Numerous Opportunities to fall in love with Telluride

Nestled deep in the 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 summer 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. 

The small town of Telluride was built around a prosperous mining industry starting in the 1800’s and remained active up until the late 1970’s. The mines were rich in zinc, copper, lead, silver, gold, and had traces of tellurium, hence the name, Telluride. After becoming virtually a ghost town following the mining boom; “hippies” who flocked here in 60’s and skiing enthusiasts looked to tap in on the abundance of snow during the winter seasons. The Telluride Ski Resort was born in 1972 and has remained a “secret gem” among ski resorts across the 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. Many of the town residents had stumbled upon Telluride as a part of the music culture/migration of the 1970’s. Many Woodstock, Grateful Dead, and free-spirit fans ended up in the area due to the laid back lifestyle and non-corporate structure; these fans began the movement and love of music in the area. 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.

One of the first thriving festivals was created from a group of locals who enjoyed criticizing, critiquing, and viewing the silver screen. Interested in creating a traditional, European gathering of old movies, the Telluride Film Festival kicked off and the local community began whispering, “Hey, you can really produce successful festivals here”. The Telluride Bluegrass festival was another successful event that set the bar as a large scale music festival and eventually morphed into a successful yearly enterprise. Over the years, the festival culture has boomed and created numerous opportunities for tourists to fall in love with Telluride. The festival lineup consists of - Balloon, Bluegrass, Blues and Brews, Yoga, Wine, Arts, Comedy, Culinary, Plunge, Film, Cajun, Mountainfilm, Plein Air, Chamber Music, Wild Wild West, Jazz, Doo Dah, Mushroom, Technology, and the Nothing Festival. The Nothing festival originated when locals, excited about a break in the eventful summer calendar, decided to celebrate nothing happening in town.

Telluride’s reputation as a sleepy, quiet mining town has quickly transformed into one of the most diverse, fun-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.