By now you probably have more than a little bit of an idea on what there is to do during your visit to Telluride, but our mountain town always has a few surprises up its sleeve, including the festivals that take place here every year. Offering an authentic taste of the town, the mountains, and the Southwest region that we at Accommodations in Telluride love so very much, attending these unique events can give your Colorado vacation an enhanced flavor of fun that will make you fall in love as well. This ultimate guide to festivals in Telluride CO will help you understand more clearly how much fun can be had during your vacation escape to the mountains of Colorado and your stay in our Accommodations in Telluride luxury sanctuaries.
January
After New Year’s Eve, the town tends to sit back, take a sigh of relief, and concentrate on the important stuff which is, of course, ski, après ski, sitting in front of roaring fires on cold and stormy nights, and settle back into real life. There are no festivals set in the month of January, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have a good time, it simply means you can concentrate on skiing, hot tubbing, and enjoying the restaurants, theaters, and shops that make Telluride shine brighter than other ski resort towns.
February
Telluride Comedy Festival, 110 N Oak Street
Feeling rested and ready to laugh, February brings the Telluride Comedy Festival to our doorstep. Generally held the second weekend in February, the historic Sheridan Opera House offers the stage for a weekend that will make your jaws ache, your stomach muscles cry, and your heart feel full. Thursday night is Local’s Night, a night when our hometown funny men and women take center stage and if you can’t get tickets, the after show held at the Fig in the Show Bar provides more chances to laugh and is free. For the remainder of the weekend, tickets will need to be purchased and the event schedule includes Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch Comedy, and an Improv Extravaganza that will have you laughing for weeks to come.
March
The Telluride calendar is quite full in March, even as it offers the last full month of ski season. On Friday nights, Snow Sounds: Après Music Series, a free live music concert series, takes place in the Conference Center Plaza from 3-6PM. Weekends at the Great Room at Altezza at the Peaks, 136 Country Club Drive, Thursday through Sunday, offers more free music, this time provided by our favorite local musicians.
Easter on Ice takes place, where the kids can ice skate with the Easter Bunny and hunt for Easter Eggs. March is also when the annual Cardboard Sled Derby takes place. Yes, this is exactly what it sounds like, a race (derby) of cardboard sleds that takes place at the NASTAR Race Hill in Mountain Village. Even if you don’t participate, just watching the colorful cardboard sleds zip down the hill is definitely going to be a fun activity that will possibly start your kids’ creative juices flowing, perhaps encouraging them to make their own sleds at home.
April
April is the end of ski season offering another chance to give our town and its residences a chance to breathe and relax after a long and wonderful winter of snow and magic. The gondola closes for its annual maintenance, the snow continues to melt, and although there isn’t a lot going on, there are still a few things that may pique your interest, including the Easter on Ice activity we mentioned earlier for those years when Easter falls in the month of April.
KOTO Spring Street Dance, The End of Ski Season
As much as we love winter, we enjoy celebrating spring equally and as the days grow longer, the snow caps begin to shrink, this last special event, the KOTO Spring Street Dance shows our love for both seasons and our appreciation for quirky. Featuring live music (so much easier to dance to) costumed participants (count how many flamingoes you see, just for fun!) and let the energy of the season of promise enter your soul.
May
As we get closer to summer, the temps reach near perfect heights, staying pleasant and warm in the daytime while dropping to cuddling lows at night. Fireplaces are still cozy necessities, layering is the best way to dress, and right before Memorial Day, the gondola opens once again, making it easier and more fun to explore the following festivals in Telluride.
Mountainfilm Festival, Memorial Day Weekend
We’re not above providing a little competition to that other film festival in that other mountain state (both shall remain nameless but if you know, you know) and our Mountainfilm Festival has been a Memorial Day staple for 45 years. Celebrating documentaries that make you think, laugh, and cry, the movies are aired in over a dozen local venues, Featuring coffee talks, programs for students, music, and a passion for everything that makes movies magical and if you choose to participate you are helping to further the arts as well as exposing the truths behind many of the issues explored in each documentary shown.
Telluride Balloon Festival
It was difficult to determine where on this guide to Telluride we should place this exciting and beautiful festival that generally takes place the end of May, the beginning of June, but since 2024’s festival starts May 31, we decided it was the perfect May festival. Offering fire, color, and a gracefully excellent time, the Telluride Balloon Festiva lasts three days, starting in the early morning hours. (6AM) Enjoy refreshments purchased from local vendors as you watch the beautiful big balloons float upward to the clouds and on Saturday night, Balloon Glow on Mainstreet provides a display of lights so stunning it will take your breath away.
June
Summer starts in June and as much as we love the excitement of winter, we must admit that our summer adventures are something we look forward to every year. And apparently our town feels the same way as June offers a whopping five festivals (and special events that should encourage you to check out the summer home of America’s favorite winter playground.
