Get ready for an unforgettable weekend enjoying the sweet sounds of live bluegrass music.

With tons of activities for kids and adults alike, you, your friends, and family can enjoy ziplining, face painting, and hula hooping in between step-dancing, clogging, flatfooting, buck dancing, and square dancing. 

This beach resort along the Lower Animas River provides plenty of space for beach volleyball, sunbathing, and swimming in the river, plus several ponds for splashing in. It’s the perfect place for kids and those who want to relax, floating around peacefully and looking up at the sky, while absorbing the sweet, heartfelt tunes of bluegrass.

Tico Time Riverside Resort lies between Durango, Colorado, and Aztec, New Mexico. With its laid-back pura vida atmosphere, it welcomes the warmth of live bluegrass roots and Americana at its Fifth Annual Tico Time Bluegrass Festival.

Tico Time has zero-waste, leave-no-trace policies and offers recycling stations, single-stream waste disposal, and refill stations for water bottles.

2025 Lineup and Performers

Enjoy roots and Americana music from some of the biggest names in the industry at this Fifth Annual Tico Time Bluegrass Festival. Expect a powerhouse roster of over 25 bluegrass and Americana acts headlined by The Infamous Stringdusters, Leftover Salmon, and Railroad Earth.

Catch high-energy sets from other rising stars in the genre. The Stillhouse Junkies, a three-piece jam band from Colorado, expertly blends bluegrass, Americana, Western Swing, and country, while Durango’s own funkadeligrass fave, Liver Down The River, lays down jam-grass hoedowns alongside traditional tunes.

Discover new favorites and sing along to bluegrass staples such as “Foggy Mountain Breakdown”, “Rocky Top”, “Kentucky Waltz”, and Bill Monroe’s classic “Y’all Come”, plus countless more classics. 

Alex Blocker will serve as the festival’s master of ceremonies, keeping the crowd entertained and informed between sets. A Chicago-born, classically trained violin player, musician, producer, youth educator, and fiddle player in the Appalachian and Cajun styles, he brings positive energy, charm, and enthusiasm to his role for an unforgettable festival experience. Respecting the roots and heart of rural music, bluegrass is a family and generational affair, and MC Blocker keeps it real. 

Headlining Acts

The Infamous Stringdusters

A Grammy Award–winning progressive bluegrass band, The Infamous Stringdusters offer soaring harmonies, unstoppable energy, and extended improvisations, uniting jam band fans and traditional bluegrass devotees.

Leftover Salmon

Leftover Salmon is a jamgrass powerhouse known for blending bluegrass, Cajun, and rock influences into dance-friendly grooves. Pioneers of the “Polyethnic Cajun Slamgrass” style, they deliver fun-loving, improvisational shows that keep crowds on their feet. 

Railroad Earth

Railroad Earth infuses Americana and roots music with improvisational flair, creating a sound that’s part bluegrass, part jam band, and entirely captivating. They’ve built a devoted fan base through their lyric-driven storytelling and eclectic instrumental arrangements.

Peter Rowan and Sam Grisman Project

Peter Rowan is a bluegrass singer, songwriter, and guitarist who once performed with the legendary Bill Monroe himself. Paired with the Sam Grisman Project, the collaboration delivers a soulful, roots-driven take on classic and modern tunes, offering a masterful exploration of Americana, bridging generations through timeless melodies.

Rebecca Frazier

Rebecca Frazier is a flatpicking guitarist who weaves storytelling with intricate melodies and technical prowess. Her soulful style, warm vocals, and bluegrass interpretations of diverse pop classics have earned her acclaim in the bluegrass world. She’ll play two sets, one inspired by the Grateful Dead, and a second of her originals.

Tim O’Brien & Jan Fabricius

Born in Wheeling, West Virginia, Tim O’Brien is a Grammy-winning multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who has written bluegrass hits for Hot Rize and country hits for singer Kathy Mattea. Here, he’ll perform with Jan Fabricius to deliver an acoustic blend of bluegrass, folk, and Americana. Expect tight vocal harmonies, warm chemistry, and seasoned musicianship.

The Fretliners

The Fretliners are a progressive acoustic quartet known for their precise picking, polished vocals, and adventurous arrangements. They will play two sets, fusing bluegrass traditionals with jamgrass, folk, and Americana, creating a sound distinctly their own.

Opening Acts

Among the diverse and vibrant supporting acts, the Alex Graf Duo offers intimate acoustic sets marked by deft guitar work, while the Boston-based band, All She Wrote, showcases Americana with crisp harmonies and poignant storytelling. 

Andrew Cooney and Derek Dames Ohl bring playful improvisations to traditional formats, Bob Hemenger adds soulful sax lines to the bluegrass mix, and the Foggy Memory Boys exemplify New Mexico wild-grass, with mandolin and dobro to mix in nostalgia with a ton of humor in songs like “Put It On My Gravestone”, and the beautiful “Jordan” (…was her middle name).

Meanwhile, High Country Hustle energizes the crowd with jam-inflected bluegrass, Hunker Down delivers driving mountain soul, and La La Bones charms with upbeat harmonies and spirited fiddle tunes. Durango-based hoedown band, Liver Down the River, jams funk, Americana, Celtic, experimental, and traditional bluegrass sounds. 

