From the day the mountain closes in early April through Memorial Day weekend, it's offseason in Telluride. Town empties out, to Mexico or Nosara (seriously, it's like Telluride South) or Lake Powell or Moab. Restaurants keep shorter hours or are closed. The gondola shuts down for maintenance. And town is very, very quiet.
This year, spring arrived unusually early — a dry winter followed by a warm March meant wildflowers ahead of schedule, and then, of course, a solid dump of snow right after closing weekend.
Offseason ends on Memorial Day. Officially and semi-officially. Two things signal it better than anything else.
MountainFilm
MountainFilm has been happening Memorial Day weekend since 1979, and it's one of the genuinely great festivals in town. It tends to live in the shadow of the Telluride Film Festival but they're completely different animals. MountainFilm is outdoor adventure, environmental activism, and documentary storytelling. It's the kind of festival that sends you home actually thinking about the world differently. It's one of the only festivals my family has attended every single year, alongside Bluegrass. If you haven't been, go.
The Golf Course Opens
The Telluride Golf Club reopens around Memorial Day, which for a lot of people is as reliable a signal as any that summer has arrived. The course sits up in Mountain Village with views that are beautiful. You don't have to be a serious golfer to appreciate it. You do have to be a MV local to resent it (since you can't walk on the golf course anymore...).
Everything Else That Wakes Up
The Telluride Farmers Market makes its seasonal return Memorial Day weekend. The gondola reopens, connecting town and Mountain Village again. The Music on the Green summer concert series kicks off in Mountain Village, free and easy. And the trails are in good shape — Jud Wiebe and the River Trail are both accessible from downtown.
Memorial Day weekend is a good time to be here. The festivals haven't gotten crowded yet. The weather is warm but not hot. Town is awake again.