10th Annual RIDE Festival, Lineup+, Tickets (as of 2/25)!

27 Feb 10th Annual RIDE Festival, Lineup+, Tickets (as of 2/25)!

Below is a note from RIDE Festival founder/director Todd Creel, who talks about a major remix of the event. Tickets for the weekend, July 6 – July 10, went on sale as of Friday, 2/25/22. For full lineup, please visit ridefestival.com.

Dear RIDE Family,

Music. The common thread that ties us all together. Brings us together – to dance and sing and share our gratitude for those special moments on our brief journey.

It is hard to believe it has been 10 years since we had this crazy but passionate notion of bringing rock n roll to our favorite live music venue on the planet, the Fred Shellman stage in beautiful Telluride Town Park. Over the years, we have been fortunate enough to host some truly amazing artists. Each of them had the opportunity to experience the people of this unique valley and the gift of playing on the iconic Telluride stage. Thanks to the support of the town citizens, councils and staff, we have collectively experienced incredible and memorable performances from David Byrne, Pearl Jam, and Widespread Panic, along with early shows from artists like Tyler Childers, The Lumineers and Nathaiel Rateliff before they hit the big time. It has been a rewarding decade and all of us at The Ride Festival are eternally grateful to each person who has helped us and supported the endeavor of presenting quality music in authentic Telluride style over the years.

Like everywhere, Telluride is evolving and changing. It is a beautiful place, and those of us who live here know how lucky we are to call it home. We are also aware of the changes that have taken place in recent years, especially since the arrival of Covid. The influx of people who have discovered the area, and those who have decided to stay permanently, have created an environment in which most working residents are having more trouble than ever finding a simple, decent place to live. As producers of live music in Telluride, the lodging situation has become very difficult to navigate. With nightly rates set at historic highs and availability extremely limited, our visitors are finding there are very few viable options. While housing is challenging for all of the festivals, Bluegrass in June and Blues & Brews in September take place in early summer and fall when the town is not as full. They also have the added use of Warner Field which will accommodate several hundred more campers. The lodging situation, combined with the Open Space Commission’s recent reduction of an additional two hundred camping spaces (due to revegetation) makes the reality of hosting 9,000 people in the park in mid-July less and less possible. With the added pressure of complaints from a few unhappy East Eend residents resulting in park staff having the unilateral ability to turn down the sound at their sole discretion, it appears to us at the festival that it may be time to bring music to our people in a different way.

This summer, we will be producing five nights of intimate shows in some of Telluride’s finest historic venues. From July 6 – 10, music lovers will experience performances at The Sheridan Opera House, Telluride Transfer Warehouse, O’Bannon’s and The Ride Lounge in the historic Roma building.

The shows will be individually ticketed, with a limited number of all access passes.

Thanks to everyone who has attended and to all of the people who have volunteered or assisted in any way. Life is short, enjoy the ride.

~ Todd Creel