Magoo celebrates acoustic roots adding contemporary twists with playful lyrics and rhythms, and the Robin Davis Duo captivates with a cozy, front-porch vibe. Rounding out this eclectic roster, Silas Herman & The Tone Unit, hailing from Nederlands, Colorado, offers fresh picking with infectious energy, while the San Juan Circus wows audiences with aerial theatrics and fresh sounds. Check the Tico Time Bluegrass video to see some of the goings-on at past festivals.

Continuing the showcase of modern bluegrass talents, Denver-based Slay & Stinson is a melody-driven band with roots in the Eastt and Midwest. Meanwhile, Steezy Strings, made up of high school and college students from Durango, plays Celtic and bluegrass styles true to their name, with style and ease. 

The Still House String Band from Colorado honors traditions of Appalachian and Nashville standards with a modern twist of jam grass. The Little Moon Travelers deliver a dreamy fusion of folk, old-times past, and roots Americana. From Boulder, Colorado, high-energy Timber! ignites the stage with spirited pickin’ and warm vocal harmonies. 

Together, these acts celebrate the great variety of contemporary bluegrass –– whether you call it jamgrass, wildgrass, newgrass, or Americana, this festival promises an exciting and all-encompassing bluegrass musical experience.

Tickets and Accommodations

The uniquely Costa-Rican-inspired Tico Time River RV Resort expects 2,000–3,000 attendees during this fifth annual celebration of bluegrass. Most attendees opt to stay overnight for the full three days of the festival. Therefore, reserve your Animas River Front RV Park and camping accommodations now, with free Wi-Fi, over 80 acres of property, and river access. 

The Tico Time Bluegrass Music Festival offers a range of accommodations, including shaded riverside camping, full hook-up RV sites, glamping tents, car camping, bungalows behind the three stages, and VIP cabins. 

Purchase your three-day bluegrass festival passes online in advance, which include walk-in camping in the “Magical Forest.” Lower-priced tickets are available for youth (ages 13–17) and three-day passes for children (12 and under) are only $5. You can also purchase tickets at the gate for full festival access, at a slightly higher price.

However, it may be more difficult to find your preferred spot to camp or set up your RV if you wait too long to reserve your tickets. Festival passes are sold separately from camping and accommodations (other than for walk-in camping), so review the official Bluegrass Festival website for full details on ticket tiers, camping packages, and any add-on amenities. 

For more information on tickets and accommodations, and how you may still apply to perform music, fire spinning, and live art performances, or volunteer in several capacities, visit the Tico Time Bluegrass FAQ page. They want to hear from you!

Activities and Attractions

Enjoy a range of Tico Time Resort activities, including sand volleyball on the beach, stand up paddle boards, swimming, and kayaking. In addition to visiting the festival’s cafe, food trucks, craft vendors, and general store for conveniences and snacks, you can participate in yoga classes and workshops. Additionally, the resort offers access to hiking and biking trails near the resort, including a trailhead by the festival’s main stage to explore the stunning Animas River Valley. 

Play disc golf on this Costa Rican-inspired resort’s 18-hole course. Zipline over the river, tube on the lower Animas, or hike up the 200-foot overlook for a spectacular look at the bluegrass festival scene below. With cornhole, horseshoes, hula hooping, face painting, a rock climbing wall, a “leap of faith” tower jump, a 40-foot Tarzan swing, and a 130-foot waterslide –– there is plenty to do other than flatfooting at this festival!

Getting to the Tico Time Bluegrass Music Festival

Tico Time Bluegrass Festival takes place outdoors under the backdrop of the San Juan Mountains in the Animas River Valley, rich with forests, fish, and wildlife. Yet, it is located conveniently close to several towns in the Four Corners via US-550:

• 30 minutes south of Durango, CO
• 40 minutes northeast of Farmington, NM
• 20 minutes from Aztec, NM

Fly into the nearby Durango-La Plata County Airport (DRO) and hop on a shuttle, or take advantage of ample on-site parking if you’re driving. Cyclists can enjoy designated bike parking areas, with nearby bike trails. The festival grounds are fully wheelchair accessible. 

Local Culture and Food Trucks

Tico Time River Resort, live music capital of the Four Corners, attracts a variety of food vendors for its music festivals, most with a focus on healthy and organic options, as well as internationally–inspired flavors and classic bluegrass fare. Sample the local culture while exploring vendor craft booths featuring handmade goods, art, and jewelry.

ATMs are available on-site, and credit card machines are ready to assist at the craft booths and the many food vendors. Don’t forget to stop by the general store for basic supplies and festive souvenirs to commemorate your great time at the Tico Time Bluegrass Festival.

Experience the Magic of Tico Time Bluegrass Festival

Make the most of this wildly unique and fun festival experience by taking advantage of all the activities available at Tico Time Riverside RV Resort, where mountains meet the beach. Relax and enjoy the Animas River Valley’s natural beauty while soaking up a musical adventure unlike any other. This bluegrass music festival may delight your senses like no other.

Check the Tico Time Bluegrass Festival FAQ page for ticket details, lodging options, and a full schedule of activities.