Telluride Bluegrass Festival

Telluride Bluegrass Festival might be the most beautiful festival setting in the entire country. You're in a box canyon in the Colorado mountains, surrounded by 13,000-foot peaks, listening to some of the best acoustic music on the planet. It doesn't get much better than that.

This festival has been running since 1974, and the tradition runs deep. Families come back year after year. People propose here. Some folks have been every single year for decades. It's that kind of event - the one you build your summer around.

The lineup goes way beyond bluegrass these days. Sure, you'll hear fiddles and banjos, but you'll also catch Americana, folk, indie rock, and singer-songwriter acts that push the genre in new directions. Yonder Mountain String Band and Greensky Bluegrass are regulars, but you might also see names like Jason Isbell or Brandi Carlile on the bill.

Town Park is the main venue, and it's right in the heart of Telluride. You can walk from your campsite to the stage in five minutes, grab lunch on Main Street, and be back for the afternoon set without missing a beat. The town itself is gorgeous - Victorian buildings, craft breweries, and mountain trails in every direction.

Mid-June in Telluride is perfect weather. Cool mornings, warm afternoons, and evenings that make you reach for a flannel. Bring a blanket for the late sets and a good pair of hiking boots for the trails.

Find Telluride Bluegrass Festival tickets on Evil Tickets and experience the mountains.