How to Attend the Telluride Bluegrass Festival

Love music in the mountains? The Telluride Bluegrass Festival, set in the scenic San Juan Mountains, is an experience for the senses. See sustainability in effect. Hear the world's greatest bluegrass acts. Taste fresh fair treats. Smell the clean mountain air. Here's how to make the magic happen.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Money for tickets
• A place to crash (camp site, condo, rental house, etc.)
• Beer money for Fat Tire
• Tarp or low-back lawn chair for seating
• Sunscreen

1. 
   Telluride Town Park

   Buy a four-day or single-day pass at shop.bluegrass.com, by calling 800-624-2422, or stopping by the festival box office in downtown Telluride, Colorado. Or hope for a miracle. It could happen.

2. 
   Telluride Bluegrass Festival pickers

   Arrange for lodging by calling the Telluride Reservations Center at 877-443-1843 or visiting bluegrass.com. Camp sites are available near the festival grounds and can be reserved, if not already sold out, at bluegrass.com. Plan ahead by securing lodging early.

3. 
   Telluride Bluegrass Festival crowd

   Join the Festivarian Nation by heading to the festival grounds from 10 a.m. to midnight, Thursday through Sunday. Those looking for the best spot may want to jump in line early, joining the tarp rush as the sun rises each morning of the festival. While at the shows, enjoy live bluegrass and newgrass, food and drink in a happy, energetic setting.

4. 
   Workshop in Elk Park

   Also, enjoy live music and workshops downtown on the Telluride Bluegrass Festival's Elk Park stage. Take in late-night bluegrass at Telluride's intimate music venues during wildly popular NightGrass shows.

5. 
   Family tent fun

   Bring the whole family, as children 12 and younger are free when accompanied by a paying adult. With face painting, fair treats and hula hoops, Telluride Bluegrass is a family-friendly event for music lovers of all ages. Make sure to apply sunscreen and drink plenty of water when hanging out at 9,000 feet.

6. 
   Telluride Town Park

   Support the Telluride Bluegrass Festivals' promise of sustainability. Become a true Festivarian by reusing cups, plates and silverware, recycling plastic, paper and aluminum, and composting items most consider trash with the help of the festival's insightful ecofriendly bunch, the Compost Crew.

Tips & Warnings

• Use tarps or low-back chairs as seating
• Preserve the moment by taping shows
• Hula hoop, dance and sing along to the music
• Grab a seat on an empty tarp until the owner returns
• Enjoy refreshing New Belgium beer products in reusable cups
• Remember sunscreen and hydrate with water stored in reusable containers
• Check out the variety of craft, clothing and food vendors
• Carpool if possible
• No pets, alcohol, glass, video cameras
• No disc playing in the Festival area
• No empty chairs, tents, cooking, and sleeping while waiting in line

Resources

• Planet Bluegrass
• Telluride Bluegrass Festival
• Telluride Tourism Board
• Telluride Chamber of Commerce
• Colorado Tourism

[leemarcusmusic]

on 9/1/2009 Nice! 5* and rec

[AprilEClark]

on 6/19/2009 In the spirit of Telluride this weekend: Glenwood brothers bond with bluegrass. http://bit.ly/Rlts6