The summer months can be just as popular here in Telluride as the winter ones, a fact that may surprise travelers who think of our mountain village as a winter playground. The snow melts, the temperatures rise, and we spend even more time outside than we do during the cold months, enjoying the change of pace, and in June, the fun we can have at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival! 2023 is the 50th anniversary of this classic event, and we at Accommodations in Telluride can’t wait for the gates to open and the music to begin playing. Held June 15-18th this year, (generally it is held the second weekend of the month, beginning on Thursday) this traditional kick-off to the glory days of summer may just become your newest obsession, as you kick it under the blue skies that serve as a peaceful backdrop to the mountains and the music before heading back to your Accommodations in Telluride vacation haven for a good night’s sleep and the opportunity to wake up and start the festivities all over again!
Telluride Town Park
Telluride Town Park hosts many local gatherings, but the annual Bluegrass Festival may absolutely be our favorite, providing music from all walks of life and offering workshops, writing competitions, food, drink, and even a family tent in which the kiddos can learn to appreciate the music you have loved for ages. The gates open at 10 AM on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday and at 9 AM on Saturday, leading the way to days filled with food, music, fun, and pure bliss. Each day of the Telluride, Colorado Bluegrass Festival offers a different lineup of some of the best performers in the country, with 2023 bringing some names you may remember, including Robert Plant, Emmylou Harris, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, and Mary Chapin Carpenter, as well as some newbies in the field that the festival organizers think you should start watching!
Firstgrass
Here’s a little-known secret that we at Accommodations in Telluride are happy to share with our wonderful guests. Although the official Telluride, Colorado Bluegrass Festival starting date is June 15th (in 2023), Firstgrass, starting on Wednesday, June 14th, offers a sneak peak into what you can expect for the remainder of the weekend! Offering a couple of different performances in Mountain Village, guests can ride the free Gondola up to an evening filled with music and laughter and because there are some great restaurants in Mountain Village, be sure to bring your appetite along with your love of music!
Nightgrass
For a lot of outdoor music festivals the fun stops when the sun sets but Telluride has never been one to follow the “rules” and when the moon rises, the best is about to begin! Away from the main stage, at venues all over town, the sounds we all love will continue late into the night and as you hang out at the Telluride Conference Center listening to the stylings of Leftover Salmon, or the Palm Theater where Greensky Bluegrass sets the world on fire, or even the Sheridan Opera House with the Sarah Jarosz, you may begin to wish for the magical ability to slow down time! The Telluride Conference Center performances are for all ages, but the ones at the Palm Theater and the Sheridan Opera House are 21+ so plan accordingly!
Contests
New music is always appreciated, with or without a festival and the contest offered at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival ensures that the world has plenty of new stuff to love! The 30th Annual Troubadour Contest chooses 10 finalists to perform at the Bluegrass Festival where they will compete against each other for cash prizes, bragging rights, and the opportunity to perform for you on the Main Stage.
Workshops at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival
The Workshop Stage, set up at Elk’s Park off W Colorado Avenue, is a free event featuring the same headliners you may have just witnessed performing on the Main Stage, only in a much more laidback atmosphere! Similar to spring training games in baseball, this smaller stage promises to offer some of your favorite performances during the workshops making it the perfect way to spend a day when you didn’t buy tickets for all four days of the festival! Additionally, don’t be surprised if as you are out and about doing fun Telluride things, someone somewhere spontaneously begins performing as the music bug bites their soul a little harder. The streets of Telluride, no matter where you may be strolling or exploring, have been known to inspire music in the hearts of performers from all over the world!
Come Home to Accommodations in Telluride
When the last note fades away into the night and your eyes begin to have difficulty staying open, coming home to Accommodations in Telluride promises to keep the magic alive even longer. Sleep deep, dream happy, and reserve your favorite mountain sanctuary today!
