Considering that the 2011 Bluegrass Festival sold out in record time, with over 11,000 people flocking to Telluride to camp, party and hear great music, finding a pass was a bit tricky. Luckily, I scored a spot volunteering for the Telluride Ski and Snowboard Club’s flank steak booth. Now, working the festival is obviously far different from attending it. While most folks line up at the crack of dawn with lawn chairs and running shoes, preparing for the great sprint to secure a sweet tarp spot once the park gates open (known as the tarp run), I casually strolled in, slipped behind all the food and beer booths, and prepared sandwiches. As my friend told me, it was probably the best way to experience the festival for the first time. The music, of course, was fantastic – most notably Mumford & Sons, Old Crow Medicine Show and Robert Plant and the Band of Joy. The people watching, however, was even better. Every restaurant and bar was a mad house; every spot of grass in town park, Illium Valley and the high school had a tent on it. Honestly, I saw more canvas, tie-dye and dreadlocks in one weekend than I’ve seen in my entire life. And now that the busiest weekend of the year has passed, I can admit that I am more of a fan of bluegrass than I once was. But before going overboard, let’s be honest and all agree that using a bluegrass song for a bluegrass festival video would be a little cliché. Would it not? Song: “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” by Starfucker