Did You Say Jazz Festival?

Telluride is the bee’s knees.

Big crowds. Scenic beauty. There’s also “alpine recreation” (read: skiing) and other fun stuff to do around town.

It’s even better when the Telluride Jazz Festival comes to town August 12–14. Throngs descend on this scenic destination nestled in the San Juan Mountains, looking for entertainment from a staggering lineup of bands and artists who have signed on to perform at this notable event.

The Telluride Jazz Festival is for the true jazz fan — not the metalhead. It’s built around the legacy of live, true jazz, with Grammy winners and established artists putting on a show for a large and diverse audience. Experience all the syncopation, musical change-ups, complex chords, call and response vocals, polyrhythms and improvisation.

Food vendors, bar operators, and other pop-up amenities operate throughout.

Those who love the sounds and history of the jazz genre will enjoy listening to many of their favorites. In this year’s Telluride Jazz Festival lineup, you’ll see individual artists like Yola, Cory Wong and Chief Adjuah, among others. 

You also see ensembles and bands including Memphis Soulphony (headed by Dee Dee Bridgewater), Grupo Fantasma, and the USAF Airmen of Note — or thrill to the sounds of the Ghost Funk Orchestra and Crescent Super Band.

The Telluride Jazz Festival Lineup wouldn’t be complete without the Telluride Student All-Stars showing their stuff with horns and much more. It’s all there in style, for a great summer experience!

It’s also easy to get around at this festival, assuming you found a place to park your RV. There are plenty of options to camp your RV outside of the Town of Telluride if you didn’t get a spot at the venue. Most of the activity is centered right around a few blocks. After dark, you can check out late performances in historic indoor venues and some more intimate sessions with artists and smaller crowds.

On the map, check out one end of Main Street where the main stage and other facilities are set up. Take note of the Society Stage, and plan to spend some time at each location.

You can also note local venues, like the Sheridan Opera House, where things are set to kick off. 

Get Your RV Camping Spot For The Festival

The Telluride Town Park Campground has a limited amount of 10 RV Campsites located a quick three minute walk from the festival grounds. RV camping or sleeping in an RV is allowed in these designated campsites only. FYI – Any vehicle 18 feet and over in length is considered an RV. The maximum length of RV’s allowed in the Festival Campground is 30 feet.

No hookups are available, but restrooms and hot showers are available nearby in the campground. Generators are allowed as long as quiet hours are respected.

The RV Pass includes 4 days of RV parking in the Telluride Town Park Campground. All RV campers must have a Camping Pass and a Festival Pass (sold separately).

You can get more information on the festival website, you can see more about special guests and what’s going to happen at this year’s event, along with some of the refreshments you can enjoy and news about walking tours and more. Check out cashless payment options with RFID wristbands and convenient ticketing processes. There’s also a specially commissioned Telluride Jazz Festival painting available for bids online.

Taking a Pit Stop in Telluride

In your RV rental, this is an exciting way to combine camping with an excellent music festival experience. A good “pit stop” is a must, to get your bearings and relax, and use those neat features built into your RV.

Around town and out on the Colorado highway, you’ll see great options for people with an RV rental, like parking and hookups, to get you close to this renowned local happening. Go RVing with the best, and hear some cool tunes in the bargain.

Your Road Trip: Telluride Town Park Campground

If you’re going to be in Telluride for the jazz show, and an excellent road trip, you could do worse than parking your RV at the Telluride Town Park campground. It’s right downtown, right in the heart of Telluride, and that makes it a top contender for local campsites during the jazz festival. 

Vehicle and tent sites are available, with access to showers, picnic areas, pickleball, and tennis courts, as well as a kids’ playground. Because so much of the jazz action is happening directly downtown, it’s very convenient, perfect for setting up a home base during the event. 

It’s easy to get around this central RV site and head out to Telluride to go RVing, but book early.

Other Attractions: Add Spice to Your Telluride Trip

Before, during, and after the jazz fest, you can add to the excitement with some of these local go-to’s. 

