Telluride Blues & Brews Festival Bible
Blues and Brews Who’s ready for some of that and GORGEOUS Telluride views? We love Blues & Brews and we want you to be ready for an epic weekend in Telluride… so we’ve shared Telluride.com‘s “Blues & Brews Bible” – A complete guide on what to do, what to bring, who to see, where to eat/drink/play and any other info that will help you have the best weekend of your life. CHEERS!
What to Do – A lot of your time will be taken up in Town Park (not a bad thing)… BUT, if you want to get outside and explore all that Telluride has to offer, here are a few recommendations on ‘What to Do’ around town this weekend:
Drink Beer – Yes, please. The general theme of the entire festival is to drink beer and be merry… Saturday will host 50+ microbreweries from across the nation during the Grand Tasting in Town Park. Make sure you travel around and “taste” these amazing brews. And don’t forget to vote for your favorite brew (you’ll receive a chip in your tasting glass to place at your favorite brewery tent). For a complete list of ALL the breweries attending this year’s festival, click here: http://tellurideblues.com/breweries.html
Sunset Blues Concert – Thursday evening, September 13th 5:00-7:00pm, FREE kick off Blues & Brews Festival Concert in Mountain Village Sunset Plaza featuring MarchFourth Marching Band. Bring a blanket and a bottle of wine and come celebrate the 19th annual Telluride Blues & Brews festival in style!
Juke Joints – These Late Night Shows are one of the best parts of our festival weekend! Listen to your favorite bands up close and personal at some of Telluride’s most historic venues. Little Hurricane kicks off our four night juke joint schedule with stellar lineups Friday and Saturday nights closing with Anders Osborne & Friends on Sunday. Buy a Friday and/or Saturday Juke Joint ticket and you’ll be able to attend a show of your choice (first come, first serve)…but make sure you get these early, they will definitely sell-out! ANYTHING at the Sheridan Opera House is not to be missed!
Telluride Farmers Market – Friday afternoon from 11:00am-4:00pm on South Oak Street, the Telluride Farmers Market will take place. Stroll through many local vendors and farmers providing great products – flowers, vegetables, kettle corn popcorn (you’ve got to try this stuff!), live music, massages, art and much more! For a list of vendors, visit: http://www.thetelluridefarmersmarket.com/
Blues for Breakfast – The top 6 entries from the Telluride Acoustic Blues Competition will play at the Elks Lodge on Saturday, September 15th from 9:00am-Noon. The winner of the competition will play on Main Stage later that afternoon. Come eat pancakes and cheer on the finalists! For more info, check out: http://tellurideblues.com/competition.html
Hike – If you need a break (recommended) from all the delicious beer… check out one of our amazing hiking trails that start from Downtown. Bear Creek Trail is less than one block from Town Park (S. Pine Street) and is a perfect beginner trail (5 miles round trip, gradual the entire way) up to the beautiful Bear Creek Falls. If you need a little more challenging hike, check out the Jud Wiebe Trail (N. Aspen Street) that takes you to an overlook of the entire town. This trail is fairly steep at the beginning (2.5 miles round trip) with several switchbacks… but, the view from the top is worth every step. Bring your camera for killer shots of Town, Town Park, the Ski Resort and more. For more information and pictures of local hikes, check out our top favorite hikes in Telluride: http://www.telluride.com/lodging/top-five-hikes-telluride
Ride the Gondola – The only FREE transportation of its kind in the country… the Gondola is a must-do while visiting Telluride. If you don’t journey up to the free concert on Thursday night, make sure you take the time to check out this spectacular ride. Get out up top (San Sophia) to hike around or ride it down into Mountain Village to check out the local bars, shops and restaurants.
Walk the River Trail – Our “major” thoroughfare in the town of Telluride, the River Trail connects the West end of Telluride to the East End & Town Park. Take a walk along the beautiful San Miguel River to and from your condo or hotel… or walk all the way “Down Valley” to get some excerise and/or see wild elk.
