Telluride 4th of July is truly an old fashioned, small town America celebration. From the early morning hours to long past sunset, the festivities provide endless fun and entertainment for the young and young at heart.
Ideally located in the heart of Telluride, the Hotel Columbia offers guests access to the countless activities the Telluride 4th of July Celebration has to offer. A mere two blocks from Main Street and five blocks from the Town Park, the Hotel Columbia also allows you or your loved ones to slip away and enjoy a short break from the sun, before returning to the festivities.
From a spacious Superior King room, to the stunning three-bedroom Telluride Suite, choose from our many rooms and suites for the accommodation that suits you best. Our layout provides a great deal of flexibility that is ideal for accommodating families. The Hotel Columbia also offers complimentary, deluxe-continental breakfast, free wireless internet, and on-site parking for $20 per day. Come enjoy what is often considered one of Telluride’s premier events while surrounded by the majestic San Juan Mountains and the luxury and pampering of the Hotel Columbia.
The Telluride Volunteer Fire Department has been hosting Telluride's 4th of July celebration for over 100 years. It is an event that will surely not disappoint. In honoring our stars and stripes, the celebration offers something for everyone.
To start the day and pay tribute to the mining heritage of Telluride, a stick of dynamite is lit deep in the mountains surrounding Telluride. This unique wake-up call sends a deep vibration through the Telluride valley at the early hour of 6am. While some visitors sleep through this experience, others simply crack a smile and return to their slumber.
At 11am sharp, fighter jets from the Air Force base in Colorado Springs fly over the town of Telluride. This much anticipated event signals the start of the wacky and wild Main Street parade. Locals and visitors alike don their best homemade costumes to march, dance, skate, or ride past throngs of cheering spectators.
The parade culminates at the entrance to Town Park, where delicious smells lure in countless fans of the Telluride Volunteer Fire Department’s annual barbeque. Here you can experience some of the best barbequed pork and chicken, corn on the cob, coleslaw, rolls, and fresh watermelon around, while supporting the hard-working, volunteer fire department. After you’ve had your fill to eat, wander over to the kid’s games and watch your youngsters participate in the three-legged race, the water-balloon toss, the pie-eating contest, and the highly anticipated trout grab.
If you’ve had your fill of sun, head over to the Telluride Historical Museum where root-beer floats are served for a small donation to the museum. After browsing through the museum, return to the Hotel Columbia to relax and bundle up before the evening’s firework show.
Put on by Telluride’s Volunteer Fire Department, the firework exhibit in Telluride is one of the best in the country. Held in the Town Park, the fireworks are displayed in a natural amphitheater, set against the ‘purple mountain majesties’. The majority of viewers lie on their backs on blankets in the Town Park, watching the fireworks explode directly overhead. After the show, enjoy the nightlife of Telluride at one of the local saloons or retire to the Hotel Columbia with visions of stars and stripes dancing in your head.
