At Tico Time Bluegrass Festival, the calluses on your fingers better be tough, because people come with instruments in hand and are known to jam until the break of dawn.
Along with your banjo, mandolin or guitar, bring a good pair of boots, because Tico Time is the type of place you’re going to want to stomp around on a rickety, wooden front porch, or perhaps barefoot in a meadow. The lineup is a tasteful curation of well-known bluegrass bands, like Yonder Mountain String Band and The Travelin’ McCourys, and lesser-known New Mexico locals like the Foggy Memory Boys. You can also see some of the scene’s best women in bluegrass like Big Richard, an all-female quartet formed from spontaneous jam sessions, and Lindsay Lou, who does a soulful take on traditional pickin’.
Tico Time Bluegrass Festival brings you to the cowboy west. It takes place at the Tico Time River Resort, a Costa Rican themed venue in the Animus River Valley. If you want a little adrenaline break from the music, the venue has bungee jumping, ziplines, rafting and water slides. You can also play a pickup game of beach volleyball or disc golf or go for a hike if you want some quiet time.
Tico Time Bluegrass Festival is, at its core, a place for musicians to jam with other musicians — what event planners call “pickin’ and grinnin.” So if you want to make connections with other music lovers and perhaps become one of the many bands that formed from spontaneous jam sessions at music festivals, now is your time. The universe is calling.
The Specs
- While the festival attendance numbers are unpublished, the venue is over 82 acres and guests are welcome to camp, bring an RV or glamp in one of the event’s fully stocked luxury tents.
- Tickets: 4 Day Full Admission Pass: $209; Thursday Only Admission: $65; Friday Only: $75; Saturday Only: $75; Sunday Only: $65; 4 Day Full Admission for youth (Ages 11-18): $90.
- The festival is only 20 miles from Durango, Colorado, so check out this guide if you have time to visit.
