Colorado's Telluride Festival Combines Beer and the Blues

Crowds gather for a weekend of beer and music as artists perform on stage.

ByABC News
August 23, 2008, 12:39 PM

TELLURIDE, Colo. -- TELLURIDE, Colo. (AP) — Beer, music and mountain scenery: That's what you'll find at the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, Sept. 12-14, in the historic Colorado town in the San Juan Mountains.

More than 50 microbreweries from the Southwest and elsewhere will be featured, including Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Aspen Brewing Co., Boulder Beer Co., Bristol Brewing Co., Bull & Bush, Cooper Smith's Pub & Brewing, Deschutes Brewery, Durango Brewing Co., Eske's Brewery, Flagstaff Brewing Co. and others.

Performers will include Etta James and the Roots Band, Gov't Mule, John Hiatt and The Ageless Beauties, Joan Osborne, Susan Tedeschi, The Derek Trucks Band, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Blind Boys of Alabama, G. Love & Special Sauce, John Butler Trio and Canned Heat.

Various travel deals are being offered. A new luxury boutique hotel called lumiere Telluride -- lumierehotels.com/telluride— has an $1,100 four-night package that includes breakfast, local transportation, and a three-day festival pass and chair.

Elevation Vacations, which specializes in luxury lodging, homes and condos in the area, has a $100 fuel rebate toward a booking of three nights or more, along with a 20% discount on accommodations for stays booked through the company during the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival. Details at www.ElevationVacations.com.

If you're flying in through Denver or Boulder, you can take a round-trip charter on a motorcoach from the airport to Telluride on MrBusDriver, with fares starting at $115. Alternate city pickups are also available. Details at www.mrbusdriver.com.