Fort Collins has seen its share of summer festivals, but the Colorado Turkish Festival brings something genuinely different to City Park: food, music, living art, and a culture that stretches back centuries.
If you've never been, this is the year to go.
Come Hungry
Turkish cuisine is one of the great undiscovered loves of American food culture. Look for börek (flaky pastry stuffed with feta, spinach or spiced meat), grilled kebabs, and baklava that will haunt you for weeks. And if you spot Turkish coffee — thick, strong, served in a tiny cup — get one. Let the grounds settle before you sip, then find someone to read your fortune.
The Art Demonstrations Are the Real Surprise
This year, master artists are coming directly from Türkiye, and this is where the festival goes from fun to genuinely unforgettable.
Ebru (Paper Marbling): Pigments floated on water, pulled into swirling patterns — it looks like magic. Better yet, you can try it yourself in the workshop and take the piece home. You will leave the festival with art you actually made.
Hat (Calligraphy): Watching a calligrapher work is meditative in a way that's hard to explain until you've seen it.
Carpet Weaving & Copper Art: A hand-knotted carpet can take a year to complete. A live demonstration makes that real. Same with hand-hammered copperwork — a craft with over a thousand years behind it.
Don't Miss the Performances
The Whirling Dervish ceremony is one of those things that lands completely differently in person. Plan around it. The Henna Night Show (Kına Gecesi) is joyful, colorful, and theatrical — you'll leave knowing something about Turkish culture you didn't before. Turkish folk dance rounds out the stage, and if it spills into the crowd, go with it.
A Little Context
TACSCO has been organizing this festival for four years. This is a community run event. A portion of proceeds supports TACSCO education fund — 48 children in earthquake-affected regions of Türkiye have received educational support through it. Being there means something.
$10 admission for ages 18 and up. Kids under 18 are free. City Park, Fort Collins — August 16, 2026.
Presented by the Turkish American Cultural Society of Colorado (TACSCO), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
