Telluride punches far above its weight for a town of 2,500 people. Bluegrass on the summer solstice, one of the world's great film festivals every Labor Day weekend, a horror fest in October, and a winter calendar that runs from ski swaps to drag shows.
Below is the full 2026/2027 calendar, starting with what is happening this winter and then looking ahead through the year. Every entry includes the venue, a website, and a ticket link.
A note on pricing: the figures below reflect recent years and are included for budgeting purposes only. Festival pricing changes annually and several 2027 events have not yet released tickets. Always confirm current prices at the ticket link provided.
Ski season runs from late November 2026 into early April 2027.
Quick Reference
| Event | Dates | Indicative Price | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| KOTO Ski Swap | Nov 13-15, 2026 | Free entry | koto.org |
| Telluride Arts Holiday Bazaar | Early Dec 2026 | Free entry | telluridearts.org |
| Noel Night & Ski Tree Lighting | Dec 9, 2026 | Free | No ticket needed |
| Mountain Village Holiday Prelude | Dec 12-13, 2026 | Free | No ticket needed |
| Christmas Eve Torchlight Parade | Dec 24, 2026 | Free | No ticket needed |
| New Year's Eve | Dec 31, 2026 | Free | No ticket needed |
| Telluride Comedy Festival | Presidents' Day wknd, Feb 2027 | ~$35-$125 per night | sheridanoperahouse.com |
| Telluride Gay Ski Week | Late Feb / early Mar 2027 | Free; events ticketed | telluridegayski.com |
| Mountainfilm | May 26-31, 2027 | ~$25 to pass-level | mountainfilm.org |
| Telluride Balloon Festival | Early June 2027 | Free | No ticket needed |
| Telluride Food + Vine | Mid-June 2027 | ~$100+ | telluride.com |
| Telluride Bluegrass Festival | June 17-20, 2027 | ~$172-$400 | bluegrass.com |
| Telluride Yoga Festival | June 24-27, 2027 | ~$395-$495 pass | tellurideyogafestival.com |
| Telluride Jazz Festival | August 2027 | ~$85+ | telluridejazz.org |
| Telluride Film Festival | Labor Day wknd, Sept 2027 | Free to premium passes | telluridefilmfestival.org |
| Telluride Blues & Brews | September 2027 | ~$30-$625 | tellurideblues.com |
| Telluride Horror Show | Oct 16-18, 2026 | Passes & single tickets | telluridehorrorshow.com |
Winter 2026/2027
KOTO Ski Swap
Dates: November 13 to 15, 2026
Location: Wilkinson Public Library, 100 W Pacific Ave | (970) 728-4519
Price: Free to attend
Website: koto.org
Where locals gear up for winter. Donate used skis or buy new-to-you ones, pick up a discounted ski pass, and take part in the annual Freestyle FREE-Ride. Genuinely the best way to kit out a growing kid without buying new.
Telluride Ski Resort Opening Weekend
Dates: Late November 2026, Thanksgiving weekend
Price: Lift ticket or pass required
Tickets: shop.tellurideskiresort.com | (970) 728-7517
The lifts start turning for the 26/27 season. The free gondola reopens for winter ahead of it, on November 20 at 6:30 a.m. See our lift ticket and season pass guide for pass options and blackout dates.
Telluride Arts Holiday Bazaar
Dates: Early December 2026
Location: Ah Haa School for the Arts, 155 W Pacific Ave
Price: Free entry
Website: telluridearts.org | ahhaa.org
Running since 1983. Locally made art, fine crafts, and artisan foods from around the region. The best place in town to buy a gift that actually came from here.
Noel Night & Ski Tree Lighting
Dates: Wednesday, December 9, 2026, 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Location: Town of Telluride, tree lighting at Elks Park
Price: Free
Website: telluride.com/event/noel-night
The official start of the holiday season. A 17-foot tree built entirely from donated skis lights up at Elks Park, Colorado Avenue's holiday lights come on, and there is a bonfire and free hot chocolate. Local retailers offer treats and discounts of up to 40 percent, with carolers, street performers, and Santa.
Mountain Village Holiday Prelude
Dates: Saturday December 12 and Sunday December 13, 2026
Location: Mountain Village Core and Heritage Plaza
Price: Free, including ice skating and movies
Website: townofmountainvillage.com | telluride.com
Mountain Village becomes the North Pole for a weekend. Santa and his workshop, free ice skating, train rides through the lights, free outdoor holiday movies with hot chocolate and popcorn, and the Heritage Plaza tree lighting followed by a skating party with a live DJ. Ride the free gondola up.
Christmas Eve Torchlight Parade
Dates: Thursday, December 24, 2026, approximately 6:30 p.m.
Location: Visible throughout the Town of Telluride
Price: Free
Telluride's most beautiful tradition. Ski school instructors descend from the top of the gondola carrying torches, tracing a glowing line down the dark mountainside. Find a spot on Colorado Avenue and look up.
