Colorado’s Favorite Klezmer Festival Returns

Colorado’s Favorite Klezmer Festival Returns this Summer for Havdalah and Horas 

Accordionist, dancer, educator, and Yiddish arts community leader, Judy Sweet, will be returning for KlezKolorado 2025.

KlezKolorado—a weekend long Klezmer and Balkan music festival set against the stunning backdrop of Colorado’s rustic landscape— is pulling out all the stops for its return this summer, May 16 – 18, 2025. Organized by the team of the Mizel Arts and Culture Center, the festival brings Klezmer and Balkan music to life with live concerts, Yiddish language and theatre workshops, dance programs, community meals, and nature-based activities.

Attendees enjoy group activities at KlezKolorado.

KlezKolorado is “an exciting part of Jewish culture,” says Benjamin Sweet, the event’s volunteer committee director. “It gives a kind of contemporary shtetl feel.” Attendees from last year like Shira Weiner agree. A big-time live music fan, Shira frequents Festo! Festo!, a monthly Klezmer and Balkan live concert and community jam series presented by the Mizel Arts and Culture Center. Showcasing the same Yiddish culture as KlezKolorado, these events keep the music alive, and the community connected year-round. “KlezKolorado2024 was a music–festival–meets–Jewish–summer–camp-type vibe for people of all ages,” Shira muses. “It was so fun to be in that environment, sharing meals with people, doing skits and activities, and dancing to live music; it was such a special experience.” Among her most prized memories from the weekend are dancing to live music on Saturday evening, preceded by a special Havdalah service, plus participating in so many unique activities.

There are plenty of engaging games at KlezKolorado for all ages!

“One workshop discussed the intersection of Yiddish culture and activist theatre shows, and we got to perform these skits,” she recalls. In another workshop, Shira and guests learned stories about the culture and music of Jewish-led political movements from Eastern Europe in the 1800s. It heightened her already-growing appreciation for the genre.

Musicians from beginners to advanced players are welcome to join workshops.

The bonus of celebrating outdoors at Ranch Camp in Elbert, Colorado, added to the appeal. “It felt like we were tucked away in this special little corner of the world for a connecting experience,” Shira says. “I got to see old friends and meet so many new people.” Attendees also had the chance to participate in a service project in partnership with Jewish nonprofit organization, Repair the World, assembling hiking packing kits for trail maintenance workers and outdoor volunteers that contained first aid kits and other essentials, while learning about the unhoused issue in Colorado from the perspective of Tikkun Olam. “It was cool to have a service component integrated into the day,” she adds.

2025 is the summer of KlezKolorado you won’t want to miss. This year promises additional daytime concerts on Saturday, plus expanded family and kid-friendly programming like story time, an interactive performance for kids, and arts and crafts. The incredible artist lineup is sure to get you moving, with Dot Levine, Jordan Wax, Hal Aqua and the Lost Tribe, Gora Gora Orkestar, and Mish Mish all taking the stage. Between Hal Aqua leading Kabbalat Shabbat with a Klezmer flare, to all the music and cultural workshops, dance, and theatre activities, KlezKolorado 2025 is on its way to going down in the books as a weekend music festival to remember.

View the full event lineup, guest artists, and program schedule here.
Cabin-style accommodations and campsites are available, as well as weekend and day passes.
Purchase your tickets today!