News

Boulder Hosts Free Liquor-Licensing Workshops for Businesses Ahead of Sundance

Published October 2026

Oct 14, 2026 — Boulder is offering a free, six-session virtual workshop series to help businesses, nonprofits, and festival partners understand liquor licensing requirements ahead of the 2027 Sundance Film Festival, according to a City of Boulder announcement.

The series is aimed at existing liquor licensees, prospective licensees, nonprofit partners, and official Sundance partners who expect to serve alcohol during the festival. Each session runs from 3 to 5:30 p.m. and is held virtually, with dates scheduled for October 12, October 26, November 2, November 9, November 30, and December 14, 2026. Attendees can drop into any session that works for their schedule — no registration is required.

The workshops are co-hosted by the City of Boulder and the Sundance Film Festival and cover common license and permit types relevant to festival-related events, along with a dedicated Q&A portion so participants can get answers to their specific situations. Full details and session links are available on the City of Boulder event-series page. The series was also noted by ColoradoBiz.

Note: Sundance has announced substantial details about the 2027 festival in Boulder. Passes and ticket packages went on sale October 15, 2026 (festival.sundance.org/tickets); a 'Shape of the Fest' schedule and venue breakdown was released in July 2026; the film lineup is slated for a December 2026 announcement; and individual single tickets go on sale January 8, 2027.

Why It Matters for Festivalgoers

If you're planning to attend Sundance events around Boulder, these workshops are a behind-the-scenes signal of what to expect on the ground:

More licensed venues. A well-prepared local business community means a wider variety of bars, pop-ups, and event spaces ready to legally serve guests during the festival run.
Smoother pop-up experiences. Nonprofits and partners securing the right permits in advance reduces the risk of last-minute closures or service disruptions at unofficial gatherings and parties.
A city taking the festival seriously. Boulder's proactive regulatory outreach suggests the city is working to make the transition from Park City as seamless as possible for both businesses and visitors.

For festivalgoers, that groundwork — even if it happens in a virtual meeting room months before opening night — tends to translate into a more polished, event-ready city when the films finally start rolling.