Telluride Blues & Brews: Breakdown of Activities, including Pre-Fest

11 Sep Telluride Blues & Brews: Breakdown of Activities, including Pre-Fest

Tickets on sale for Telluride Blues & Brews weekend here.

Set for Friday, September 16-Sunday, September 18, the upcoming 23rd Telluride Blues & Brews Festival once again takes over our box canyon. The hills are soon to be alive – once again – with the sounds of blues, funk, indie, rock, jam band, gospel, and soul.

In addition to the musical banquet, the annual event offers a wide variety of activities including free yoga sessions, a 5K race fundraiser, an art gallery, pre-festival parties, and a film screening fundraiser. All the additional fun makes Telluride Blues & Brews more than just any other musical happening or, for that matter, any other beer festival.

Grand Tasting: On a par with the musical line-up is the comprehensive list of beer styles – ales and IPAs to ciders, stouts and more – or about 170 selections from 56 microbreweries. The Grand Tasting is set for Saturday, September 17, noon – 3 p.m. inside Telluride Town Park. Additional details can be found here.

The Telluride Blues & Brews Festival House of Brews is the source for craft refreshment all weekend long, with six premium craft beers and one hard cider featured. These unique and delicious beverages, all hand-selected by the festival staff, can be sampled at the venue located on the north side of the festival grounds, adjacent to the festival store and main entrance.

Additional weekend activities include free Blues & Brews yoga sessions, Sunset Blues Concert, Mitch Woods’ Club 88, an art gallery and free music at Blues for Breakfast:

Enjoy the free Blues & Brews yoga classes in Telluride’s Elks Park, guided by instructors from the Telluride Yoga Festival. This is an opportunity to unplug and breathe in a moving meditation. Guests of all skill levels are welcome to join on Saturday, September 17 and Sunday, September 18, starting at 10 a.m..

Live music kicks off the festival on Thursday, September 15, 5 p.m. with the free Sunset Blues Concert at Mountain Village’s Sunset Plaza. 

Con Brio

Featuring Con Brio and Israel Nash,  the concert at Sunset Plaza is just a short, picturesque gondola ride up the mountain to the Town of Mountain Village. Both the event and gondola ride are free and open to the public. The concert takes place rain or shine.

The Sunset Blues Concert is sponsored by Telluride Ski Resort, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co, TMVOA, and the Town of Mountain Village.

After the late-night juke joints, head for Mitch Woods’ Club 88 FREE jam session Friday, September 16 and Saturday, September 17, 11:30 p.m., Arroyo Wine Bar & Gallery (located at 220 E Colorado Ave).

As host of the after-hours Piano Bar on the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise for 12 years, the extraordinary boogie-woogie/jump blues piano master Mitch Woods has created a beloved tradition. Now, Mitch brings his Club 88 to the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival for the same late night party. All musicians are invited.

Telluride Blues & Brews Festival’s Art Gallery will be held at Arroyo Wine Bar & Gallery, located at 220 East Colorado Avenue.

Free and open to the public, the gallery features artwork by renowned Colorado performance painter Scramble Campbell, as well as photographers Barry Brecheisen, Dino Perrucci, and Jason Squires. The gallery also hosts original paintings from past festival poster art. Some artwork will be available for sale. The gallery will be open daily over the festival weekend from Thursday to Sunday, 5 p.m. – close.

Blues for Breakfast offers a nice warm-up to a dynamic day of music and beverages.

Held at the intimate Elks Lodge (located at 472 West Pacific Avenue), the event features an assortment of breakfast treats such as  Telluride’s “world famous” black bean sauté from Oak…The New Fat Alley. Drinks are available for purchase. Admission is free.

Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m., are the Telluride Blues Challenge Finals, showcasing six talented solo blues artists battling for the ultimate prize – the opportunity to play the Town Park Stage and beyond.

Sunday’s entertainment is led by A.J. Fullerton, a talented young artist. His performance will be followed by a set featuring runner-up of the Telluride Blues Challenge.

Read more about the Telluride Blues Challenge here.

In addition, those looking to add some physical activity to the weekend schedule are invited to participate in the Blisters & Brews 5K Fundraiser Race.

The Blisters & Brews 5K Fundraiser Race – Saturday, September 17, 8:30 a.m. –  offers participants a beautiful way to view the town. Sponsored by BootDoctors™ Paragon Outdoors, the 5K raises money for the Telluride Adaptive Sports Program in remembrance of festival friend Felix Snow. 

The route climbs up the river trail giving racers the opportunity to take in the beauty of the Colorado’s tallest waterfall, Bridal Veil Falls. More information can be found here.

The pre-festival activities officially launch Wednesday, September 14, with the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival’s film screening of “Song of the South: Duane Allman & The Rise of the Allman Brothers Band” at the historic Sheridan Opera House. The event is presented by KOTO FM’s DJ Jimmy Jazz and Telluride Blues Society.

A pre-film VIP Reception Party includes live music, cash bar, complimentary food, and raffle ticket. All proceeds from the screening and pre-film VIP Reception will be donated to the San Miguel Resource Center (SMRC), a local non-profit organization dedicated to the elimination of domestic violence. Details about the VIP reception and screening can be found here. 

As for the musical line-up at Telluride Blues & Brews, Joe Walsh and Jason Isbell lead the Friday bill. Gary Clark, Jr. and Anders Osborne are set to perform on Saturday. The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band featuring Rick Vito and Vintage Trouble close out the festival on Sunday. For details, go here.