New Year's Eve
Dates: Thursday, December 31, 2026
Location: Town of Telluride and Mountain Village
Price: Free
Fireworks over the box canyon in the early evening, best viewed from Mountain Village, then a midnight countdown on Colorado Avenue in front of the historic courthouse. The gondola has historically run until 2:00 a.m. that night. Full detail in our New Year's in Telluride guide.
25th Annual Telluride Comedy Festival
Dates: Presidents' Day weekend, February 2027 (Presidents' Day falls on February 15)
Location: Sheridan Opera House, 110 N Oak St | (970) 728-6363
Price: Approximately $35 to $125 per night in recent years
Tickets: sheridanoperahouse.com/comedy-fest
The Sheridan Arts Foundation and Jeb Berrier present the 25th annual edition at the historic 1913 opera house. Four nights of stand-up, improv, sketch, and whatever else they decide to try. Nothing is off limits.
Each night is priced separately, so you can attend one or all four. Confirm exact dates and current pricing with the Opera House box office.
Telluride Gay Ski Week
Dates: Late February into early March 2027, not yet formally announced
Location: Downtown Telluride, multiple venues
Price: Festival free to attend; individual events and parties ticketed separately
Tickets: telluridegayski.com
Founded in 2002 and now run by SBG Productions, the team behind Telluride Blues & Brews and the Jazz Festival. An opening-day party, daily après ski, pool parties, late-night lounge events running into the small hours, drag shows, comedy, and the signature White Party.
It has historically coincided with the Telluride AIDS Benefit fashion show gala, run by an organization dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS through awareness, prevention programs, and client care. Tickets for that gala are sold separately.
Spring & Summer 2027
Mountainfilm
Dates: May 26 to 31, 2027, Memorial Day weekend
Location: Telluride and Mountain Village, multiple venues
Price: Individual screenings from around $25; festival passes and patron levels run considerably higher
Tickets: mountainfilm.org
A documentary film festival showcasing nonfiction stories about environmental, cultural, climbing, political, and social justice issues. Roughly 85 independent films alongside guest presentations, symposiums, musical performances, and gatherings that bring world-class athletes, change makers, and visionary artists together.
Far more than a film festival, and one of the most genuinely inspiring weekends on the Telluride calendar.
Telluride Balloon Festival
Dates: Early June 2027
Location: Launches from Town Park, 500 E Colorado Ave; Glow night on Main Street
Price: Free to attend
Website: telluride.com
Arguably the most beautiful event of the year. Dozens of hot air balloons launch from Town Park and glide down the valley. Saturday evening is Glow night, when owners fire up their balloons along Main Street and the whole of downtown lights up. All events are weather dependent and free.
Telluride Food + Vine
Dates: Mid-June 2027
Location: Telluride and Mountain Village
Price: Individual events from around $100; full weekend packages higher
Tickets: telluride.com/event/telluride-food-vine
The area's premier food and wine weekend. Tastings, dinners, seminars, and the ultimate epicurean experience in a fairly spectacular setting.
54th Annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival
Dates: June 17 to 20, 2027 (confirmed)
Location: Telluride Town Park, 500 E Colorado Ave
Price: Four-day passes have recently run in the $172 to $400 range depending on tier. Prices are all-in, meaning fees and taxes are included in the number you see at checkout.
Tickets: bluegrass.com ticketing guide | festival home
The big one. Over 50 years of history, always falling on the week of the summer solstice. Four days of bluegrass, folk, and Americana on the Town Park main stage, plus intimate workshops, songwriting contests, and late-night shows at venues around town.
This sells out. Tickets go on sale well in advance through Planet Bluegrass, and Town Park camping is legendary and harder to get than the tickets themselves. Planet Bluegrass confirms pricing will change for 2027, so check the ticketing guide for current rates.
Telluride Yoga Festival
Dates: June 24 to 27, 2027
Location: Telluride and Mountain Village
Price: Three and four-day passes have recently run approximately $395 to $495, covering all festival events
Tickets: tellurideyogafestival.com
Designed for yogis of all levels, with community classes, guided meditations, health and wellness presentations, guest speakers, and side events including paddle boarding, hiking, trail runs, biking, and cooking classes.
Telluride Plein Air Festival
Dates: Late June into early July 2027
Location: Throughout Telluride
Price: Free to watch; artwork available for purchase at the exhibition
Website: telluridearts.org
Artists set up around town and in the surrounding mountains to paint outdoors, culminating in an exhibition and sale. A lovely, low-key week and a good excuse to watch work being made.
Fourth of July
Dates: July 4, 2027
Location: Town of Telluride
Price: Free
A small-town parade down Colorado Avenue, a fire hose fight, a barbecue, and fireworks over the box canyon. Genuinely one of the better Fourth of July celebrations anywhere.
