July is the best single month to visit Buxton, coinciding with the Buxton International Festival. The town fills with opera and classical music visitors and there is genuine energy around the Opera House and Pavilion Gardens. Late spring (May–June) is good for walking — the Peak District is green and trails are not yet crowded.
August can be busy and wet. Autumn brings atmospheric mist over the hills. Winter makes Buxton feel like the high place it is — at over 300 metres, it is one of the coldest and snowiest towns in England. The Crescent and the Dome look particularly dramatic in frost and low light. The caves and museum are worthwhile in any weather.