September 2011

Who’s ready for some Blues, Brews and GORGEOUS views? We want you to be ready for an epic weekend here in Telluride… so we’ve created the “Blues & Brews Bible” – A complete guide on what to do, what to bring, who to see, where to eat/drink/play and any other info that will help you have the best weekend of your life. CHEERS! 

What to Do – A lot of your time will be taken up in Town Park (not a bad thing)… BUT, if you want to get outside and explore all that Telluride has to offer, here are a few recommendations on ‘What to Do’ around town this weekend: 

• Drink Beer – Yes, please. The general theme of the entire festival is to drink beer and be merry… Saturday will host 50+ microbreweries from across the nation during the Grand Tasting in Town Park. Make sure you travel around and “taste” these amazing brews. And don’t forget to vote for your favorite brew (you’ll receive a chip in your tasting glass to place at your favorite brewery tent). For a complete list of ALL the breweries attending this year’s festival, click here: http://tellurideblues.com/breweries.html
• Sunset Blues Concert – Thursday night, September 15^th from 5:00-7:00pm the Sugar Thieves will perform a FREE show in Mountain Village at the Sunset Plaza. Bring a blanket, bottle of wine and kickoff the 18^th annual Telluride Blues and Brews in style!
• The Great Funktier (local funk band) at The Last Dollar Saloon – Thursday night, September 15^th, your favorite local band, The Great Funktier, will bring down the house at The Last Dollar Saloon (“The Buck”). This is SURE to be an awesome time and the show is FREE! Bring your party pants… because this is going to be funky. For more info, check them out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegreatfunktier
• Telluride Farmers Market - Friday afternoon from 11:00am-4:00pm on South Oak Street, the Telluride Farmers Market will take place. Stroll through many local vendors and farmers providing great products - flowers, vegetables, kettle corn popcorn (you've got to try this stuff!), live music, massages, art and much more! For a list of vendors, visit: http://www.thetelluridefarmersmarket.com/
• Go to a Juke Joint (or two) – One of the best parts of our festival season… are the Late Night shows! The venues are amazing, the music rocks and it’s a great way to party down late into the night. Buy a Friday and/or Saturday Juke Joint ticket and you’ll be able to attend a show of your choice (first come, first serve)… but make sure you get to these early, they will definitely sell-out! We recommend going to ANYTHING at the Sheridan Opera House and don’t miss moe. at Hanley Pavilion or Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band at The Llama! For a Juke Joint schedule, visit: http://tellurideblues.com/jukeschedule.html
• Blues for Breakfast - The top 6 entries from the Telluride Acoustic Blues Competition will play at the Elks Lodge on Saturday, September 17th from 9:00am-Noon. The winner of the competition will play on Main Stage later that afternoon. Come eat pancakes and cheer on the finalists! For more info, check out: http://tellurideblues.com/competition.html
• Hike – If you need a break (recommended) from all the delicious beer… check out one of our amazing hiking trails that start from Downtown. Bear Creek Trail is less than one block from Town Park (S. Pine Street) and is a perfect beginner trail (5 miles round trip, gradual the entire way) up to the beautiful Bear Creek Falls. If you need a little more challenging hike, check out the Jud Wiebe Trail (N. Aspen Street) that takes you to an overlook of the entire town. This trail is fairly steep at the beginning (2.5 miles round trip) with several switchbacks… but, the view from the top is worth every step. Bring your camera for killer shots of Town, Town Park, the Ski Resort and more. For more information and pictures of local hikes, check out our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TellurideCO
• Ride the Gondola – The only FREE transportation of its kind in the country… the Gondola is a must-do while visiting Telluride. If you don’t journey up to the free concert on Thursday night, make sure you take the time to check out this spectacular ride. Get out up top (San Sophia) to hike around or ride it down into Mountain Village to check out the local bars, shops and restaurants.  
• Walk the River Trail – Our "major" thoroughfare in the town of Telluride, the River Trail connects the West end of Telluride to the East End & Town Park. Take a walk along the beautiful San Miguel River to and from your condo or hotel... or walk all the way "Down Valley" to get some excerise and/or see wild Elk. 
• Mingle with the Locals – After spending the weekend here in Telluride... you're going to want to come back, we can promise you that. Mingle with some locals at the festival, bar, restaurants... and make friends. It's always good to have a connection in town so you can get the "local scoop" when you visit us again for the ski season or next summer!
• See Bridal Veil Falls – Want to check out Colorado's largest free-falling waterfall? It's right in our backyard. Ideally, a car would be the easiest and closest way to check it out... but you can hike down (along the River Trail) to the parking area and see the falls and old mining structures. At 360+ feet, its a must-see!   

