By Tanya M. Williams
Remember those storybook towns from children’s books, with colorful Victorian houses, a shop-lined Main Street, mountain views in every direction, and that quintessential stream flowing nearby? If you think such places exist only in fairytales, you have not been to Telluride.
Tucked at the end of a box canyon in southwestern Colorado, Telluride is a small town (population approximately 2,200) with large promise. Surrounded by the largest concentration of 14,000-foot peaks in the United States, this speck on the map offers 1,700 acres of skiable terrain and endless opportunities for hiking, biking, and backpacking when the snow melts. Though renowned as a skier and snowboarder’s paradise, the town truly blossoms in the summer, when thousands flock to the area for weekend festivals and restaurants open their patios for al fresco dining. With seasonal highs in the seventies and eighties, hiking trails just a stone’s throw away, and wildflowers bursting with color, who needs snow?
Bit by the festival bug, my beau, Charles, and I decided to spend consecutive weekends in Telluride for the town’s Bluegrass and Wine Festivals held in late June. Of the more than thirty festivals and events scheduled each summer, these are two of the most well-known, though the Jazz Festival in August and the Blues & Brews Festival in September also draw their share of visitors.
We arrive late on a Wednesday night, the day before the festivities begin, to discover the town barricaded by volunteers warning us that without a hotel reservation or a resident parking sticker our car will be towed at 8 a.m. Apparently, the throngs who arrive by car are required to park in lots outside of town and be shuttled in. Fortunately, we have made arrangements with resident friends and are permitted through. The next morning we awake to find ourselves nestled among towering mountains, sheer cliff faces, and an endless sea of greens and blues.
Venturing toward Town Park, the main festival site at the opposite end of town, we stop for coffee and an official festival schedule to guide us through the next four days. En route, we discover Elk Park where free concerts, workshops, and band competitions take place throughout the weekend. We find the line outside Town Park already growing, and though there are still tickets available for today’s shows, the remainder of the weekend is already sold out.
Veteran festival-goers know to buy their tickets and book their rooms early, especially for the music festivals. The town swells to the point that even tent sites require reservation, making last minute tickets scarce. We peek inside, then continue along the San Miguel River to find ourselves at the gondola that takes visitors up the mountain and down the back side to the small residential and resort community of Mountain Village. The free ride runs until midnight, providing Village lodgers with transport in and out of town, and hikers and mountain bikers access to high-altitude trails and amazing views. Deciding to return at sunset, we head back for an afternoon of music at Elk Park.
For the next thirty-six hours, we divide our time between outdoor excursions and Elk Park’s offerings, staggering the best of Telluride’s natural bounty with the bluegrass buzz of the weekend’s events. One day, following a hike to the breathtaking Bridal Veil Falls, we caught a noon musical appearance by Béla Fleck, then indulged in a nap before heading back into town for a post-festival concert at the Opera House. Ironically, these two ticketless days proved to be some of our best, as we were able to spend time in town and in nature without completely sacrificing access to the music. As a bonus, a local radio station broadcasts the whole festival live, enabling us to ‘sit in’ on sets we might have otherwise missed.
When Saturday rolls around we are ready to get inside the gates. Armed with blankets, sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, and bottled water, we make the trek into Town Park and are met by a vast sea of people, similarly decked out for a day of music in the sun. Town Park is located in the crook of the box canyon, the stage itself backs up against a mountain, the river wanders through, and another mountain squeezes in on the opposite side. With the sun shining, musicians playing, and folks dancing all around, it’s easy to see why many return year after year, leave their cars in lots outside town, and make a pilgrimage of it.
After a full day, we head for the exits and to bed. Tomorrow we will revisit our favorite spots in town and pack up the car for the drive home, knowing the very next weekend we’ll be back for a another festival, this one in celebration of wine.
The two weekends couldn’t have been more different. Instead of staying with friends, we checked into Wyndham Peaks in Mountain Village. And instead of splitting our time between the mountains and the music, we split our time between the Golden Door spa and the wine (red, white, sparkling, and dessert). At the Wine Festival we found no cars outside town, no campsites, and no real sign of the previous weekend’s events. Wine and food, it seems, attracts a smaller, more affluent crowd, one who is more at home with turndown service and dinner reservations than sleeping bags and handheld burritos.
