Breckenridge International Festival of Arts Comes to Colorado in August

Breck Create has announced roster of the 2025 Breckenridge International Festival of Arts (BIFA), taking place August 15-24, 2025, in Breckenridge, CO. BIFA is an annual celebration of the arts featuring local, national and International Artists offering both traditional and unconventional experiences across music, dance, film, visual arts and family entertainment. Since 2015, Breck Create, manager of the vibrant Breckenridge Arts District, has organized BIFA's events, immersive art installations, and workshops spanning indoor venues, public parks, walking trails and open spaces. This year's festival explores the profound interconnections between the natural world and human expression, inviting audiences to engage with both the seen and unseen elements of the Earth's surface and the world that exists beneath us.

Taking center stage at BIFA 2025 from August 15-17 is the U.S. public premiere of Studio Roosegaarde's SPARK, a poetic, sustainable installation of biodegradable light sparks gracefully floating through the air. SPARK has been exhibited in more that ten countries worldwide, attracting over two million viewers. Experiencing SPARK means being enveloped within a field of floating sparks carried by the wind, soaring up to 160 feet in the air. Each of the three night-time performances will last for several hours, encouraging participants to linger, engage with the installation, and connect with one another.

Based in the Netherlands, Studio Roosegaarde is a social design lab led by Dutch artist and innovator Daan Roosegaarde. SPARK reimagines high-profile public celebrations that traditionally rely on fireworks by addressing inherent design problems: fireworks pollute the air, water and soil; present a wildfire hazard; and cause distress for animals and individuals sensitive to noise.

"Breck Create in partnership with the Town of Breckenridge, is honored to debut the public presentation of SPARK in the United States," said Tamara Nuzzaci, president and CEO of Breck Create. "The installation itself will be breathtaking, and its ideology aligns with the sustainability goals and values of Breckenridge." There will be numerous viewing locations throughout the downtown area and opportunities for local businesses and non-profit organizations to be part of the celebratory experience.

SPARK serves a key promotional element for the town's DarkSky initiative, an international effort to reduce light pollution for environmental and human health benefits. As the Town of Breckenridge works towards becoming a certified International DarkSky Community, which would make it one of just 56 in the world, guests are encouraged to reflect on the wonder of the night sky as they are temporarily immersed in SPARK's floating starscape.

Programming Highlights for BIFA 2025

Minty Fresh Circus - BIFA 2025 Resident Artists - Riverwalk Center - August 23

Created by Monique Martins, Minty Fresh Circus is a U.S. based circus show performed by an all-Black cast with a majority Black creative team. Minty Fresh Circus takes audiences on a journey through time and space using circus and dance to explore themes of liberation, protection, adornment, healing, joy and spiritual communion. The performance reimagines circus storytelling through movement, visual design, and sound, reflecting the dignity, resilience and transcendence of the Black American experience. Structured in nine rituals, the 70-minute performance showcases spectacular circus and dance skills with a touring ensemble of seven to nine acrobats.

Art Exhibitions + Installations

Anna Tsouhlarakis - BIFA 2025 Exhibiting Artist

Anna Tsouhlarakis, who is Greek, Creek, and an enrolled citizen of the Navajo Nation, redefines what Native art is and can be. Her work explores themes of strength, resilience, humor, and determination, elevating the stories and struggle of Native American communities. Using sculpture, video performance and text, she deconstructs stereotypes while celebrating the rich complexities of Native identity. Tsouhlarakis will create three outdoor installations as well as an exhibition in Old Masonic Hall.

Anna Tsouhlarakis, Irrational Indigenous Insights

Old Masonic Hall - May 24 - August 31

The exhibition includes a selection of new and existing artworks that center Native voices in original and restoring ways presented throughout the two galleries of Old Masonic Hall.

Anna Tsouhlarakis, The Native Guide Project

Breckenridge Arts District - August 15 - 24

Using the familiar medium of large-scale signs and banners, in clean black and white layouts of short text produced in Helvetica typeface and installed on buildings exteriors, structures, and in public spaces, the art addresses challenging topics making space for positive and thoughtful dialogue and consideration.

Anna Tsouhlarakis, Edges of the Ephemeral

Riverwalk Center - August 15 - 24

A work that explores the Navajo belief of multiple worlds within the culture's creation story. The viewer enters a large wooden spiral 20 feet in diameter and walks through to the core. Anna Tsouhlarakis employs the template of parking and safety signage within the structure to relay messages that are both familiar and authoritative. The language presented at the beginning of the journey conveys a more negative tone. As the viewer continues, the message becomes more neutral; and then, as they reach the center of the spiral, the message is full of hope and optimism.

Anna Tsouhlarakis, Rocketship

Ridge Street Art Square - August 15 - 24

The artist's version of a homemade spacecraft constructed from found objects.

Trail Mix - August 15 - 24

BIFA's signature program, Trail Mix combines art and nature, leading hikers and mountain bikers through Breckenridge's Trails to discover art installations and performance destinations.

Bill Orisich: Root Notes - Sounds of the Underground

Moonstone Trail

With this site-specific sonic installation, artist Bill Orisich explores the symbiotic relationships that connect within the forest and allow it to thrive. The artwork encourages contemplation of the rich, interconnected world that exists just beneath our feet fostering a deeper emotional connection with nature. The multi-channel work incorporates interwoven natural sounds, instruments, and vocals, forming an engaging musical experience. The sounds and rhythms are inspired by recent scientific findings that expand our understanding of the amazing interconnectedness of the forest world. The seven independent sound sources span about a 100-foot stretch of trail, offering an exploratory experience as participants move through the space.

Joe Scolari - Ciügaboc (CHOO-guh-boc)

Illinois Creek Trail + Little Mountain Trail

Swiss Italian artist Joe Scolari creates interactive art and play installations that invite children and adults to engage with the forest in playful, intentional ways. With a background in carpentry and trail work, his pieces reflect a deep connection to nature and a commitment to simplicity, using raw materials like stone and wood. His work blends creativity and craftsmanship, offering tactile experiences that harmonize with the landscape.

Additional Festival Highlights

· Breckenridge Rewind: Breck History and Breck Film Collaboration - Riverwalk Center - August 16. Two Breckenridge cultural organizations partner to showcase local filmmaking from the 1970s and 1980s.

· Concrete Jams - Riverwalk Center - August 20. Musicians collaborate with professional and local skateboarders to create an interactive community.

· Acoustic Flow - Blue River - August 18 - 24. These morning yoga classes feature live music on the banks of the Blue River.

More Festival programming will be announced in the coming weeks.

New this year, Breck Create launches the sale of VIP Festival Passes for individual couples as well as businesses and their employees to have a deeper, more meaningful experience throughout the ten days of BIFA. VIP Pass benefits include behind-the-scenes access to the SPARK project and artists, entry to all ticketed events, and access to the exclusive BIFA lounge with specialty drinks, commemorative gifts, and more. Tickets, VIP passes, registration details, and more information about BIFA 2025 can be found at breckcreate.org/bifa.

Denver Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. BEEHIVE: THE 60'S MUSICAL (The Butte Theater)

10.9% of votes

2. GUYS & DOLLS (Merely Players)

9.1% of votes

3. THE LEGEND OF ANNE BONNY (Shifted Lens & Two Cent Lion)

6.6% of votes

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