For anyone hitting the Dillon show, here's a writeup for some ways to maximize enjoyment of the show! Dillon is a very small town, 900ish people, although set in a larger recreation/tourist-driven area of Summit County, so there are many amenities available in the greater area, but for my purposes I'm going to try to stick to the Town of Dillon itself. It's important to note that, for the visitor, Dillon is essentially divided up into two area: the chain-stores and restaurants that line Highway 6 - where you'll find supermarkets, liquor stores, department stores, etc. - and the downtown core, which has local shops, restaurants, lodging (hotels and condos), and ends at the lakefront where you'll find the town's marina, parks, and - last but not least - the amphitheater Bob will playing at. So here's a rundown of some categories, and I'm always happy to answer any specific questions I can via private message. Lodging: Ahhh, hopefully you've already arranged this. It's Fourth of July weekend in one of Colorado's busiest tourist communities, probably everything is booked up. There's some first-come, first-served campgrounds around Summit County - although nothing in Dillon itself - and Keystone, the ski resort up the road, has a large inventory of condos and hotel rooms that may have some last minute availability. The town also operates rotating parking lots that allow overnight parking if you're looking to bring up a camper or van or something to sleep in. You can find out more about that here. Groceries, Drugs and Alcohol: Drugs and alcohol, of course, aren't permitted in the venue but Dillon does feature a number of dispensaries, liquor stores, microbreweries and a major supermarket chain (City Market, which is Kroger brand) if you want to imbibe ahead of time. And food and factory-sealed non-alcoholic bevvies are typically allowed in the venue, so feel free to bring in a picnic (although check ahead of time that that's allowed for this paid event - I plan to). The City Market is right off of Highway 6 - can't miss it if you're exiting I-70 and on your way to downtown Dillon. Adjacent to the City Market is Dillon Ridge Liquors, for my money the best liquor store in Summit County. Great selection of beer (including many, many local microbrews), wine and hard liquor. There are several dispensaries in Dillon (another small humblebrag, I led the council to overturn a moratorium on medicinal and recreational marijuana sales), although they aren't allowed in the town core area. My personal recommendation is the good folks at The Dispensary - Alpenglow which is just across the highway from the supermarket. There is a liquor store in the town core as well, but convenience of location brings with it higher prices and more limited selection. There's also a small mexican grocery store, but again selection will be limited. Inside the venue, at least pre-pandemic, the beer and wine prices were fairly reasonable for a music venue and they had a small selection of local microbrews along with the usual stuff. If Brian "Bumpy" York is slinging beers, tell 'em Kevin sent you (in what will be a recurring theme, this will get you nothing, but he may chuckle). A Real, Live Record Store!!! That's right, Dillon is home to Affordable Music, one of the last honest-to-god old school record shops in the Rocky Mountains. Stacks of new and used, vinyl, CDs, cassettes, 8 tracks (!!!), musical instruments and various other items of interest. I worked there for years. Tell the owner, Gary, I sent ya. Just a short block away from the amphitheater and adjacent to a number of the restaurant recommendations below. No way you go in there and don't walk out with some treasure. And, oh yeah, he's got plent of Dylan in stock at all times. Enjoy the outdoors: I mean, you're in the Rocky Mountains and about to watch Bob Dylan play next to a giant mountain lake. If you get up in time, take in the mountain air and scenery. Obviously, there are great options to walk, hike, bike, etc. all around the area, but I'm gonna limit this to a couple recommended zones right in Dillon. The Lakefront: This includes Dillon Marina, Marina Park, and the amphitheater itself. I'll extoll the virtues of the tiki bar below, but don't sleep on Marina Park - located between the marina and the amphitheater as a spot to cook out, enjoy the scenic lake, and bring the kiddos to the playground. You can even walk down to the shoreline below the amphitheater to enjoy a mountain lake beachside experience. The county's multi use rec path also runs through the lakefront area (you can't miss it) and is great for longer walks or a bike ride. You can find the full map and more info on that here. If you're looking for a more traditional hike, I recommend the Tenderfoot Mountain trail which provides a short, but steep, hike with constant views of Lake Dillon and - quite often - excellent wildflowers. A more gentle, and often quieter, option is the Dillon Nature Preserve which takes you through a gentle meadow and lets you hike through the trees with several lake overlooks and some time along the lake. Finally, the Old Dillon Reservoir Trail is a great option for a very short, easy hike with small kids or pets. It ends in, well, Dillon's old reservoir