Fun February events in Colorado to enjoy with friends and family

Jan. 16, 2025
Brave participants take the plunge to support Special Olympics Colorado. Fundraising polar plunges are often held in February in Colorado. Photo courtesy of Special Olympics Colorado.
Brave participants take the plunge to support Special Olympics Colorado. Fundraising polar plunges are often held in February in Colorado. Photo courtesy of Special Olympics Colorado.

February has long been celebrated as the month of love and romance, with the earliest official celebration of Valentine’s Day dating back to the 1300s. Even though couples get all the love and attention this month, it’s also a great time to focus on and nurture relationships with family, friends and yourself.

Don’t hesitate to share the love this month, whether it’s a nice gesture, a fun outing or a simple “thinking of you” text. Here are some fun things to do in Colorado in February with important people in your life.

Enjoy a Saturday at the Winter Famers Market

Winter farmers markets are open throughout February and offer an array of items for you or a special someone. Photo courtesy of Fort Collins Winter Farmers Market.
Winter farmers markets are open throughout February and offer an array of items for you or a special someone. Photo courtesy of Fort Collins Winter Farmers Market.

The thought of a farmers market might conjure images of fruits and veggies found in the summer and fall, but a winter farmers market offers a delightful array of other treasures. The goal remains the same: local vendors selling homemade and handcrafted goods.

At the Winter Farmers Market inside the Foothills Mall in Fort Collins, corridors are brimming with a diverse selection of items, including meat, eggs, jewelry, beauty products, pottery, honey, artwork, baked goods, pet products, candles, microgreens and mushrooms, to name a few.

Whether you’re out with friends or shopping for that special someone (or treating yourself), the winter market promises a unique and special shopping experience. It is held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday, now until April 19.

Feb. 5-9: Celebrate 112 years of winter tradition in Steamboat Springs

Skijoring is just one of the events that takes place during Winter Carnival. Photo by George Fargo, courtesy of Steamboat Springs Chamber.
Skijoring is just one of the events that takes place during Winter Carnival. Photo by George Fargo, courtesy of Steamboat Springs Chamber.

The Winter Carnival is a unique celebration that started years ago to help residents cope with cabin fever during the height of the frigid Colorado winter season.

It includes one-of-a-kind events such as skijoring in which contestants on skis race a flat course down a street while being pulled by a horse. There’s also the Dog and Dad Dash, in which children under 5 years old compete against one another while being pulled in a sled by the family dog. And don’t forget the light show on skis, the snow sculpture competition, the s’mores family fun party and more!

Feb. 8 (and beyond): Challenge yourself and support a good cause at a ‘polar plunge’

Brave participants take the plunge to support Special Olympics Colorado. Fundraising polar plunges are often held in February in Colorado. Photo courtesy of Special Olympics Colorado.
Brave participants take the plunge to support Special Olympics Colorado. Fundraising polar plunges are often held in February in Colorado. Photo courtesy of Special Olympics Colorado.

Support the Special Olympics Colorado by donning your best costume and plunging into an ice-cold reservoir. The 2025 Pueblo Polar Plunge starts at 9 a.m. Feb. 8 at Lake Pueblo State Park, 1 South Marina Road, in Pueblo.

You can register as a team or as an individual and start fundraising early. Day-of registration ends just before the plunge at 10 a.m. To participate, you must register and meet the fundraising minimum of $80 (or $50 for students and Special Olympic Colorado athletes). This year’s goal is to raise $35,000.

If you miss the Pueblo event, don’t worry. There are several other SOCO Polar Plunge fundraisers across the state, including March 2 in Denver, March 15 in Colorado Springs, March 29 in Aurora, April 5 in Boulder and April 12 in Windsor.

Feb. 8-16 and Feb. 23: Get a head start on your garden plans

Gardening shows and fairs are great places to gain knowledge and fulfill your gardening desires during the cold winter months. Photo courtesy of Colorado Garden Foundation.
Gardening shows and fairs are great places to gain knowledge and fulfill your gardening desires during the cold winter months. Photo courtesy of Colorado Garden Foundation.

Gardening in February? You might think it’s too early to start thinking about gardening when the ground is still frozen, but it’s actually a perfect time to learn new skills, gather gardening tips and start planning. Master gardeners know this, too, and are hosting various events across Colorado.

The Colorado Garden and Home Show, the Rocky Mountain region’s largest and most prestigious garden and home show, will be held Feb. 8-16 at the Colorado Convention Center. This nine-day event features more than 500 companies and thousands of products to help you with your home and garden projects. Take advantage of show-only specials and get inspired by the beautiful garden displays.

In Longmont, head to the Longmont Public Library for the town’s fourth annual gardening fair from 1 to 4 p.m. on Feb. 23. Along with valuable knowledge, you’ll go home with six free seed packets.

Feb. 14-15: Celebrate the month of love in the land of love

a photo from above the Loveland Sweetheart Festival that is in February in Loveland, Colorado.
The Loveland Sweetheart Festival occurs every February and is a delightful time for all. Photo by Richard Haro, courtesy of Loveland Sweetheart Festival.

The Loveland Sweetheart Festival in downtown Loveland, Colorado, features love-themed activities for everyone.

This free event includes live entrainment and ice sculpting, fire and art demonstrations, a palace of sweets, a tunnel of love, food trucks, the Sweetheart Classic 4-mile race and the Little Miss Valentine and Little Mr. Cupid contest. What’s not to love?

Feb. 22: Enjoy the excitement of the Broadmoor Winter Polo Classic

This Colorado Springs event is family-friendly, offering an exciting and accessible way for people of all ages to experience the sport of polo. Photo by Dave Devore, courtesy of The Broadmoor Winter Polo Classic.
This Colorado Springs event is family-friendly, offering an exciting and accessible way for people of all ages to experience the sport of polo. Photo by Dave Devore, courtesy of The Broadmoor Winter Polo Classic.

Top polo players from around the country gather at the Norris Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs to compete in one of the oldest sports in the world.

The Broadmoor Winter Polo Classic will follow most standard polo regulations, but it will be held in a dirt arena instead of a grass field. Teams will consist of three players, and play will consist of four 7-minute chukkers (periods).

The event kicks off at 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 22 at 1045 Lower Gold Camp Road in Colorado Springs. General admission is $35, with discounts available for children, seniors, college students, military personnel and first responders.

 

About the author

Kati Blocker has always been driven to learn and explore the world around her. And every day, as a writer for UCHealth, Kati meets inspiring people, learns about life-saving technology, and gets to know the amazing people who are saving lives each day. Even better, she gets to share their stories with the world.

As a journalism major at the University of Wyoming, Kati wrote for her college newspaper. She also studied abroad in Swansea, Wales, while simultaneously writing for a Colorado metaphysical newspaper.

After college, Kati was a reporter for the Montrose Daily Press and the Telluride Watch, covering education and health care in rural Colorado, as well as city news and business.

When she's not writing, Kati is creating her own stories with her husband Joel and their two young children.