And rightly so, with festivities including a formal patron’s dinner, winemakers’ luncheons, cooking and tasting seminars as well as the final gourmet farewell brunch, Telluride’s Wine Festival is a banquet to Bluegrass’ barbeque. That the town can pull off such distinct events in such close proximity (Bluegrass ends Sunday, Wine begins Wednesday), is a testament to its decades of festival experience as well as its character – no matter what the weekend, there’s something for just about everyone here.
Arriving late in the afternoon, we are escorted to our room, a sixth-floor suite with impressive views of The Peaks’ golf course and the valley beyond as well as the pool, which sits directly below our balcony. The room has a ski-lodge feel, decidedly Coloradoan, with faux fur, leather chairs, and an antler chandelier above the small table. We unload, then take the gondola into town in search of dinner. Festival-goers sporting wrist bands and wine glasses meander through town, slightly tipsy. A welcome banner sways above Main Street as we make our way to La Cocina de Luz, a healthy Mexican café, for take-out. Back on the balcony, we dine on tacos as the sun sets and retreat to the room for the night.
After breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant, Legends, I leave Charles by the pool and head to the spa for a High Altitude Facial. Anxious to experience the much-acclaimed Golden Door, I find that despite its size and the inevitable numbers of people going to and fro, the services are both personal and professional. The organic product-line used for my facial, Farmaesthetics, smells good enough to eat, and after a thorough face massage, cream mask, and calendula remedy oil application, I depart with skin so well-hydrated it is almost dewy.
Unlike the Bluegrass Festival, in which one ticket buys you a wristband for all the day’s events, the Wine Festival sells tickets event-by-event, in clusters, and comprehensively. And, unlike Bluegrass, events take place all over town and in Mountain Village, not just in Town Park. This evening’s tasting, The Toast of Telluride, is held in tents and buildings throughout town. Ticket holders are provided with a map and a list of wine and food booths represented, allowing them to develop plans ahead of time and make the most of the three-hour event.
Wine glass and map in hand, we take the gondola and arrive promptly at our first destination. We stake out our lines – well-loved varietals and regions first, then new grapes and territories. From there, we stroll along the river to our second venue, located at the old railroad depot. Here we find a cluster of wineries and a smaller crowd enjoying the terrace overlooking the river. After a few tastes, we move on to the Cascades complex for igourmet’s booth of artisan cheese samples, a few international wineries, and a much needed restroom. Growing slightly tipsy and increasingly hungry, we call it a day and head to Wildflour for dinner. An all-day deli and bakery with tempting salads, sandwiches, and a few entrees, it was a satisfying conclusion to the evening.
Our last day begins with the festival’s farewell brunch – a final opportunity for total indulgence and one last chance for chefs and restaurants to present their fare. It is nothing short of gastronomic heaven. The event, held on another warm, clear Telluride morning, is bordered on three sides by buffet lines. Three different buffet lines feature breakfast and lunch items ranging from shortcakes to sushi. Champagne and mimosas are plentiful, while fresh fruit, egg scrambles, and a generous selection of desserts keep guests noshing ’til noon. Trying to keep in mind our dinner reservation at Appaloosa as well as my mid-afternoon massage, I stick to small bites, but try almost everything, exhausting my hunger well before the dessert table. As the master of ceremonies wraps up the event with thanks and accolades, I take in, for one last time, the trees and mountains, the blue sky and the butterflies, the warmth of the sunshine and the freshness of the air. A lucky few live here, but for the rest, there’s wine and bluegrass, jazz and blues, films and mushrooms – that is, if you need any further excuse.
address book
For information, schedules, and ticket information for Telluride’s summer festivals contact Telluride & Mountain Village Visitor Services: (800) 525-3455 www.visittelluride.com
The Peaks Resort & Golden Door Spa. Summer room rates start at $168. High Altitude Facial, $135. Golden Door Massage, $120/hour. (800) 789-2220; www.thepeaksresort.com
May/June 2004
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