Hi everyone!
I’ll be volunteering with a friend in the kids tent this year and camping at Lawson Hill for Telluride Bluegrass.
This is my first time in Telluride and first time at the fest so I was hoping to get a bit of insider information from some more seasoned folx.
Anything you recommend bringing or things you notice you never end up using, lessons learned, gear for staying cool and comfy? I’m open to any and all suggestions! What has helped your festival experience thrive?!
How much $$ are you typically spending?
I’m 30, female, not trying to completely wing it at festivals anymore bc im a bit too old for that!
Staying warm will be your bigger concern. It gets cold as soon as the sun goes down, like snowing cold. Might snow in the day if it’s cloudy and just cool enough! Be prepared to rock out through all weather, hot, cold, rain, snow it might and probably will all happen! Have layers and rain gear with you anytime you are away from camp!
The other advice that anyone who’s been before will say is, get there early! I believe camping at Lawson opens on Tuesday the 17th. I’d be there when the gates open, 1) to get a good spot, 2)have more time to explore the area and Town, 3) meet people!
Lawson is a sports field, so you won’t have too much shade, unless you get to one of the sides (never camped there, but heard). There are trails leading from Lawson to town, both paved and single track, and it’s pretty much a flat ride into town, having a bike to get around town is very helpful!
Also from Lawson are trails that head towards Illium and the Lizard Head Peak/MT Wilson areas, or hop on trails that take you to Mountain Village and the Gondola into town (you can take bikes on the gondola). There’s plenty to explore in town as well, lots of history, shops, bars, and great places to eat, be prepared to spend money if shopping or eating it isn’t always the cheapest! At the far end of town is Town Park, where the festival grounds are located, and the Town Park campground, and Warner Field campground. past town a little bit is the trail to Bridal Veil Falls, and through Town Park is the trail to Gear Creek Falls, both are excellent hikes, with great rewards! There will also be a wide variety of Pre-Festival events happening in Town park all day Tuesday and again on Wednesday, and anyone can join in on these, the Beer Share at the waterfall in Town Park is really great, gathers probably over 100 people, and will have beers from around the world, if you can make it bring a few beers from your area, that starts at 11:59am!
The TP events are great ways to meet new folks. But, in general introduce yourself to all those around you, share food and drinks. You’ll no doubt meet folks who’ll become lifelong friends. All of us who keep coming back, do so mostly because of the people we’ve met who mostly we only see a couple times a year!
I can’t tell you much about Lawson, except that there’s a great brewery within easy walk, and there’s laundry available there too. Otherwise everything else is in town, about 2-3 miles on trail.