In just a few short years, the Town of Superior has transformed its community events calendar from a handful of annual gatherings into a thriving lineup of nearly 50 events each year. At the center of that growth is Mikaela Gregg, whose work as Superior’s Events & Volunteer Manager has helped turn the town into a destination for live music, family-friendly festivals, and community connection.
From free summer concerts and bustling markets to the beloved Chili & Beer Fest and Fourth of July celebration, Mikaela and her team are focused on creating experiences that bring people together. In this Community Spotlight, she sits down with Gary Gutierrez of The Lesson Studio to talk about Superior’s event growth, the town’s investment in music, and her vision for the future.
Q & A with Mikaela Gregg, Superior Parks, Recreation & Events
Gary: If I’m new to the Superior area, what are some of the events I absolutely need to know about?
Mikaela: We have an amazing events portfolio. We’ve gone from just a few handful of events a couple years ago to probably over 40, close to 50 events each year now. I think some of the best ones are our Summer Concert Series. We’re in our fourth year, and it’s become a great success. It’s family-friendly, we have food trucks, we have a beer garden, and we have great music. That one is growing every year. The talent of musicians, the level, the caliber, we’re taking it to new levels each year. We also have our Summer Market, which has been growing and expanding. It’s a farmers market event, and of course we bring music into that too. I think everything we do event-wise is always catered to be very family-friendly. That’s kind of the nature of this community. Everybody wants to be able to do everything together.
Gary: What are some of the longtime traditions that people should experience?
Mikaela: Our Fourth of July Festival is definitely one. I always joke that we try to fit as much into one day as possible. We start with a downhill mile race, which rolls into a parade, and then the parade rolls into a festival and free pancake breakfast. In years past we’ve added things like barbecues and after-parties. It’s been a town favorite for decades. I think we’re one of the very few small municipalities still running a parade, which is really fun. The community groups and neighborhoods come together and create these incredible floats. Every year there’s a different theme, so it’s always exciting to see what people come up with. And then there’s Chili & Beer Fest. This year is actually the 25th anniversary. That’s our biggest event. We usually pull in around 7,000 attendees. It started with community members making giant pots of chili for everyone to share. Over time it’s evolved into more of a food sampling festival. We have chili-inspired foods, beer vendors, multiple bands, entertainment, and activities throughout the day. It’s become one of our signature events.
Gary: One thing that really stood out to me when you showed me around Superior was how much the town has invested in event spaces. Can you tell us about some of those venues?
Mikaela: We have multiple facilities, both indoor and outdoor. We have our traditional Community Center on the east side of town, where a lot of our programming takes place and we hosted some of our smaller concerts there as well. Last year we opened our new Civic Space downtown, and that’s where we’ve shifted some of our larger events. It has a dedicated event space with great acoustics and a stage, so it works really well for concerts and community gatherings. Outside of that, we have the outdoor plaza adjacent to the Civic Space, which includes another stage, a park, and a large green space. Then just a block away we have our amphitheater, which is where our Summer Concert Series takes place. For a four-square-mile town, we really do have an incredible variety of event facilities.
Gary: It feels like Superior residents really love live music.
Mikaela: They do. The concerts are back at the amphitheater because people love the mountain views and the grassy space. And as downtown continues to grow, we’re seeing even more opportunities for entertainment. There’s a food hall and beer garden project coming in, and I originally worried that maybe we’d oversaturate things with concerts and events. But people keep wanting more. They ask for it, and we keep bringing it to them, and they keep showing up. That’s been really exciting to see.
Gary: You mentioned the Civic Space. How has your vision for that facility evolved?
Mikaela: I think we’re shifting away from it being primarily a live music venue and more toward a community gathering space. We’ve found it’s fantastic for conferences, private parties, corporate events, wedding receptions, and community programming. Our Cultural Arts Committee is running a monthly film series there as well. The space is wonderful for music, but it’s not quite large enough for some of the bigger acts we’d hoped to bring in. What we’ve discovered is that it’s incredibly valuable as a flexible community space, and that’s where we’re seeing the most demand right now.
Gary: How do you go about planning such a busy calendar?
Mikaela: We start with our staples. Fourth of July, Chili & Beer Fest, the Concert Series, and our markets are all established events at this point.
Then we listen to community feedback. For example, we’ve heard a lot of requests for more arts programming, so our Cultural Arts and Public Spaces Committee teamed up with our events department to launch a mural festival this fall. At this point, we’re pretty much maxed out. From May through September and even into October, almost every week is full. So now it’s about finding ways to add the things the community is asking for while still maintaining the events everyone already loves.
Gary: Is there anything coming up that you’re especially excited about?
Mikaela: Steely Dead is a big one. They’re playing our concert series, and I think it’s going to be amazing. In a lot of places people pay to see acts of that caliber, but we’re bringing them to Superior for free. I think that really shows the direction we’re taking the concert series and the level of talent we’re working to bring into town.
Gary: That’s something I’ve always admired about Superior. So many of these events are completely free.
Mikaela: They’ve always been community-focused. As long as I’ve been in this role, Town Council has been incredibly supportive of making these events accessible to everyone. Our festivals, our concerts, our community gatherings, they’re opportunities for people to come together. The Council continues to support increasing budgets where needed so we can keep offering these experiences to the community at little or no cost. They love these events just as much as the residents do.
Gary: Looking ahead, what’s your vision for Superior’s event scene?
Mikaela: My hope is to put us on the map – I want people to see Superior as a place to go for entertainment. I want our quality, our genres, and our overall delivery to be so exceptional that when people in Boulder, Broomfield, Westminster, or beyond are deciding what to do on a weekend, they think about stopping in Superior. We want bands to want to play here. We want the list of people wanting to provide entertainment here to be endless. We’ve built the quantity. Now it’s about continuing to elevate the quality and making these experiences the best they can possibly be.
Learn More and Get Involved
Town of Superior Events Calendar: Community events, concerts, festivals, and more in Superior, Colorado
Superior Summer Concert Series: Free live music, food trucks, and family-friendly fun all summer long
Superior 4th of July Celebration: Celebrate 250 years of America with a full day of community fun, live entertainment, and hometown tradition
Superior Summer Market: Local vendors, live music, fresh produce, and community gathering all season long on July 15, August 19, and September 16, 2026
Steely Dead Concert at Superior Commons Amphitheater: Free
Superior Chili & Beer Fest: Join Superior’s signature festival for their 25th anniversary featuring chili, craft beer, music, and family activities on September 12, 2026
Superior Mural Festival: Celebrating public art, creativity, and community through large-scale murals on October 4, 2026
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