There are only so many mountains in Durango to smoke out while you walk up, and though there are mega fests in DGO to please the soul, sometimes you gotta get the hell outta Dodge.
Here’s a roundup of must-see summer festivals within seven hours drive of Durango. Boo and yah.
COLORADOMike the Headless Chicken Festival
When: Friday, June 2-3
Where: Fuita
Cost: Free admission
What: Sure. Why not celebrate a headless chicken who wouldn’t die by eating wings. Plus music, a disc golf tournament, and Peeps.
Details: miketheheadlesschicken.org
Dolores River Festival
When: 10 a.m. till late, Saturday, June 10
Where: Dolores
Cost: $20 advance, $25 day of
What: Jerry Joseph and the Jackmormons, Gene Evaro Jr., The Yawpers, Selasee and the Fafa Family, Carute Roma, and a load more music plus food booths and fun on the river.
Details: doloresriverfestival.org
Sonic Bloom
When: Thursday, June 15-18
Where: Spanish Peaks Country
Cost: $233 and up
What: Four days of electronic music headlined by Gigantic Cheese Biscuits, The Polish Ambassador, The Floozies, Claude VonStroke, Ott, and more. Add in performance art, yoga, and live painting.
Details: sonicbloomfestival.com
Country Jam
When: Thursday, June 15-18
Where: Grand Junction
Cost: $99-$155
What: A four-day country music camp-out featuring headliners like Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean, Thomas Rhett, and Old Dominion.
Details: countryjam.com
Denver PrideFest
When: Saturday, June 17-18
Where: Denver
Cost: Free admission
What: Drag stars like Chad Michaels, Jennifer Holliday, and Peppermint headline Colorado’s largest LGBTIQ fest. Plus A.B. Soto, Dave Audé, a Big Gay 5K, 200 food vendors, and f-tons of FUN!
Details: glbtcolorado.org/pridefest
Telluride Bluegrass Festival
When: Thursday, June 15-18
Where: Telluride
Cost: $82-$235
What: Dispatch, Dierks Bentley with the Travelin’ McCourys, Brandi Carlile, Punch Brothers, Norah Jones, Béla Fleck, and a crazy lot more bands descend on Tellurude.
Details: www.bluegrass.com/telluride
The Ride Festival
When: Saturday, July 8-9
Where: Telluride
Cost: $135 and up
What: Beck, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, The John Butler Trio, Kaleo, Rival Sons, and more headline the Ride Festival in scenic Telluride.
Details: ridefestival.com
Firefly Handmade Summer Market
When: Saturday, July 15-16
Where: Boulder
Cost: Free admission
What: 100-plus indie artists bring décor, art, jewelry, fashion, artisan food, and more to the 29th St. Shopping District.
Details: fireflyhandmade.com
Telluride Yoga Festival
When: Thursday, July 20-23
Where: Telluride
Cost: $75-$450
What: Over 100 activities including yoga, meditation, music, hiking, and social gatherings.
Details: tellurideyogafestival.com
Jackalope: An Indie Artisan Fair
When: Saturday, July 29-30
Where: Denver
Cost: Free admission
What: Over 150 local and curated makers, artisans, crafters, and D.I.Y. enthusiasts with a row of food trucks and live music.
Details: www.jackalopeartfair.com/denver
Arise
When: Friday, August 4-6
Where: Loveland
Cost: $85-$625
What: The Expendables, Atmosphere, Ani DiFranco, Beats Antique, Tipper, and more live music, art, yoga, and activism cover eight stages for three days.
Details: arisefestival.com
Telluride Jazz Fest
When: Friday, August 4-6
Where: Telluride
Cost: $25-$850
What: Mavis Staples Macy Gray, Lee Fields, and the Experience, Hazel Miller Gospel Band, and The Surfers headline a three-day jazz explosion.
Details: www.telluridejazz.org
Rocky Mountain Folk Festival
When: Friday, August 18-20
Where: Lyons
Cost: $65 to $220
What: Rhiannon Giddens, The Weepies, The Revivalists, Loudon Wainwright III, Dave Rawlings Machine, and Gregory Alan Isakov headline a chill summer fest in the foothills of the Rockies.
Details: www.bluegrass.com/folks
ARIZONAPride in the Pines
When: Noon-9 p.m., Saturday, June 24
Where: Flagstaff
Cost: $15
What: 1980s superstar Lisa Lisa headlines at Flagstaff’s LGBTIQ, all-day fest in Thorpe Park, a few blocks from the historic downtown.
Details: www.flagstaffpride.org
NEW MEXICOAlbuquerque Blues and Brews
When: 2-6 p.m., Sunday, May 28
Where: Albuquerque
Cost: $10-$55
What: Blues bands like Still Closed for Repairs, The Rudy Boy Experiment, and Alex Maryol soundtrack a day of sippin’ 60 breweries’ worth of suds. 21 and over.
Details: www.abqbluesandbrews.com
Albuquerque Folk Fest
When: 10:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m., Saturday, June 3
Where: Albuquerque
Cost: $15 advance, $20 day of
What: A quaint fest in the Albuquerque International Balloon Museum with live music, jam sessions, dancing, hella food, and storytellers who’ve toured the world.
Details: www.abqfolkfest.org/storytelling.shtml
Albuquerque Pride
When: Friday, June 9-10
Where: Albuquerque
Cost: $10-$50
What: Get your glorious unicorn self gussied up for a celebration of LGBTIQ life, friendship, and history, with live entertainment on two stages, a Pride parade, art show, Pride archive, beer garden, and more.
Details: abqpride.com
Albuquerque Summer Festival
When: 5-10:30 p.m., Saturday, June 10
Where: Albuquerque
Cost: Free admission
What: The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Eugene, Zoltan and the Fortunetellers, and the Joseph General Band headline the kick-off of Albuquerque’s monthly summer fest series.
Details: www.cabq.gov/culturalservices/things-to-do/annual-events/summerfest
Art Santa Fe
When: Thursday, July 13-16
Where: Santa Fe
Cost: $10-$25
What: A wide variety of modern and contemporary art takes over downtown Santa Fe with a plethora of gallery showings and openings.
Details: www.artsantafe.com
International Folk Art Market
When: Friday, July 14-16
Where: Santa Fe
Cost: $15 advance, $20 day of
What: The world’s largest folk art festival with 150 artists from over 50 countries and attendance of 20,000-plus people.
Details: www.folkartalliance.org/events-programs/international-folk-art-market-santa-fe/
UTAHUtah Pride Festival
When: Wednesday, May 31-June 4
Where: Salt Lake City
Cost: $15 and up
What: Big Freedia, Well Strung, Minx, and DJ Citizen Jane headline a week-long LGBTQIA fest in downtown SLC.
Details: utahpridecenter.org/festival
Utah Arts Festival
When: Thursday, June 22-25
Where: Salt Lake City
Cost: $10-$35
What: Shooter Jennings and Waymore’s Outlaws, RJD2, Salvia Sisters, and Jarekus Singleton headline a four-day, workshop-filled fest highlighting the wide spectrum of arts.
Details: https://uaf.org
Bonanza Campout
When: Friday, June 23-25
Where: Heber
Cost: $70-$300
What: Ms. Lauryn Hill, Nas, Nick Murphy (formerly Chet Faker), and Odesza headline a weekend arty fest.
Details: bonanzacampout.com
Craft Lake City
When: Friday, August 11-13
Where: Salt Lake City
Cost: $5-$50
What: Artisan food, two stages of entertainment, and over 200 vintage vendors, artists, and DIY makers host over 40,000 attendees at this indie craft fair.
Details: craftlakecity.com
Das Energi Festival
When: Friday, August 18-19
Where: Magna
Cost: $115-$200
What: Zedd, Diplo, Adventure Club, and Knife Party headline a hella PMA electronic music fest near Salt Lake City.
Details: dasenergifestival.com
Don’t forget to che
k out the 2017 Four Corners food festivals at dgomag.com.Patty TempletonDGO Staff Writer
