Founded: 2010 | Annual
About this festival
The Telluride Horror Show is Colorado’s first and longest-running genre festival, founded in 2010 and held each mid-October as fall color peaks in the box canyon. Over three packed days it programs an eclectic mix of horror, suspense, thriller, dark fantasy, sci-fi, and dark comedy across Telluride’s historic theaters — with many films getting their first U.S. showing, drawing genre fans from across the country. The New York Times named it one of the “5 Halloween Festivals Worth Traveling For,” and it ranks among the highest-attended genre festivals in the world. Beyond screenings, the festival’s character comes from its signature events: Creepy Campfire Tales with marquee horror authors (recent guests have included Stephen Graham Jones, Grady Hendrix, and Paul Tremblay), the Pig Roast, Killer Karaoke, and horror trivia. It’s a deliberate counterpoint to the prestige of its Labor Day namesake — same town, very different mood.