The 36th annual Bluegrass Festival returns to Grand Teton Resort with good food, music and camping.
The festival will go from Aug. 7 - 9. Eighteen different artists will be featured throughout the three days. Gates open on Friday at 12:30 p.m. and 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Tony Ferlisi, the senior special events manager at Grand Targhee Resort, says the festival has become an integral part of summer at Grand Targhee.
“It’s been a part of Grand Targhee for so long,” he said, “it’s become part of the fabric of this place over the years.”
Ferlisi says the festival usually brings in around 3,000 people. The hill still stays open to the public interested in mountain biking and the shops.
“We do have a vendor village outside of the festival venue itself, so it’s open to anyone who’s up here at Targhee whether you’re here for the festival or not,” Ferlisi said.
About a dozen different food venders are there inside the festival for those who want to pair the music with food.
“It really adds to the experience here,” Ferlisi said.
Camping is offered at Targhee all summer long and the resort opens more of the property for campers coming to the festival.
“During the Bluegrass Festival, we open up more of the property to camping because a huge part of the experience is coming up here with the family and camping out for the course of the weekend,” Ferlisi said.
The resort has hard surface sites that are saved for people with large motor homes and RVs. They also have meadow camping in the large meadow west of the lodge across from the parking lot.
“That camping is more dispersed, so it’s first come first serve.” Ferlisi said. “You can go back and forth between your campsite and the venue.”
This area is best for larger groups such as families or groups of friends, coming to listen to the music throughout the weekend.
The resort offers camping packages for those interested in attending the different nights. You get your campsite and festival tickets all in one bundle.
“Just to try to make it a little bit easier for people coming up here for the weekend to purchase all the things that they want with a single click instead of searching for different things that they want,” Ferlisi said.
Ferlisi says that because of current dry conditions throughout the area, campfires are prohibited. Teton County, Wyoming is in a burn ban which means there are no open flames.
Despite the stipulations, Ferlisi says the resort is pleased with the behavior of the guests at Targhee.
“We’re really pleased with our guests up here. They’ve adhered to that,” Ferlisi said.
For more information on the Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival, go to GrandTarghee.com/bluegrass.