Of The Trees Debuts Camp Alderwild in Telluride: Photos

Telluride is a magnet for world-class live music, but the town hasn’t felt electronic energy this strong since Pretty Lights lit up the Town Park back in 2015 and 2016. That all changed the weekend of August 22, with the debut of Of The Trees’ festival, Camp Alderwild, produced by the partnership between Planet Bluegrass and AEG. The festival turned the box-canyon paradise into a glowing playground of heavy bass, lasers and mountain-camping magic. From the kickoff parties on Thursday, August 21, to Sunday’s poolside wind-down, the four-day celebration stitched together music, nature and community in a way that felt uniquely Telluride.

Town Park opened Friday evening to a buzz of anticipation, and as soon as gates opened, festival goers rushed to the merch tent where long lines inevitably accumulated. Curra set the stage with warm, pulsing grooves before Taiki Nulight ignited the crowd with his UK-flavored house. Thought Process followed with a captivating live set that led us into the brain-bending storm of Jade Cicada. The crowd exploded when he dropped his Rick and Morty-inspired banger “Wubalububadubdub,” which sent heavy basslines spiraling through the San Juan mountains.

By the time Of The Trees took the stage, the park was electric. His headlining set flowed with forest-infused downtempo into massive gut-shaking drops that you could feel down in your bones. One of the highlights came when he flipped “Spanish Moss” with Kodak Black’s “Codeine Dreaming.” The overall vibes in the park were overwhelmingly positive as lasers shined throughout the canyon.

Saturday kicked off with a surprise pop-up at Heritage Plaza in Mountain Village, where Freddy Todd got the crowd moving before Of The Trees unleashed his Odds & Ends set, turning the square into a bubble-filled dance party.

Air Castles opened the main stage down in Town Park before EPROM delivered his Underclock set, pulling emotional weight when he brought his son onstage during his final song. British record producer Ott followed with a swirl psychedelic fun before the final performance from Of The Trees where he debuted some unreleased material that he’d never played live before.

Outside the festival, workshops on yoga, fly fishing and local ecology with guided edible-plant hikes filled the hours before gates. Vendors from across Colorado and beyond added color and craft, while late-night parties at the Alibi and Sheridan Opera House-featuring Tycho, Freddy Todd, Snuffy, and more-kept bodies moving right up until the bars closed.

On Sunday, the Mountain Lodge pool party sealed in the weekend with DJs spinning poolside, mountains shining, and fans floating together in contented bliss.

Camp Alderwild wasn’t just another festival-it was a gathering of music, mountains, and community spirit. If this year’s energy was any indication, Telluride may have just found its newest summer tradition. We hope!

See more photos below:

Find concerts on our concert calendar.