The 50th Telluride Bluegrass Festival

The 50th Telluride Bluegrass Festival is over.  It's incredible how long this festival has been in operation in the Box Canyon of Telluride. Of course, since I live just a few blocks from Telluride Town Park, I went in to enjoy it.

The 50th was interesting.  First of all the weather was incredibly diverse, from snow and 30 degree mornings to a sun splashed Sunday and just about every bit of weather you could imagine.  That's summertime in the Rocky Mountains I guess.

I made sure to catch The String Cheese Incident, as i think they used Telluride Bluegrass as a springboard to success, starting with Main Stage performances back in the mid 1990's.  In fact, guitarist Billy Nershi used to live in Telluride and was a dishwasher at the Floradora back in the day.  In 1996 I first saw SCI at the One World and Fly Me to the Moon Saloon and on the Main Stage! 

Other highlights of the festival were Robert Plant, yes THE Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, and I caught a surprise performance from up and comer Sierra Ferral.  Other highlights were jam band artists Leftover Salmon and Greensky Bluegrass, among many others.

Overall 12,000 people packed Town Park.

Everyone should have a little bit of debt to Owner/Producer Craig Ferguson and the founder Fred Shellman.  The Telluride Bluegrass Festival and Telluride Film Festival help put Telluride on the map in the early 70's and helped to create its moniker of the Festival Capital of the Rocky Mountains.

How many small towns get their own music festivals.  We have 3.  

The best part?  Everyone staying in town, can walk into historic Telluride for a beer, dinner, shopping and to take advantage of the numerous summer lifestyle amenities, all while enjoying a world class festival.

Well played Telluride.