Telluride Jazz Festival
Dates: August 2027
Location: Telluride Town Park, 500 E Colorado Ave
Price: Single-day tickets from around $85; three-day and VIP packages available
Tickets: telluridejazz.org
A celebration of the past, present, and future of jazz, giving established artists and emerging ones a shared platform. Live music, local food trucks, and Town Park's 13,000-foot backdrop.
Telluride Mushroom Festival
Dates: August 2027
Location: Throughout Telluride
Price: Passes and individual events; some talks free
Tickets: Click here
Exactly as delightfully odd as it sounds, and running for decades. Forays, identification workshops, cooking demonstrations, lectures, and a parade. A real Telluride institution.
Fall 2027
Telluride Film Festival
Dates: Labor Day weekend, early September 2027
Location: Telluride and Mountain Village, multiple venues
Price: Free outdoor screenings through to premium passes that have run into the thousands. The Acme pass tier is the entry point for most visitors.
Tickets: telluridefilmfestival.org/passes
One of the most important film festivals in the world, and unlike any other. Two things set it apart: a genuinely low-key atmosphere, and a program that is not revealed until festivalgoers arrive in town. You come for the surprise.
Expect to see A-list stars on a dais in Elks Park or riding the gondola to a screening alongside everyone else. Films that premiere here regularly go on to win Oscars. Passes sell out and lodging goes even faster.
Telluride Blues & Brews Festival
Dates: September 2027
Location: Telluride Town Park, 500 E Colorado Ave
Price: Single-day tickets from around $30; three-day passes and VIP packages to around $625. Camping and glamping sold separately.
Tickets: tellurideblues.com
Three days of blues, funk, rock, jam, gospel, and soul, with the Grand Beer Tasting as the centerpiece: more than 50 microbreweries pouring well over 150 beers. Late-night shows at venues around town, plus on-site camping and glamping.
Telluride Autumn Classic
Dates: Late September 2027
Location: Throughout Telluride
Price: Free to spectate; entrant registration separate
Website: telluride.com
A four-day celebration of motoring set against peak fall colors, with classic cars and Corvettes filling Colorado Avenue. Timed for the aspens.
Original Thinkers
Dates: October 2027
Location: Telluride venues
Price: Passes and individual sessions
Tickets: originalthinkers.com
A boutique festival of film, ideas, art, performance, and conversation. Smaller and more intimate than the big film festivals, and consistently excellent.
Telluride Horror Show
Dates: 17th edition October 16 to 18, 2026. The 18th follows in October 2027.
Location: Sheridan Opera House, Palm Theatre, Nugget Theater, Elks Lodge
Price: Three Day Passes include pass holder events; Six Packs give six tickets with priority line access; individual tickets sold at the door before each screening
Tickets: telluridehorrorshow.com
Colorado's first and longest-running genre film festival, founded in 2010 and named among the best horror festivals in the world. Three days of horror, suspense, thriller, dark fantasy, sci-fi, and dark comedy, with a heavy slate of US premieres.
Watching a premiere in a 1913 opera house at 8,750 feet is a genuinely different experience. See our Halloween in Telluride guide.
Planning Notes
- Book lodging before tickets. For Bluegrass, the Film Festival, and holiday weeks, rooms disappear faster than tickets do. You can usually sort tickets later.
- Winter holiday events are almost all free. Noel Night, Holiday Prelude, the Torchlight Parade, and New Year's cost nothing.
- Use the free gondola. It connects town and Mountain Village and covers most festival venues, running 6:30 a.m. to midnight in season.
- Reserve restaurants early. Telluride's dining rooms are small and festival weekends fill them weeks out. See our dining guide.
- Dates and prices shift. Several 2027 festivals had not announced at publication. Check our events and festivals calendar for current dates.
Where to Stay
As Telluride locals, we love our visitors and want you to experience the best of this town. We are proud to support local events and offer competitive rates so your stay is relaxing and memorable.
- Downtown Telluride rentals, walkable to Town Park, the Opera House, and Colorado Avenue
- Mountain Village rentals
- Winter rentals and summer rentals
- Vacation homes for festival groups
- Rentals with hot tubs
Check our current specials and browse all properties.
Contact Lodging In Telluride
We are 100 percent locally owned and have been hosting guests here since 2006. Tell us which festival you are coming for and we will get you into the right property.
Phone: 888-998-6471
Email: Send us a message
Office: 300 S Mahoney Drive, Unit C11, Telluride, CO 81435
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Festival dates, venues, and pricing are sourced from organizers and Visit Telluride and are accurate as of publication. Pricing reflects recent years and is indicative only; 2027 pricing will differ and several festivals had not released tickets at publication. Always confirm current dates and prices directly with organizers before booking travel.