It doesn’t really matter when you are reading this, the holidays are coming your way, and if you are like most of America, you may be in the midst of planning a holiday journey to someplace new and wonderful, perhaps some place such as Telluride. Our mountain town is often thought of as primarily a winter vacation destination hot spot, but the truth is that a Telluride vacation will be a dream come true, no matter what part of the year you are visiting or which holiday you will be celebrating. And so, we at Accommodations in Telluride have created this ultimate guide to celebrating all the holidays in Telluride, holidays that will be more fun, exciting, and joyful because you also chose our Colorado holiday hideaways for your accommodations!
The Summer Holidays in Telluride
Summer really is a most fantastic time of year, as the temperatures stay in the moderate range, remaining firmly in the 70s in the daytime and dipping into 40s at night. Pack the clothing you can layer for this trip, peeling off each piece that grows too warm as the sun rises and don’t forget a coat or jacket for nighttime adventures. Keep your camera handy as you explore all Telluride has to do during the summer holidays, because you are going to want to immortalize your views of verdant forests, meadows, and maybe even the backyard of your Accommodations in Telluride retreat, by taking as many pictures as you have room for in your camera’s memory, especially when celebrating your summer holiday of choice!
Memorial Day Weekend
Memorial Day Weekend is often considered the kick off to summer, even as it truly is a spring holiday, but we don’t nitpick here, and we certainly don’t have an issue to its season identity. For us in Telluride, Memorial Day Weekend is the time for barbecues and hikes through the woods, but it is also when Mountainfilm, our Telluride documentary film festival comes to town. Offering 5 days of movies, celebrity sightings, workshops, and more, film buffs will want to ensure that their visit to Telluride coincides with this event!
Independence Day
July 4th is such a wholesome holiday, celebrating our nation’s birthday with a variety of very kid-friendly events and activities and even though you don’t get a three-day weekend out of it most years, our celebrations are so exciting, you won’t want to miss out on a single moment. July 4th is when the end of Telluride Plein Air festival takes place, with the finished works of all the artists who participated being shown and offered for sale. It is when Red, White, and Blues, a three-day-long summer music festival opens its gates, offering music, food and beverage, and crafty vendors selling pretty much everything artistic under the sun. Kids love the face painting, magic show, and cotton candy, while adults love the music, the beer, and the food trucks selling the most delicious of meals, making this event one of our most popular. And, because what is 4th of July without a parade and fireworks, the celebration begins in the morning with a patriotic parade and ends after dark with fireworks!
Labor Day
The thing about Labor Day is that it is supposed to be a day without labor and even though that means there won’t be any special events, no fireworks shows, or special meals, the holiday that celebrates the official end of summer might just be one of our favorites. It will be starting to cool down a bit, summer isn’t our long season, but the trees won’t yet have begun their fall metamorphosis, remaining dark green and filled with the lives of birds and squirrels too busy preparing for winter to celebrate by being lazy. The flowerboxes on Main Street will still offer colorful blooms and quite often, signs in the windows of the shops will advertise wonderful holiday sales. This quiet weekend is sure to be one that you will never forget, reforging your strength to prepare for the season of holidays that lie ahead of you and “forcing” you to fall in love with the tranquil beauty that is Telluride.
Fall and Winter Holidays in Telluride
The ‘ber holidays (the ones that occur in months ending in “ber”) are magical ones in our mountain town, offering an electric excitement while still remaining the serene and tranquil place that Telluride has always been at its core. We combine the two together here, because there truly isn’t much distinction between fall and winter, at least temperature wise, especially as October is when we get our first snow. Packing takes up a little more room than it does in the summer as you fill your suitcase with sweaters, jeans, thick socks, and yes, thermal underwear does do it job to help keep you toasty and warm. Travelers life hack number one in the winter months is to carry your winter coat with you and use it as a blanket or a pillow on the plane; it saves room in your suitcase!
A Scary and Fun Telluride Halloween
Spooky season lasts nearly the entire month of October with our Telluride Horror Show (a horror movie film festival) taking place sometime near the 10th of the month and the month ending with traditional Halloween activities such as parades, parties, and trick or treating. In between you may want to explore the goose bump raising Telluride Ghost Hunt that takes place mid-October at the Telluride Historical museum. On October 31, there are so many things you can do that you may wish there were more hours in the day. A parade starts out the day and Scary-oke, a Halloween bash, community glow flow, and of course trick or treating.
