Thanks to everyone who joined us for the sold-out 34th Annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival. If you were among the 10,000 smiling faces, take a minute to share your thoughts on the Festival experience in our Festivarian Survey - one lucky survey will receive a pair of tickets to next year's Festival. If you missed out on the Telluride Festivarian Family Reunion, mark your calendars right now for the 35th - June 19-22, 2008. We'll have details on the Town Park campground lottery in early October, and shows in our Wildflower Pavilion this fall - please join us.

The Festivarian Summer Solstice...

The 34th Annual Telluride Bluegrass coincides with the Summer Solstice; the longest day of the year; the beginning of summer. It's a magical time of sun and light, when the the high country of Colorado puts away its skis and grabs hiking boots, kayaks, and a low-back festival chair to take in "Bluegrass."

We are excited to welcome one of the great folk-rock-soul bands of their generation, Counting Crows, to headline the opening night, Summer Solstice. We welcome back two of our all-time favorite performers after a year away: Emmylou Harris and Alison Krauss. Alison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas will be performing both their own set of sophisticated newgrass and a special set with guitar legend Tony Rice featuring a spectrum of material from Tony's 35 year career. Los Lobos, a band that has been in existence for longer than Telluride Bluegrass, makes their debut at the Festival on Friday night.

The festival stage will host many unique Telluride collaborations including: Bela Fleck & jazz legend Chick Corea; Chris Thile & Edgar Meyer; the Brazilian/American fusion of mandolinists Mike Marshall and Hamilton de Holanda; the unique collection of New Orleans legends in the New Orleans Social Club; and the ultimate collaboration of bluegrass greats: the Telluride House Band with Béla Fleck, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Edgar Meyer, and Bryan Sutton.

The Telluride royalty return with full sets from the Sam Bush Band (the King of Telluride), Peter Rowan (the Shaman of Telluride), John Cowan Band, Jerry Douglas Band, and Béla Fleck and the Flecktones. Progressive acoustic powerhouse Yonder Mountain String Band returns for their 8th straight year. Legendary Scottish singer-songwriter Dougie MacLean brings a fill band for his first Telluride performance in 15 years. The Andy Statman Trio takes the Festival on a musical journey from Jewish mysticism to American roots on Sunday morning.

As always, we'll introduce a number of young bands to cover the breadth of roots music: the literate pop of Guster; bluesy singer-songwriter Jackie Greene; the Chinese-American sounds of the Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet; the bluegrass-punk of North Carolina's Avett Brothers; the breathtaking virtuosity of the Infamous Stringdusters; the buoyant rhythms of Crooked Still; last year's band contest winners Greensky Bluegrass.

We're busy confirming more artists for this year's lineup. Have a look at bios and photos for the already-confirmed performers and sign up for our email newsletter for the latest announcements.

The Bluegrass Festival...

Performers say there is a unique thrill to performing in front of the smartest audience in the country. Artists are encouraged to take risks in Telluride, and the Festivarian audience is regularly rewarded with unique blends of voices sharing the stage for the first time - as a new musical friendship cultivated backstage makes its debut on the Telluride stage.

With music on the main stage all day, intimate workshops on the Elks Park stage in the middle of town, prestigious band and songwriting contests, late-night Nightgrass concerts at every indoor venue in town, and jam sessions throughout the night in condos and around campgrounds, this is a week of uncommon musical riches.

Festivarians...

The voices of Telluride Bluegrass are also the voices of festivarians, many of whom have been finding their way back year after year for twenty years. Today, children raised on Telluride Bluegrass return to introduce their own children to the festivarian experience.

Friendships informed by music and inspiration are special. Cherished friends reunite every summer in the Town Park campground. New friendships are created as festivarians choose their tarp spot every morning to the sound of bagpipes echoing off the jagged peaks overhead.

Listen to the mayor of Town Park, Telluride Tom, talk about the festivarian experience on the Colorado Public Radio program Colorado Matters and join the year-round community in our Festivarian Forum, where there's an active thread right now about Festivarians' favorite Telluride memories.

Telluride...

Nestled in the rugged San Juan Mountains and surrounded on three sides by the natural architecture of the Telluride Box Canyon, Telluride is arguably the most spectacular town in the American West.

Founded in 1875, the Victorian charm of the town is protected as a National Historic Landmark District. The town of Telluride (elevation 8,750') is connected to the modern resort community of Mountain Village (elevation 9,450') via a free commuter gondola.

The San Juan Mountains are the highest concentration of 14,000 mountains in the US. Activities in and around Telluride include mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding, numerous hot springs, historic ghost towns, and whatever else your sense of adventure shows you. Popular hikes from town are the Bridal Veil Falls - the highest cascade in Colorado - and the 2-mile hike up to Bear Creek Falls.

The 34th Annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival was completely sold-out. Watch the Festivarian Mercantile for any remaining merchandise and posters. Mark your calendars now for the 35th Annual, June 19-22, 2008. And plan to join us this fall for our Wildflower Concert Series.