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Survey: Cost concerns lead many Coloradans to skip summer events
ColoradoBiz Staff //August 19, 2026//
Courtesy of Red Rocks Credit Union.
Courtesy of Red Rocks Credit Union.
Survey: Cost concerns lead many Coloradans to skip summer events
ColoradoBiz Staff //August 19, 2026//
In Brief:
- Nearly one-third of Coloradans plan to skip summer events
- Transportation cited as top barrier by 64% of respondents
- Ticket prices concern 59% of surveyed Coloradans
- Red Rocks Credit Union CEO Darius Wise comments on spending
Nearly one-third of Coloradans plan to skip concerts, festivals and other summer events because of cost, according to a survey commissioned by Littleton-based Red Rocks Credit Union.
An additional 24% of respondents were undecided about attending events.
Transportation was the most commonly cited barrier, selected by 64% of respondents. Ticket prices were cited by 59%, followed by the overall cost of living at 54%, food and drink prices at 46% and lodging at 35%.
“We’re seeing people become much more intentional about how they spend their discretionary income,” Darius Wise, president and CEO of Red Rocks Credit Union, said.
Cost concerns extended across generations. Nearly one-third of Gen Z and millennial respondents said they planned to skip concerts and festivals, compared with 28% of Gen X respondents.
Gen X respondents were most likely to say the general cost of living left less money for entertainment. That concern was cited by 63% of Gen X respondents, 53% of millennials and 47% of Gen Z respondents.
When asked which summer activities remained important despite financial pressures, 26% selected outdoor recreation. Dining and social outings followed at 18%, while 14% chose travel and 10% selected concerts and festivals.
Pollfish conducted the online survey June 2-4 among 300 Colorado residents. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 5.66 percentage points.
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