Thankful for a Colorado Thanksgiving
You’ll have a lot to be thankful for when you spend Thanksgiving in Telluride, as there is so much to look forward to in the area at this time. The morning starts with a Turkey Trot, a free 5K/Fun Run, a fun event encourages participants to dress up in costume and offers prizes for best costume as well as fastest man, woman, and child! Many if not most restaurants will be open on Thanksgiving, so while you can certainly prepare your own turkey feast in our gourmet kitchens, you won’t have to.
Feeling Festive at Christmas in Telluride
The entire month of December is all about Christmas, and if you don’t feel like being far from home on this most loved holiday, you can still experience a festive Christmas in Telluride by visiting anytime in the month! Nordic ski season kicks off the month with a little shindig that includes appetizers, drinks, and a silent auction, generally held sometime in the first week of the month and the first weekend is devoted to our Telluride Arts Holiday Bazaar, held at the Ah Haa School for the Arts. (We don’t think we need to tell you all that you will find during this fun event.) Noel Night is our favorite night, offering the lighting of the ceremonial ski tree (yes, it is a tree made entirely from old skis, something that we think is really cool.) After the lighting of the tree, the stores will be open, offering fantastic deals on items that are whimsical, fun, or even practical, making it easy to cross the names off your Christmas list.
Telluride Twinkles Joyfully at Christmas
It really will look like you are living inside a life-sized snow globe when enjoying Christmas in Telluride and if you live in snow country you probably already know how much more breathtaking the colorful lights are when they are reflected in a blanket of white snow. So grab a thermos of hot cocoa, load the kids in the car, and spend at least one night of your stay driving around and looking at the lights.
In mid-December, Mountain Village is transformed into the North Pole, offering light displays, holiday train rides, ice skating, and the much awaited Santa encounters that will include long conversations about how good your children have been and all the presents they are dreaming about waking up to on Christmas Day. One of our favorite Christmas traditions involves seeing the lights from inside the Telluride gondola that makes its way up and down the mountain daily during ski season; it is a breathtaking adventure you will never forget and costs absolutely nothing! Oh, and we can’t forget the Christmas Eve torchlight parade that starts at the top of the Gondola and meanders down into the town of Telluride, performed by local ski instructors all skiing by torchlight.
Channukah in the Rockies
Channukah is also celebrated in Telluride with an annual Menorah Lighting and Channukah ceremony, mostly occurring on the first night of the holiday, but in some years, it has also been held on the 4th night or even the last night of Channukah. Offering live music, a 10-foot menorah that will be lit as part of the ceremony, children’s activities, hot cocoa and Kosher Latkes, this wonderful and worthy celebration will enhance the quality of your holiday stay.
Farewell to the Old Year, Hello to the New One
That was certainly a quick trip through the year, but before we say farewell, we can’t forget to explore all there is to do in Telluride on New Year’s Eve. The beauty of a late December night will make you forget if your year has been less than stellar and because you are stepping into the new year from the comfort of our holiday hideaways, the next 12 months of your life should be fantastic ones. A torchlight parade is again at the top of our must attend list, just don’t be in a hurry to leave at show’s end, as a fireworks display will light up the night shortly after parade’s end. If you do miss it, however, you will have a second chance to enjoy the fireworks, this time during the countdown to midnight. Colorado Avenue closes its streets to cars and becomes a festive party spot with live music and a street dance and just when you think it can’t get any better, the big booms begin again!
Come Home to Accommodations in Telluride for the Holidays
As you might be able to see, every holiday is the best time to visit Telluride, just as our homes and condos are the best places to stay! Designed to be the centerpiece of any celebration, your stay will be a blend of comfort and tranquility (there is no better feeling than what you feel when snugging in front of a roaring fire as a winter storm blows outside) and crazy holiday fun (your at-home dance party on New Year’s Eve will be enhanced by the music streaming on whole house speaker systems) our homes promise to provide everything you need to celebrate any holiday!
Fully Equipped Kitchens, Tranquil Bedrooms, and Hot Tubs on the Decks
Luxury amenities can be found in the smaller extras, including high-speed internet, gas fireplaces, or just the wine opener tucked away in a drawer in the kitchen or can be the big things, including game rooms, home theaters, and hot tubs on the deck. The mountains are calling during all the seasons and your answer can only be yes! Especially as there will be no sour notes when you choose our Telluride vacation rentals for your holiday excitement and relaxation, so reserve your favorite Telluride vacation home today and explore all that Accommodations in Telluride has to offer.
