summer festivals in Telluride

There is a festival for everyone over the course of each Summer in Telluride, Colorado and it has the reputation of having the most scenic backdrop in the country.

From Memorial Day in May through mid October weekends are filled with everything from the arts, music, food & wine, film and much much more. Check out some of the below links and feel free to contact anyone of us at lumière about the festival season in Telluride and our accommodation packages.

SUMMER FESTIVALS & EVENTS

Spring / Early Summer Festivals:

Mountainfilm (May 24-27, 2013)
Started in 1979, Mountainfilm in Telluride is one of America’s longest-running film festivals. Through the years, in and out of trends and fads, the Mountainfilm in Telluride Festival has always been best described by one unchanging word: inspiring. Far more than any other adjective, that’s how festival audiences describe their experience.

In addition to screening leading independent documentary films from around the world, the festival includes a full-day symposium on a critical contemporary issue, art and photography exhibits, early morning coffee talks, a book signing party, an ice cream social, student programs and a closing picnic/awards ceremony. Presentations and panels are scheduled throughout the Memorial Day weekend event with a wide diversity of special guests, ranging from artists to adventurers and academics to activists.

Telluride Balloon Festival (May 31 – June 2, 2013)
The annual Telluride Balloon Rally is not to be missed and fun for all ages. The weekend festival takes place every June lining the skies above Telluride with magnificent colors.

At sunrise, the colorful hot-air balloons take off from Town Park and fly along the valley floor. At sunset, Telluride’s main street is the setting for the annual balloon glow. All events are weather permitting. If there is no wind, several balloons will tether in Town Park for tethered rides for all in attendance. Anyone wishing to get a ride on a balloon should go to the park and volunteer to be part of a crew, but you need to get there really early!

Wild West Festival (June 2 – 9, 2013)
A week long celebration of Western arts, culture and customs, the Sheridan Arts Foundation’s (SAF) Wild West Fest every summer. The SAF brings local and national performers and events to Telluride, Colorado, as a week-long benefit rewarding inner-city, disadvantaged and Native American youth from across the country during a week of cultural and educational activities.

Telluride Heritage Fest (June 7 -9, 2013)
The 5th annual Heritage Fest. The festival celebrates the history of the West, and includes Ute dancing and drumming, sheep shearing, pie eating contests, gold panning, stagecoach rides, and much more. Enjoy dramatic reenactments on Main Street and run into locals in period costumes. This festival is great for all the family and is entirely free.

Telluride Bluegrass Festival (June 20-23, 2013)
The 40th Annual Telluride Bluegrass coincides with the Summer Solstice (Thursday night); the full moon (Saturday night); and the longest day of the year which begins the Colorado summer. It’s a magical time of sun and light, when the the high country of Colorado puts away its skis and grabs hiking boots, guitars, and a low-back festival chair to take in “Bluegrass.”

The 40th Annual festival promises a magical four days of only-in-Telluride performances. Beloved Festival veterans and inspiring new talent. The Telluride royalty of virtuosic bluegrass superpickers, soulful songwriters, and some of the biggest stars in the rootsy Americana landscape.

The festival is built around the many artists that have defined the Telluride Bluegrass sound, as the weekend is sprinkled with inspired sets from Peter Rowan, Béla Fleck, Jerry Douglas, Edgar Meyer, Tim O’Brien, and of course the “King of Telluride” Sam Bush. These artists come together for the festival’s epic set from the Telluride House Band.

Since its very beginning, the festival has embraced a wide swath of roots music to create the unique genre of “Telluride Bluegrass.” Recent lineups have welcomed Robert Plant, Mumford & Sons, The Decemberists, Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris, David Byrne, Ani DiFranco, Lyle Lovett, Ryan Adams, Counting Crows, Bonnie Raitt, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, and so many more.

Nightgrass: From the twilight gondola ride leading to Yonder Mountain String Band’s 12th Annual Kick-Off Party in Mountain Village, right on through to Punch Brothers’ epic festival closing celebration at the Sheridan on Sunday, the 2013 NightGrass series make the most of the shortest nights of the year. Once again they’ll be filling 3 Telluride venues with late-night energy — the historic Sheridan Opera House, underground at the legendary Fly Me to the Moon Saloon, and the modern acoustics of the Palm Theatre on the west edge of town…

Telluride Wine Festival (June 27- July 1, 2013)
Telluride Wine Festival is an action packed weekend of good food, excellent wines, cooking demonstrations, winemakers talks, grand tastings, toasts and more.