Sail Away! Rafting Tour on the San Miguel River

For about $150 per adult, you can get a breathtaking whitewater experience. Watch the water roar on local waterways in between catching jazz shows, or on your way back out of town. Be sure to check out all relevant safety tips, and dress appropriately. You’ll also want to find a good place to park your RV rental near the water. 

Get the Full Scoop With the Telluride Historical Museum

If you want a more cerebral distraction, take a peek at the Telluride Historical Museum, where you can get details on 50 years of local ski operations with the “Long Run” exhibit, or learn about nearby mountain villages. Walking tours are also available for enjoying a beautiful day in Telluride. The museum has open summer hours Monday to Saturday.

Hike the Blue Lakes

This is another great outdoor element of the Telluride/Silverton area. Tripadvisor calls it a “beautiful and challenging” hike, and others talk about it being “straight up.” So intrepid hikers should have some stamina and sense of balance. 

In your down time, you can stay at the Silverton Lakes campground, with great views in the town of Silverton, Colorado, and hiking, biking and fishing opportunities. Check out the San Juan Skyway Scenic Drive in addition to a Blue Lakes adventure. Back at the campground, you can find fully furnished cabins and a store, along with ATV trails, laundry facilities and restrooms, and 30 and 50 amp sites.

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Explore Other Top Telluride Campgrounds for a Relaxing Break

If you want a place to park and take a load off, there’s also the Woods Lake Campground, 22 miles from downtown Telluride — it’s got panoramic views and majestic woodland experiences, and there are water facilities and toilets on-site, although they’re central for lot campers.

Reviewers describe Woods Lake Campground as clean and quiet, with great lake walks and nature trails.

It might also be good to consider the Sunshine Campground: Eight and a half miles out from Telluride, you have a national forest-adjacent campground with sites that are great for smaller RVs. It’s a good place from which to stake out the Telluride Jazz Festival, too, as long as you can get your roving RV into and out of sites well. 

Also, try the Matterhorn campground. Some of the long-timers who enjoy Telluride year after year park at Matterhorn 12.5 miles out, with electric hookups and dump facilities, and larger spaces for larger RVs. 50 amp service is available, and a seven-day limit applies. 

PS – Stick Around For Cool Summer Event Fun in Telluride

In addition to the jazz festival, Telluride also has other happening festivals going on in the same season, so tack one of these onto your trip!

There’s the Telluride Mushroom Festival, a venue for foraging and natural exploration where you can get a lot of “fungi facts.”

There’s also Telluride Blues and Brews, where there’s more live music, as well as great craft beers and places to relax and enjoy the scenery. Listen to blues, funk, rock, gospel, and soul to round out your musical sesh.

Rent an RV From RVnGO

Ready and rarin’ to go? 

You’ll want to book an RV 3 to 6 months in advance to make sure you get what you need and don’t experience any unpleasant surprises as the big date nears. 

Want the right rental vehicle for your group?

RVnGO makes it easy to choose from class A, class B, and class C vehicles to sleep the right number of people. Get great amenities like mini-stoves, refrigerators, and toilets, along with luxurious queen beds and all the furnishings you need to have a good time. 

Separate cabs are an option, and we also have fifth wheels or trailer models. 

Check out the incredible sights from a well-stocked and well-designed vantage point inside your roving vehicle.

You’ll be glad you went to Telluride in an RV and found all the above opportunities to add summer fun to your trip.

For more helpful tips, be sure to read our Road Trip Packing Check List and Great Meals For Road Trips. You may also find this Top 10 RV Safety Tips for Newbies helpful.

*The average Guest saves 30% when renting through RVnGO.

You may be asking yourself: Is it cheaper to rent an RV or Stay in a Hotel? If you’re planning to rent an RV to visit the Telluride Jazz Festival, check out RVnGO for the best deals and selection in the country. There are several options to choose from that fit your budget and lifestyle.

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