What to Bring – Make sure you pack for all 4 seasons… Telluride weather is extremely hard to predict. It’s been dipping down into the cooler temps (40’s) at night, so pack accordingly. Pack a rain jacket, hiking boots and a sun hat. Don’t forget your CAMERA. You’ll find great opportunities to take some beautiful photos around town and great pictures of your drunk friends. Oh yea, don’t forget to pack your Party Pants.

• For a complete list on what to bring, what NOT to bring, what’s provided on the Festival Grounds, etc… check out: http://tellurideblues.com/generalinfo-festivalguide.html

Who to See – This year’s lineup is amazing. You ideally need to see every single show because they’re all incredible and diverse. BUT, if I had to choose a couple unique shows (this is a VERY tough one) that you absolutely can’t miss… these would be the ones (for the complete schedule and times, visit: http://tellurideblues.com/schedule.html):

• The Flaming Lips – I’ve never seen The Flaming Lips live in concert… BUT, I’ve only heard good things and have loved their music for years. They recently played at Red Rocks… lead singer Wayne Coyne was in an enclosed bubble crowd surfing and they covered the entire Dark Side of the Moon album. Enough said.
• moe. – One of my favorite bands of all time. Travelled to Vegas, Denver, Boulder and NC to see these guys... moe.’s a jamband but less on the “spacey” jams… more on the rock. Reigning from New York City… they put on a fabulous show. GO SEE these guys on Saturday after the Grand Tasting and Saturday night’s Juke Joint show! You won’t be disappointed…
• Mavis Staples – Gospel-Soul singer, Mavis Staples is ready to sing her heart out in Town Park. She plays early Sunday morning… but it will be 110% worth seeing Mavis sing a full set of hope, redemption and faith.
• Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – Lead singer from the Drive-By Truckers, Jason Isbell is the man. He's about to lay down his bluesy, whiskey-soaked, soulful voice for all of Telluride. Follow him on Twitter @JasonIsbell... hilarious. Be there.
• Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band – These guys & girls are my friends from Asheville, NC and just recently played at Music on the Mountaintop in Boone, NC. Making their first Telluride debut… look out for Mohawks, high-heeled boots and a rockin’ good time.
• Willie Nelson – The man, the myth, the legend. Enough said.

Where to Eat – The festival food in Town Park is to die for. Maybe that’s because we only get to eat it a couple times a summer… or maybe it’s because there are no Fast Food restaurants in town. BUT, if you’re looking to get out of Town Park, there are some fabulous places to eat around town… here are the top places to grab a bite to eat while you’re in town. For a list of ALL restaurants, visit the 2011 Telluride Dining Guide here: http://www.telluridediningguide.com/

• Brown Dog Pizza – Want to catch some College or NFL Football between sets? Head over to the best Sports Bar in town. Brown Dog Pizza is located on Main Street and has delicious pizza, subs, salads and of course, ice cold PBR on tap.
• Floradora – Looking for the best burger in town? Checkout Floradora on Main Street for delicious burgers (get the Matty Burger!), jalapeño poppers, salads, Sliders and more!
• New Sheridan – Hands down some of the best food in town. You can eat two ways – very nice or laid back. ‘Very nice’ consists of sitting down for a nice steak and glass of wine. Or you can eat ‘Laid back’ by sitting at the bar or in the Parlor Bar for an informal meal with the same tasty menu.
• Baked in Telluride – GREAT spot to grab coffee and a quick breakfast in the morning… “BIT” offers bagels, doughnuts, croissants, muffins, pizza, sandwiches, cookies and a whole lot more.
• La Cocina – Delicious spot to grab some organic Mexican food. On main street with indoor and outdoor seating. 

Where to Drink – We like to drink here in Telluride... hence, the Blues & BREWS Festival. Here are the top bars we recommend checking out after Town Park to keep the party going:

• The Last Dollar Saloon – called “The Buck”… a great, laidback local joint to drink some PBR, play some foosball and mingle with the locals. The Buck is CASH ONLY... so don't be that guy who breaks out a credit card.
• New Sheridan – Come shoot some Pool in this historic old-timey bar. Great vibe, music and drinks.  
• The Steaming Bean – Best place in town to grab a cup of joe in the morning... live music and full bar in the evenings. The perfect, cool hangout spot to get on the internet if you need to and mingle with locals.   
• The Llama – One of the best margaritas in town… The Llama will host various Juke Joint shows all weekend long. Also, check out their Happy Hour menu – delicious burgers, sushi and DIRTY CHIPS!
• Sheridan Opera House – Great place to grab a drink and check out live music! One of my three favorite venues in the COUNTRY (the other two are Red Rocks and Telluride Town Park)... the Opera House is small, intimate, and always a good time. Go see a live show here and check it off your bucketlist.