Copper Country Music Festival (Labor Day Weekend)               

Each year over Labor Day Weekend, Copper Mountain Ski Resort hosts the free Copper Country festival, with two full days of country, blues, and folk music from top name performers.

For instance, 2011's lineup included Ricky Skaggs and Jimmie Vaughan. The perfect early September high altitude weather makes an amazing backdrop for this annual music festival.

Bring your bicycle to pedal some miles on the Colorado Trail that runs through the resort. Scenic chairlift rides are "free" if you spend a certain amount in the village or buy a lunch at the restaurant at the top. You can hike the trail system on the mountain as well, or just wander around the large Copper Mountain village.

The music is great, the crowd is small, the admission and parking are free. The Copper Country festival is one of my favorite ways to spend a labor day weekend.

For more info, check their web site: