Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of the year in Telluride. With the fall starting to give way to winter, the landscape takes on a scenic mantle in various shades of gold, silver, and white. People come here with family and friends to celebrate the long weekend with unforgettable activities.
Planning to spend your Thanksgiving in Telluride? Check out some of the things you can do:
Celebrate the opening of the ski season at Telluride Ski Resort
Topping the list of Thanksgiving activities in Telluride, Colorado is the official opening of the ski season. Be one of the first to hit the slopes at Telluride Ski Resort. On opening day, serious skiers are up and about early to have the honor of riding the first chairs up the mountain. While the skiable area may still be limited at this time, there’s typically enough powder to give everyone a good opening run.
After a day of skiing or snowboarding, everyone flocks to their favorite bars and restaurants in the area. The crowd is relatively thinner around this time so you won’t have to wait long for a table. After a few after-ski drinks, many head home to prepare their family Thanksgiving feast, or enjoy a special holiday meal at one of the town’s excellent restaurants.
Win a turkey at Turkey Bingo
Come early for the season and get the chance to win a big, fat turkey for your Thanksgiving dinner. Every year, Elks Lodge hosts Turkey Bingo, where you and the entire family can play bingo with turkeys as the grand prize. There’s a Members and Guests Only Bingo, Kids Bingo, Adults Bingo, and All Ages Bingo. By joining, you’re also helping out a cause, as all proceeds from the event goes to local charities.
Enjoy the crowd-free off season dining
Before and during the early days of skiing season, many of Telluride’s top restaurants close for business, while others are open only at modified hours. But while your options are limited, you’re also spared the large crowds and long queues that typically greet diners during peak seasons.
Check out the hip Butcher & Baker Caféfor classic sandwiches using organic hand carved meats, or artisan breads, tarts, and cakes. Celebrate Thanksgiving with a buffet dinner at Altezza at the Peaks. Sample the award-winning pizzas at Brown Dog Pizza. It may still be offseason in Telluride but that doesn’t mean you’ll have to put up with shabby dinners.
Go fishing
Fishing is an all season activity in Telluride. On Thanksgiving weekend, you can spend a day or two enjoying some of the best fly fishing in Colorado. At the San Miguel River, you’ll find a bounty of stoneflies, Mayflies, Caddis, and other excellent bait for an excellent pre-runoff session in shallow waters. The Uncompahgre River, which you can access in just an hour from Telluride, does not freeze over for year-round trout fishing. The Gunnison is the place to go if you want to reel in extra-large brown and rainbow trout, either by float fishing or wade fishing.
Start your holiday shopping
As with the restaurants in Telluride, many shops also take a break after the summer but reopen when skiing season starts. It’s the perfect time to enjoy a stroll along historic Downtown and nearby Mountain Village, and shop for unique gifts for the holidays. You’ll find independent brands of clothes, jewelry, accessories, houseware, and more. Many of these shops are housed in excellently preserved historic buildings that will take you through Telluride’s colorful Old West heritage.
Do your Black Friday shopping at the Telluride Arts Holiday Bazaar. Hosted by Telluride Elks Lodge, this 3-day event features a wide variety of crafts from local artisans, including jewelry, gourmet food, fashion, body products, and more.
In Telluride, you can bike all year round on any terrain, thanks to fat bikes. Fat bikes have tires that are nearly five inches wide, giving them the stability needed to go through practically any kind of surface, including snowy, icy, or muddy ground. Explore the gorgeous trail system specifically designed for fat bikes by the San Miguel Bike Alliance. The trail follows the San Miguel River and the old railroad, then offers more challenges as it climbs up Bear Creek and passes dirt roads. Don’t forget to stop and take pictures of the gorgeous late fall-early winter landscapes along the way.
Want to learn more about Thanksgiving celebrations in Telluride? We at Team TD Smith will be happy to help. Get in touch with us at +1 970.729.1577 or at TD@TDSmith.com. Check out this page for more info about living in Telluride.