I have been going to the bluegrass festival for years and know how the gondola runs from the town to mountain village. I have always stayed in town so have never really had to figure out much past the quick trip up for First Grass.
This year is different…we are staying in a house in mountain village (and as it looks not super walkable to the free gondola into town). Can those experienced in the mountain village scene provide some additional color on the transportation and parking scene in mountain village? How readily available is parking at the gondola? When it fills, does it become a pain to park? If we wanted to go down to set-up our tarp…then go back for dinner, only to return for the late shows (I know this will be a 2+ hour ordeal) can one easily get ones car, drive back, and then return to the parking?
There is a gondola parking garage behind the Market at Mountain Village. If you’re lucky/early enough, you can park there and take the gondola from the Town Hall Station up to the MV “core”, where you will then exit that gondola and get on the gondola that takes you into the town of Telluride. Make sense? Not sure how early that garage fills up but once it does, they’ll start parking cars all along Mountain Village Blvd. You could end up pretty far down the road.
Personally, if I had to deal with all of that, I don’t think I would try going back to your house for dinner. Once you move your car, you may not be able to find a parking spot after dinner.
Check a map and see how far your house is from the Town Hall gondola station. If you can walk to that station from your house, I think you’ll find everything much easier.