New Grass Revival, Credit: Benko Photographics

This year, fans of the Telluride Bluegrass Festival are in for a special treat. In honor of its 41st year, the festival is releasing 40 Years of Festivation, a hardbound, 214-page celebration of one particular slice of American history. It’s a gonzo style look at a community brimming with creativity, energy, and a frontier spirit. In addition to more than 350 photos, there are essays by many, including Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas, Peter Rowan, Del McCoury, Billy Nershi, Vince Herman, Adam Aijala, Tim O’Brien, and Emmylou Harris. Longtime festival MC Pastor Mustard accounts for each year in colorful essays, and his captions somehow make the photos feel even more intimate. Only 5000 copies of the book have been printed, and they go on sale Thursday, June 19 at the Country Store inside the 41st Annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival for the price of $50. For those who can’t make it this year, some copies have been set aside and will be sold online at shop.bluegrass.com the same day.

This years line-up includes Ray LaMontagne, Brandi Carlile, Nickle Creek, Leftover Salmon, Yonder Mountain String Band, Dave Rawlings Machine, the Lone Bellow, Allison Krauss (as part of the Telluride House Band), Greensky Bluegrass, and Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers, to name just a few. Read more about it over on Relix.com.