Day drinking

The hills will be alive with the sound of music and beer swilling this summer. At least more than last summer.

Telluride Blues & Brews announced it will be returning this Sept. 17-19 to Telluride’s Town Park. This year’s festival includes three stages featuring blues, funk, indie, rock, jam band, gospel and soul, with Denver-based super-crooner Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats headlining the event. Other acts scheduled to appear include Buddy Guy, Lukas Nelson & Promise of The Real, St. Paul & The Broken Bones.

"This year's lineup stands to be one of the most progressive and forward looking, while still being anchored by blues fixtures," Festival Director and Founder Steve Gumble said.

And in keeping with the festival’s blues roots, legendary icons Buddy Guy and Anders Osborne will showcase the finest of the craft, with the Music Maker Relief Foundation bringing traditional American roots music. “We're in for a dynamic weekend of live music and I'm really looking forward to it," said Gumble.

Now on to the most important part: the beer. Although the festival will not be holding the bacchanal Grand Tasting due to COVID concerns, it will still feature an expanded selection of beer styles from a variety of local, regional and national breweries, including six rare, festival-only offerings from festival partner, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

There will also be food and craft vendors, late-night club shows and special events, including free yoga and the Sunset Blues Concert.

Tickets went on sale Thurs., June 3, and are expected to sell out, so you better jump on it sooner than later. Three-day passes are $250, and single-pay passes start at $95 (plus service fees.) For more info., go to: TellurideBlues.com. 

And speaking of beer and the San Juans, Durango’s San Juan Brewfest is also back this year after its COVID hiatus. This year’s event will be held over two days – Aug. 28-29 – in Buckley Park, with 1,000 tickets available for each day.

Although breweries and bands will be announced later this week, tickets to this sell-out event go on sale at 10 a.m., this Sat., June 12, at sanjuanbrewfest.com. Proceeds benefit the United Way of Southwest Colorado.