Elk Fest celebrates Estes Park’s wild side Oct. 3-4

On the morning Elk Fest begins, organizer Kayleigh Schissel has learned to expect an early arrival.

“The morning it starts, there is always an elk there in the middle of Bond Park,” said Schissel, special events coordinator for the Estes Park Events Complex. “It’s almost like they know the festival is for them, and so my favorite part is seeing them there.”

It’s an appropriate opening act for a festival built around Estes Park’s most conspicuous wild residents. Elk Fest returns Oct. 3-4 for a free weekend of wildlife education, entertainment, Native American music and dancing, handmade goods, food, and one of its most popular traditions: people doing their best impressions of a bull elk.

Now in its 27th year, the festival began in 1999 through a community committee that included the town and local residents and organizations, Schissel says. It has since become one of the town’s signature events.

As the festival has grown, so have its crowds. Schissel estimates 8,000 to 10,000 people now pass through the event during the weekend.

“It started off smaller, but it’s grown,” she said. “Estes itself has grown obviously, but during the leaf-changing season and the rut, it’s nice to celebrate the elk.”

A festival built around wildlife education

Wildlife education is central to the weekend, with organizations, nonprofits, speakers, and other experts helping visitors better understand the animals sharing the Estes Valley with them. Schissel notes that Rocky Mountain Channel has created a new video about the elk rut for the festival this year.

“The Rocky Mountain Channel has made this awesome video of the elk rut that I can’t wait for people to see,” Schissel said. “It’s a lot around the education of wildlife and the beauty of Estes Park and the wildlife.”

That education is particularly important during the fall rut, when bull elk are competing for mates and can become aggressive with little warning. Visitors sometimes assume Estes Park’s elk are approachable because they are accustomed to seeing people, Schissel says. Familiarity, however, does not make them tame.

“They are in the heat of the season,” she said. “They are agitated easily, and it can get dangerous in the blink of an eye.”

Her advice is straightforward: “Don’t be fooled by their cuteness. Stay further back.”

Bugles, bands, and local goods

Many of Elk Fest’s familiar attractions return in 2026, including face painting, a children’s obstacle course, wildlife programming, Native American dancing, and the popular elk bugling contest Saturday.

Schissel also makes a point of changing the live music lineup each year.

“I have different bands every year,” she said. “I don’t do repeat bands.”

The vendor market has expanded as the festival has grown, with organizers trying to pack Bond Park with artisans and small businesses from Colorado and neighboring states.

“There are a lot more vendors that we try to bring and fit into Bond Park,” Schissel said. “We want to make it a local-friendly market so that we can support the small businesses that are coming from a lot of different places.”

Planning begins ramping up when vendor applications open in April, and Schissel estimates at least 20 staff members, volunteers, performers, contractors, and others are directly involved in staging the festival.

One change this year will be the absence of the Wallowing Hole craft beer garden. Elk Fest will be alcohol-free in 2026.

Schissel says another difference may actually make attending easier: Elk Fest does not coincide with a Rocky Mountain National Park free-entry day this year, potentially reducing some of the additional traffic around Estes Park.

Still, anyone heading downtown should expect a busy fall weekend. Schissel recommends avoiding the hunt for a downtown parking space altogether.

“Utilize the parking garage,” she said. “It’s free parking, and there’s a shuttle that will take you right into the middle of the event. You can skip the hassle.”

Elk Fest takes place Oct. 3-4 in Bond Park in downtown Estes Park. Admission is free. The festival runs Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. View the full schedule of events by clicking here.

And if tradition holds, at least one of the guests of honor may already be waiting when everyone else arrives.