mediums. He has described his perspective and resulting work as a “creative response to the world that the Cahuilla have exercised since ancient times.” Geckler creates immense, highly architectural and ephemeral installations using flagging tape—a common construction material—to question the human desire to conquer the space that surrounds us.
Breck Create will host a reception to celebrate the opening of both exhibitions on Friday, June 14th, at Old Masonic Hall. Geckler will be on hand to speak about her artwork. Rounding out the reception will be live music by Cipriano Ortega, a Breck Create artist-in-residence mentioned above, and light refreshments. Both Clarke and Geckler will deliver artist talks during BIFA.
AirStage Summer Aprés
This summer series of free community events equals a friendly place with great views and mountain charm to relax after your adventure. Hike, bike or bus to the Breckenridge Arts District and enjoy outdoor drafts, crafts and live music on the AirStage every Thursday from June 27 - August 22. Bring a picnic blanket, grab dinner to go and let the kids play on the lawn while you meet new friends and enjoy the atmosphere. Well-behaved pups on leashes are welcome!
Celebrate July 4th in Breckenridge
Visit the Arts District Campus for a day-long celebration of the freedom to be yourself. The Town of Breckenridge parade on Main Street kicks off the festivities. This year’s event theme invites participants to envision the country in the year 2054. Enjoy futuristic funk with DJ Erik as well as a poetry slam on the AirStage, Breck Create’s mobile stage, plus family-friendly activities like chalk art, upcycled crafts, a dog fashion show and lawn games. Presented in conjunction with the Town of Breckenridge’s July Fourth weekend celebration.
See Live Music and Events in Breckenridge
The Riverwalk Center in Breckenridge hosts a diverse line-up of national touring acts this summer and remains the home of the National Repertory Orchestra. Tickets for all shows are on sale now at breckcreate.org.
Squirrel Nut Zippers • Sunday, July 14 • Tickets
As We Speak: Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain, Edgar Meyer ft. Rakesh Chaurasia • Tuesday, July 16 • Tickets
Steep Canyon Rangers • Sunday, July 21 • Tickets
Ryan Adams: Solo 2024 • Sunday, August 11 • Tickets
Jason Moran + The Bandwagon • Finding a Line: Skateboarding, Music + Media • Friday, August 16 • Tickets • Part of Breckenridge International Festival of Arts (BIFA)
Jason Moran Plays Duke Ellington + The Bandwagon • Saturday, August 17 • Tickets
Streb Extreme Action Presents • Time Machine: From Ringside to Extreme Action • Saturday, August 24 • Tickets • Part of Breckenridge International Festival of Arts (BIFA)
The Robert Cray Band: Groovin’ for 50 Years • Friday, August 30 • Tickets
Jad Abumrad: Creator of National Public Radio’s Radiolab • Friday, September 6 • Tickets
Enjoy a Breckenridge Food Festival
Breck Create celebrates its illustrious 10-year journey with a pairing of culinary brilliance and artistic wonders followed by a full evening of music on Saturday, July 20th, 2024. Proceeds from the event support Breck Create’s free-education initiatives and community programming.
The anniversary celebration begins with A Creative + Culinary Affair: a food tour through the historic Breckenridge Arts District campus. As guests stroll through Breck Create studios, they’ll have the opportunity to sample fare from almost a dozen local restaurants, including Briar Rose, Hearthstone and Radicato, while also taking part in unique artistic experiences. Local sensation KelLee Abdella also will be performing live.
The food tour concludes at 7:30 p.m., and the festivities continue at the Riverwalk Center for the Decade Party. The Decade Party will whisk guests through four-decades worth of iconic songs from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s with stellar musical acts that feature Beatlegras, a bluegrass band specializing in Beatles tunes, Funkiphino and a DJ. Broken Compass Brewery will be serving their delicious handcrafted brews to accompany the good times. Tickets to A Creative + Culinary Affair include a ticket to Decade Party; tickets to the music-only portion of the evening can be purchased here.
Explore Breckenridge’s Biggest Annual Arts Festival
BIFA is a 10-day celebration of Adventure + Creativity + Nature + Play. Local, national and international artists intersect to deliver traditional and unconventional experiences across music, dance, film, visual arts and family entertainment. From August 16 to August 25, 2024, the festival will transform the Town of Breckenridge into a vibrant hub of cultural exploration, with events spanning venues, public parks, trails, and open spaces. Explore ticketed performances, immersive art installations, and art classes and workshops as well as dozens of opportunities for free, family-friendly fun.
Learn More
About Breck Create
Breck Create aims to build a dynamic, year-round creative community in Breckenridge. The organization’s mission is to deliver inspiring creative experiences that enrich the quality of life for all residents and quality of place for visitors. Breck Create supports and serves artists, creatives, cultural enthusiasts, visitors and the community at large by providing a year-round schedule of performances, exhibitions, screenings, art classes and workshops as well as other engagement opportunities.
The organization maintains, manages and operates the Town of Breckenridge’s exceptional cultural facilities and also hosts arts-based events in public gathering spaces throughout Breckenridge. Breck Create’s core attractions are the Riverwalk Center–a 750-seat, heated, indoor performance venue–and a lively Arts District campus of renovated historic structures that now function as studio spaces for art classes and workshops. These structures also include affordable rentals for local artists and visiting artists-in-residence participants. The Breckenridge Arts District is a certified district within the Colorado Creative Industries Creative District program.