Mingle with the Locals – After spending the weekend here in Telluride… you’re going to want to come back, we can promise you that. Mingle with some locals at the festival, bar, restaurants… and make friends. It’s always good to have a connection in town so you can get the “local scoop” when you visit us again for the ski season or next summer!
Rainbow Kids Area – This is definitely a kid-friendly event! Children 11 and under are free at the festival and campground. The Rainbow Kids area provides plenty of entertainment on the festival grounds, including inflatable games and climbing wall, face painting, talent show, and more.
See Bridal Veil Falls – Want to check out Colorado’s largest free-falling waterfall? It’s right in our backyard. Ideally, a car would be the easiest and closest way to check it out… but you can hike down (along the River Trail) to the parking area and see the falls and old mining structures. At 360+ feet, its a must-see!
Here’s the Full Schedule:
Thursday, September 13, 2012 – 9:00PM
Juke Joint:
Little Hurricane, Sheridan Opera House
Friday, September 14, 2012
Festival Gates Open 11:30AM
Pickwick 12:00-1:00PM
Little Hurricane 1:20-2:30PM
Heartless Bastards 2:50-4:00PM
Robert Randolph & the Family Band 4:20-5:30PM
Little Feat 5:50-7:00PM
The B-52s 7:45-9:00PM
10:00PM – Juke Joints:
Pickwick, Fly Me to the Moon Saloon
MarchFourth Marching Band, Main Street Tent (Corner of Willow & Main St)
Heartless Bastards, Sheridan Opera House
Todd Wolfe Band, The Elks Lodge
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Blues for Breakfast -9;00AM – 12:00PM, The Elks Lodge
Enjoy Free solo performances by Blues musicians with Breakfast, Bloody Marys, Mimosas, and a Full Cash Bar – all for a nominal fee. Telluride Acoustic Blues Competition.
Festival Gates Open 11:00AM
Grand Tasting with over 50 Microbrewers
12:00-3:00PM
Monophonics 12:00-1:00PM
Orgone 1:20-2:20PM
MarchFourth Marching Band 2:40-3:40PM
Anders Osborne 4:00-5:10PM
Acoustic Blues Competition Winner 5:10-5:30PM
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue 5:30-7:00PM
Gov’t Mule 7:30-9:30PM
10:00PM – Juke Joints
Orgone Fly, Me to the Moon Saloon
Monophonics, The Elks Lodge
Anders Osborne, Sheridan Opera House
The Lee Boys, Main Street Tent (Corner of Willow & Main St)
Fais, Do-Do
Sunday, September 16, 2012 –
Blues for Breakfast -9;00AM – 12:00PM, The Elks Lodge
Enjoy Free solo performances by Blues musicians with Breakfast, Bloody Marys, Mimosas, and a Full Cash Bar – all for a nominal fee. Big Jim Adam & John Stilwagen.
Festival Gates Open 10:30AM
The Lee Boys 11:00AM-12:00PM
Kelley Hunt 12:20-1:20PM
Phil Wiggins & Rev. John Wilkins 1:30-2:25PM
Tab Benoit 2:45-3:45PM
The Chris Robinson Brotherhood 4:05-5:15PM
Phil Lesh & Friends*
6:00-10:00PM (2 sets)
10:30pm – Juke Joints:
Anders Osborne & Friends with Alvin Lee and Roosevelt Collier from The Lee Boys, Tab Benoit, plus Special Guests, Sheridan Opera House
~MTN Town Magazine
PHOTO CREDITS: MTN Town Magazine, Telluride Blues & Brews Festival
MtnTownViews.com is MTN Town Magazine‘s daily journal blogging about Colorado’s mountain towns. Like them on Facebook and Follow on Twitter.
© 2012, MTN Town Magazine. All rights reserved. Republication, in part or entirety, requires permission.