which was recently improved and is also a fishing spot. I used to like to pack a lunch and take it up to one of the benches along the trail and enjoy the mountain scenery. Restaurants and Breweries: For a town of 900, we have a LOT of places to eat drink. This was probably close to a decade ago now, but I think at one point we figured out that there were more bars and breweries per capita here than anywhere else in the state. I won't go through every little bar but there are a few placed in particular to note to get your vittles and libations on ahead of the concert: The Tiki Bar, location: the Marina, shorefront Owned by the Town of Dillon but operated by Pug Ryan's Brewery this is an old-school marina tiki bar, serving mixed drinks (try the rumrunner!), a few Pugs beer and some okay-ish hot food out of an on-site food truck. If the weather is nice, you come for the views and atmosphere, which is some of the best in the state. Popular with local and visitor alike, if the day isn't a rainout (and it's looking like it might be, unfortunately) have pre-show drink here. Pug Ryan's Brewery, location: downtown If the weather ISN'T as nice out, come to the motership, just a block from the venue for a pint. Honestly, not sure what the food situation here is. The old owners during most of my time had a classic burgers, etc. menu that was pretty tasty. Then they retired and the then-new owners changed up the menu and I think most old-timers didn't think too highly of it. Beer stayed real good though. Now some new owners just came in and I haven't heard reviews of the food since. The beer menu looks the same though, which is classic. Another place you'll find locals and visitors co-mingling. They should still be open after the concert too, if you're looking for a post-concert libation. CafeProfusion, location: downtown This is THE place for food in Dillon. Those who know, know. The couple that runs this place are friends of mine (another good "tell 'em Kevin sent you" opportunity) and their fusion meal options are incredible. Only a few tables in the restaurant so consider placing a take-out order to bring into the venue or enjoy at the public park adjacent to the venue. Arapahoe Cafe, location: downtown Another highly popular, tasty dinner option. Doug's bbq here is some of the best in the county. The upstairs is classic table-service with a full menu. Very, very popular weekends. Plan on getting here pretty early to get seated in time for the concert, especially if you want to try to sit on the patio if the weather is nice. They also have a basement pub that you enter from the side of the restaruant called "the pub down under" which is a more casual experience. They also do pub dinner specials. Sunday night is burger night. Decent selection at the bar. Dillon Dam Brewery, location: highway 6 Another iconic Dillon spot, the beer here is a local institution - try the Sweet George's Brown! - and I think they have the best appetizer game in town. Lots of seating, but with its visibility and closeness to the interstate this place tends to get real, real crowded. You're also still a (very short) drive to the venue so just plan accordingly. Lots of giant TVs at the bar if there were any live sports you wanted to catch. Bistro North, location: highway 6 A slightly more upscale option located in the Dillon Ridge shopping area across the highway from downtown Dillon. From the same restaurant group that operates the highly popular Blue River Bistro in Breckenridge, I HIGHLY recommend this spot if this concert is a date night. Sabor Mazatlan, location: highway 6 My pick for best Mexican restaurant in Dillon. Good menu, tasty house margs. There are a few options in downtown Dillon that are all pretty decent but I think this is the best of the lot. True Blue Coffee & Gelato, location: highway 6 For those that need a pre-show (or morning after) caffeine fix, this is the only real coffee shop in Dillon. Gelato too, obviously. Weather: I'd be remiss not to mention that the mountains seem to have hit their monsoonal period and the whole weekend is calling for rain at times. As of now, the forecast says it's going to be clearing by the start time of the show but it may be a bit chilly. Dress in layers, wear a rain coat, and prepare for Bob rain or shine. It's... extremely rare that the Town will cancel a show due to weather. If you get up to Dillon and realize you forgot something, there are a few outdoor clothing and gear stores right in Dillon, including an REI, Christy Sports, and a Sun & Ski Sports - all along Highway 6. Just prepare for the elements and you'll be ready to enjoy the outdoors, rain or shine. --- There ya go. If there are any fellow concert-goers, I hope this helps!
Was Dillon, Colorado named after Matt Dillon? I think if Dylan had spelled his new name Dillon, he never would have made it big.
Apologies to @FlexFantastic. I came upon the post not getting the relation of Dylan playing in the town of Dillon. I thought it was a long joke. My bad.
interestingly, the town was going to call itself dylan but it didn't want people to think it borrowed its name from dylan thomas
They have gone up to $1.9 million due to inflationary forces. The requirement for cash only might affect some of us.
