Festivals and Events in Telluride Colorado

Festivals

Telluride: Celebrating a little bit of everything and even Nothing.

Nestled deep in the majestic San Juan Mountains in the Southwest corner of Colorado, you will find a small town rich in history, tradition, and beauty. Once specializing and thriving in the mining of natural resources, now dedicates itself to 300 days of sunshine, premier skiing, and one of the most anticipated festival lineups in the nation. This little oasis, boxed-in on three sides by 12,000 - 13,000 foot peaks, plays host to over 20 unique festivals each year ranging from popular live concerts to absolutely nothing at all.

Telluride's reputation as a sleepy, quiet mining town has quickly transformed into one of the most slam-packed summer festival scenes in the United States. Festivarians from all around the country and world get addicted to this tiny box canyon to celebrate what they love, even if it's doing nothing at all.

Bluegrass - June 21-24, 2012
Performers say there is a unique thrill to performing in front of the smartest, most attentive audience in the country. Artists are encouraged to take risks in Telluride, and the Festivarian audience is regularly rewarded with unique blends of voices sharing the stage for the first time - as a new musical friendship cultivated backstage makes its debut on the Telluride stage.
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Blues & Brews - September 14-16, 2012
The Telluride Blues & Brews Festival takes place in Telluride Town Park, a renowned outdoor music venue with breath-taking mountain peaks for a backdrop. At the heart of our venue is the Fred Shellman Memorial Stage, a small, humble wooden stage that has held the weight of legends over the years. When B.B. King performed here in 2004, he sat on this same stage, looked out at the mountains before him, and told the crowd, "Out of the 90 different countries I've been to, I've never seen anything more beautiful than what you have here." It's not the altitude that'll take your breath away. It's the views.
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History of Festivals
The Telluride Ski Resort was born in 1972 and has been a "secret gem" among ski resorts across the entire nation to this day. When the snow started thawing in late April, the town's social structure took a turn with very little going on during the summer months. Locals began having parties and "get togethers" on random weekends to waste time on the sluggish months while the slopes were closed - a group of Hang Gliders would get together, friends who enjoyed dancing, and even local's who would get together, set up a couple tables, socialize, and drink Gin. Little did they know, these local "grassroots" parties were the beginning of the festival culture that took private parties to the public level and essentially began the festival frenzy.
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Horror Festival - October 14-16, 2011
October 15, 16, 17, 2010 marked the first-ever Telluride Horror Show, a 3-Day horror film festival in world-famous Telluride, Colorado. For three days, horror fans were invited to experience the latest independent horror films in Telluride's historic Sheridan Opera House and Nugget Theater. Feature films, short films, special programs, guests, and a party or two. If you love horror flicks then you don't want to miss the next show....
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Jazz Festival - August 3-5, 2012
More than a festival, Telluride Jazz Celebration, August 6-8, is a musical experience surrounded in beauty and alive with character. The Telluride Jazz Celebration has consistently earned national and international favor for featuring the best in classic, mainstream, blues, African and Latin jazz music, and this year will be no exception. Celebrating 34 years of musical mastery, extraordinary moments abound when high altitude, great attitude and the Rocky Mountains take hold.
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MountainFilm - May 25-28, 2012
The Telluride Mountainfilm festival began in 1979 as an opportunity for climbers and mountaineers to enjoy the rugged outdoors surrounding Telluride during the day and watch films about mountains and mountain cultures at night. It has evolved over the intervening decades to embrace a much wider and more diverse audience and our programming now stretches to the leading edges of contemporary social, cultural and environmental issues.
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Photo Festival - September 26-October 2, 2011
2010 is the year of Telluride’s first Photo Festival. It's an inspiring event to culminate the vibrant Telluride Colorado festival season. The world's most renowned outdoor and adventure photographers will share their art and their passion at Telluride's inaugural Photography Festival September 20 - 26, 2010. The core of the weeklong event is geared toward professional and experienced amateur photographers with photography workshops, seminars, symposiums, portfolio reviews and exhibits.
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Telluride Film Festival - August 31-September 3, 2012
The prestigious Telluride Film Festival ranks among the world’s best film festivals and is an annual gathering of cinema enthusiasts, filmmakers, critics and industry insiders. It is considered a major launching ground for the fall season’s most talked-about films. Co-founded in 1974 by Tom Luddy, James Card and Bill and Stella Pence, Telluride Film Festival, nestled in the beautiful mountain town of Telluride, Colorado, is a four-day international educational event celebrating the art of film. The Festival’s long-standing commitment is to join filmmakers and film connoisseurs together to experience great cinema.
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Wine Festival - June 27-July 1, 2012
Since 2005, the Telluride Wine Festival has been a celebration of amazing wines and cooking demonstrations – all set with the beautiful San Juan mountains and Telluride as the back-drop. Celebrated chefs and wineries come to Telluride every year to show off their products and talents and you can participate in luncheons, wine tasting and cooking classes. Apart from 4 days of these events, there are also two nights of amazing musical acts in Town Park.
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Yoga Festival - July 12-15, 2012
In the summer of 2007, in a beautiful little mountain town in Colorado an inspired Jivamukti Yoga Instructor, Aubrey Hackman had a vision. Her vision was to create a Yoga event in the magnificent setting in which she was so fortunate to call home. But her vision went beyond the physical yoga experience. Having just returned from training with her teachers Sharon Gannon and David Life, whose strong message of vegetarianism and environmentalism rings through all of their yoga teachings, Aubrey was inspired to create an event that would not only provide yoga students of all levels an enriching experience but also offer them the opportunity to have a positive impact on the world.
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