Crested Butte Wildflower festival
Join Us July 10 - 19, 2026 for Our 40th Anniversary
The Crested Butte Wildflower Festival is an annual 10-day Festival offering over 150 workshops in wildflower expertise each July, be it painting, pollination, photography, culinary arts, or leading hikes into the wild beyond in the heart of the Wildflower Capital of Colorado, Crested Butte.
Important Dates
- February 14th – Program Guide release
- March 30th – Monument & Wildflower Garden level Members can start registering for events
- April 1st – Fairy Slipper Members can start registering
- April 3rd – Mariposa Lily & Scarlet Gilia Members can start registering
- April 6th – Columbine level Members can start registering
- April 8th – Lupine Members can start registering
- April 10th – Blue Flax Members can start registering
- April 13th – General registration opens
- June 13th – Cancellation & transfer deadline
- July 12 – Member & Sponsor Appreciation Part
All registration waves open at 10am MTN. Members will be emailed instructions for registering early at the time their registration waves opens.
2026 Adventure Photography Workshops Are HERE!
This summer, the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival is thrilled to introduce three brand-new Adventure Photography Workshops, each designed to inspire, challenge, and elevate your photography skills while surrounded by the breathtaking beauty of Colorado’s wildflower capital. Whether you’re picking up your first camera or polishing an advanced portfolio, there’s a perfect course waiting for you
Special Lodging Discounts for Wildflower Festival Participants at the Lovely Elevation Hotel & Spa
Featured Partners
Butterfly Sponsors
Sponsorship Opportunities
Moth Sponsors
Ladybug Sponsors
Ant Sponsors
Festival News
Latest news and updates from CBWF
Common Questions
Frequently asked questions
Here are the top 5 FAQs to get you rolling!
I want to be involved as a leader, volunteer, or staff member!
Is there such a thing as “Wildflower Etiquette?"
There is! Crested Butte received the honorable designation, “Wildflower Capital of Colorado,” from the State legislature in 1990, and our mission is to help folks enjoy, learn about, and preserve our beautiful wildflowers. Please help us protect this amazing gift.
- Please don’t pick, cut, or walk on wildflowers or other plants! And if you see someone doing this, please give them a friendly reminder not to, and ask them to pass it along to others.
- Please stay on the trail. If another trail user needs to pass you, please gently step off the trail and wait for them to pass. Please don’t create multiple, parallel trails.
- If a trail is wet, snowy, or muddy, please do your best to keep to the main trail. This will prevent the creation of parallel trails.
All Festival participants are expected to display responsible outdoor etiquette. Failure to adhere to these expectations may result in dismissal – without a refund – from any remaining classes for which one is already registered.
When/where is the best to see the wildflowers?
Although the best time and place to see the most blooms depends year to year (and species to species), generally speaking, mid-July through early August we see a peak bloom! They are EVERYWHERE- alongside the road, in town, on trails, in the alpine… You will not miss them! Our “Follow The Bloom” hikes will take you to where they are best at any given point! Check out the Travel Crested Butte Wildflower Guide for a more detailed prediction per trail.
How and when can I register?
Registration for our Adventure Photography Workshops is open to everyone now! Read more HERE.
For other events:
Registration for our Wildflower Festival Members will open on March 30, 2026, before registration opens to the general public. As we get closer to early registration, all Members will receive special instructions via email on how to access their early registration. Learn more about Memberships and the staggered registration process HERE.
Registration opens to the public on April 13, 2026. All event registration happens via our website. Events are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
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When will the Wildflower Festival’s Program Guide be available?
The 2026 Program Guide will be HERE on our website on February 14, 2026.
In an effort to be more environmentally sustainable, we are no longer printing and mailing copies of the Program Guide. The version on our website is downloadable and easy to print, so you can print your own copy if you would like.