Huck Finn & Becky Thatcher Day
This special event will be an exciting one for your children, celebrating the special magic that American author Mark Twain brought into our lives. The Telluride Elks sponsor this unique event in which kids 10 and under can compete in a fishing contest, held at the Kid’s Pond in Telluride Town Park located at 500 E Colorado Avenue. Registration is scheduled to begin at 9:30AM, the fishing derby starts at 11, and poles are available for the kids to use. Food and drink will also be available, including hamburgers, hot dogs, and soft drinks.
Wild West Fest, Historic Sheridan Opera House
For 30 years the Sheridan Arts Foundation has been holding this meaningful festival, bringing kids from Boys and Girls Clubs from four different states to Telluride. Costing absolutely nothing for the kids and their families, the events held during this weeklong event are a mix of music, games, visits to restaurants for the kids and their families. Some of the events open to the public will be concerts (Big Head Todd and the Monsters are performing during the 2004 event) and the Wild West Fest Roundup which features stagecoach rides, sheep-shearing demonstrations and so much more will be open to the public, so everyone can participate in the fun.
Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Telluride Town Park
Offering four days of bluegrass music played in the shadow of the mountains, free workshops are held daily Thursday through Sunday and Nightgrass takes the celebration to the next level. What is Nightgrass you ask? Well, it is simply more music being played under the ethereal light of the moon!
Telluride Yoga Festival, Mountain Village and Other Locations
This healthy festival is the longest running of its sort, having visited Mountain Village for over 15 years and the four days of events include not just yoga, but meditation, hiking, music, workshops, and a whole bunch of outdoor adventures that will feed your soul.
Telluride Plein Air
Plein air is the art of painting outdoors, and the Telluride Plein Air Festival comes to town in summer, bringing with it style, culture, and a unique experience that visitors can bring a piece of to their homes. Hosted by the Sheridan Fine Arts Foundation, the festival serves as a fundraiser for all the good things that they do, while providing contests, sales, and the opportunity to watch the master artists create their masterpieces.
July
With summer in full swing the streets of Telluride are teeming with tourist s and locals enjoying fine weather and even more festivals in Telluride CO, many of which are listed below.
Telluride Table
Celebrating the food and wine of Telluride, this delicious festival lasts about four days, which we can promise will not be long enough.
Telluride Americana Music Festival
The Historic Sheridan Opera House takes center stage once again, this time with a two-day-long music festival that celebrates the best of Americana music.
Telluride Baseball Festival
It only makes sense that the boys of summer are celebrated with a summer festival, and even better, this special event can be a life changer for the players participating, offering instructions and camps provided by the top college and professional coaches. Held at Telluride Town Park, is there any better way to spend a summer day?
August
As the good times ramp up in the heart of summer, these fun festivals help remind travelers that Telluride is a summer escape as well.
Telluride Jazz Festival
For nearly 50 years, the Telluride Jazz Festival has been held in Telluride Town Park, celebrating the creativity of the world’s best jazz musicians, some still working their way towards making their mark in the music world, others firmly established. Lasting three lovely days and three wonderful nights, the music will enhance your Colorado vacation.
Telluride Mushroom Festival
Quirky, magical, and informational, this unusual festival celebrates the fungus, the legend, and the science behind its growth. Held in various locations all over town, its free events fit into the tightest of budgets.
Telluride Film Festival
Not to be confused with Mountainfilm, the Telluride Film Festival finishes out the summer hijinks, taking place on Labor Day weekend. Offering four days filled with the magic of Hollywood, the films celebrated here are not in town for a competition, but rather as a way to pay homage to the stories and the people who make them.
September
If you stay still enough you can almost feel the energy vibrating as winter grows ever closer, bringing the days you wish would never end. In the meantime, these fun festivals reflect the quirky spirit and vibe of our mountain town.
Telluride Blues & Brews Festival
Offering blues music and refreshing local beers, this festival can be enjoyed by your tiniest travelers as it also features a selection of kiddo activities including a rock climbing wall, bounce houses, and so much more. It’s the music that will speak to your soul, however, exploring not just blues, but gospel, funk, indie, and rock and the extra activities that take place during the festival will keep you entertained.
Telluride Autumn Classic
The backdrop of fall colors provides a fascinating contrast between the classic cars, motorcycles, and aircraft that are the stars of this fall favorite festival. The Telluride Autumn Classic adds music, food, and art to create a festival that is as close to perfect as can be.
October
The countdown is getting serious as the calendar pages turn even closer to the winter months and these chilling festivals and events will give visitors a spooktacular Colorado escape.
Telluride Horror Show
Everyone loves a scary movie at Halloween, and this four-day festival celebrates the best of the best. Spend your daylight and nighttime hours watching the newest and scariest of movies and come home to Accommodations in Telluride to enjoy a great night’s sleep without nightmares!
November and December
The holidays and ski season are the focal points of the last two months of the year, but we don’t think you will mind as you enjoy Mountain Village, which is transformed into a holiday village and, of course, the Torchlight Parade that meanders down the mountain on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