Telluride Musicfest (June 26 – July 72013)
While Telluride already boasts many music festivals, the founders of Telluride Musicfest intended something different when they first opened their homes to festival-goers in June 2003. Josh Aronson and Vincent and Ann Mai wanted to create a unique festival to enjoy chamber music presented in its intended form – first-class musicians performing in an intimate home environment.

Josh Aronson explains, “Chamber music was intended for performance in living rooms, salons and private theaters, where two to eight musicians played at parties given by noblemen.” Aronson first started having chamber music concerts in his New York loft a few years ago as a place for musicians to have a private warm-up concert before going public. He quickly realized that “audiences love the insider-ness of it and hearing big time music in a tiny venue is thrilling.” He decided that presenting music in private homes in Telluride would be the perfect setting for such events. 2013 is our 11th year.

Telluride Plein Air (June 29 – July 5 2013)

Mid-Summer Festivals:

4th of July Celebration (July 4 2013)

Telluride Playwright’s Festival July 2013 TBD

KOTO Ride Festival (July 13-14, 2013)

Telluride Yoga Festival (July 11 – 14, 2013)
Yoga students of all levels will enjoy this life enriching experience set amongst the beautiful backdrop of Telluride and the San Juan Mountains. To enhance your spiritual, physical and mental disciplines, we have created the Early Bird Telluride Yoga Festival Package for two. Check out the link here

San Miguel Basin Fair (2013 TBD)

Telluride Americana Music Fest (July 17-20 2013)

Telluride Compassion Fest 2013 TBD

Telluride Jazz Celebration (August 2 – 4, 2013)
Since 1977 Telluride’s majestic perch – high in the spectacular San Juan mountain range in southwest Colorado – has been the site of a musical odyssey combining the finest of nature and art. Each year the Telluride Jazz Society produces one of the most memorable festivals in the country. Its intimate format and opportunities for pleasure beyond the superb music – hiking, mountain jeep tours, visits to ghost towns, horse back riding and more – bring an audience of up to 3,000 per day to this historic town. Combining both outdoor stages during the day with theater and club shows running all night long, this Jazz festival is not to be missed. We have partnered with Jazz festival to create a package including accommodations at lumière and passes. Check our our Jazz Package.

Chamber Music Festival (August 8-18, 2013)

Late Summer / Fall Festivals:

Telluride Mushroom Festival 2013 TBD

Telluride Festival of the Arts (August 16-18, 2013)

Telluride Film Festival (Aug 26- Sept. 2, 2013)
This year Telluride Film Festival will be celebrating its 40th Anniversary, scheduled for August 29 – September 2, 2013. To commemorate this special occasion an additional day has been added to the usual four-day Festival, making room for a five-day bounty of special programming and festivities. Swells of passionate film enthusiasts flood the town for four days of total cinematic immersion, embarking on a viewing odyssey, blissfully spending entire days in flickering dark rooms. With only an appreciation of celluloid to guide them, these devotees flock to the show, year after year. Why? Blind faith. They don’t reveal the program until everyone lands in town.

Telluride Blues & Brews Festival (September 13-15, 2013)
Renowned as one of the most scenic and intimate music festivals in the country, Telluride Blues & Brews takes place in in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Blues & Brews is a three-day celebration of blues, funk, jam bands, indie, rock, gospel and soul performances – accompanied by some of the best microbreweries in the country, a wide variety of food and craft vendors, children’s activities, late night shows, and much, much more.

Telluride WOW Festival (September 19 – 22, 2013)
Telluride is the festival capital of the world and added to this year’s lineup is the new Telluride Wow Fitness Festival. This fall the Telluride area will host a weekend of fun healthy fitness activities; offering something for everyone.
The Telluride Wow Festival is a health, fitness and wellness event that will bring world-class presenters, instructors and athletes to Telluride to lecture and hold fitness classes on the latest health, fitness, wellness, nutrition and medical trends.

Telluride Barbecue Festival (2013 TBD)

Telluride Horror Show (October 11-13, 2013)

Be sure to visit Telluride during the Summer to experience one of it’s world-class festivals and events.

concierge assistance