The Last Off-Season At O'Bannon's, And What Else Fills Telluride's Quiet Weeks This Fall

The building on East Colorado Avenue is more than 100 years old. The downstairs bar has a stage and still holds a lot of the bric-a-brac that came over from South Fir Street. Upstairs, front and back patios open onto the Spruce Street pocket park. Both floors are open this fall. By January, only one of the businesses in them will be the same.

O'Bannon's Irish Pub closes on Dec. 31 after almost 40 years, the Telluride Times reported. The group behind The Patio, the new restaurant upstairs, bought the space but not the business. They plan to open a bar downstairs soon after, with very little change to the room and a different name. That makes this off-season the last one O'Bs will see. The final stretch runs from the last gondola ride on Oct. 25, through opening day on Nov. 26, to a New Year's Eve closing night, and the new bar opens after that.

A Bar That Has Moved Before

O'Bannon's has already lived through one move. When Ann Marie Fitzpatrick started bartending there in 1994, the pub sat on South Fir Street next to Baked in Telluride. She learned the business from the original owners, Harry Force and Ray Prince. Later she and her husband, Randy, kept it going along with the staff. In 2016 the South Fir lease ended. O'Bs moved into the downstairs space that had been the Fly Me to the Moon Saloon, and Fitzpatrick's plan was to change nothing.

The stage gave the bar a second life as a music venue, with bluegrass, Blues and Brews, Jazz, Ride, DJs and Latin Night. The Fitzpatricks are now retiring to travel. Fitzpatrick told the Telluride Times that Randy is a big part of why the bar kept running in such an old building.

Until the last night, the hours stay the same: 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., open to everyone, through the end of 2026. In a season when many businesses post closure dates, a bar that keeps its usual hours until its final night is a real anchor for the next ten weeks.

Upstairs, A Kitchen Built To Stay Open

The Patio took over the space that used to be The Bistro. It soft-opened earlier in September, and its owners told the Telluride Times it will serve indoor and outdoor dining plus takeout throughout the off-season. It opens at 11 a.m. and serves a full menu until 11 p.m.

Alex Laney, the director of operations, described the goal as "affordability, approachability and warmth." He was more specific about the price: "We wanted to be able to put a smash burger and fries and a draft beer on the menu for 20 bucks." Oysters and charcuterie are on the menu now, along with a full bar of cocktails, mocktails, beer and wine. Pizza, salads and deli sandwiches are planned as the menu grows.

The owners have deep roots in Telluride. Brothers Mike and Matt Fulton are grandsons of Ron Allred, a former owner of Telluride Ski Resort. Their partner is Andrew Lechleiter. Laney spent nine years as director of hospitality training at Telluride Ski and Golf, where he also ran day-to-day operations at Gorrono Ranch. This is the same group planning the bar that opens downstairs after New Year's.

That off-season commitment matters right now. Visit Telluride's off-season dining page is still asking businesses to send in their fall hours and their closure and reopening dates. Until those dates are posted, The Patio is one kitchen that has said publicly it will stay open through the slow weeks.

The Gondola Sets The Calendar

The Town of Mountain Village lists Sunday, Oct. 25 as the last day of gondola service for summer and fall 2026. Maintenance runs daily from Oct. 26 through Thursday, Nov. 19. That is 25 days without the free ride between Telluride and Mountain Village. While it is down, SMART runs free buses between the two towns. The gondola reopens for winter on Nov. 20 and is scheduled to run through April 4, 2027.

The last gondola weekend is also Pumpkins & Peaks. The free event runs Oct. 24 and 25 at Heritage Plaza in Mountain Village, from 1 p.m. to dusk. It has pumpkin carving, a petting zoo, face painting, a scavenger hunt, family photos, off-road rides, outdoor movies and fire pits. If you're coming up from town, Sunday is the last afternoon you can ride the gondola to it.

The Quiet Weeks, By Date

Once the gondola stops, the calendar thins out but doesn't go empty. Here is what's posted between the last ride and opening day:

• Saturday, Oct. 31: The KOTO Halloween Bash at The Alibi runs 9 p.m. to 11:59 p.m., with Rado playing live and a costume contest with cash prizes. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door, according to KOTO's listing.
• Monday, Nov. 2: Mountainfilm for Locals is free at Wilkinson Public Library at 5 p.m. It's a 90-minute program of short films from the 2026 festival, including "The Grandfather Puzzle" and "Evening in Chile." Free pizza goes first come, first served.
• Friday, Nov. 13, through Sunday, Nov. 15: The annual KOTO Ski Swap returns to Wilkinson Public Library at 100 W. Pacific Ave. You can donate used skis, buy new-to-you gear, pick up a discounted ski pass and join the Freestyle FREE-Ride.
• Friday, Nov. 20: The gondola reopens, and Visit Telluride's calendar lists the Girl Winter Film Tour the same day.
• Thursday, Nov. 26: This is Telluride Ski Resort's targeted opening day. It falls on Thanksgiving this year.

The Ski Swap and the pass deadline land on the same weekend. The resort's season page says pass sales end Nov. 15, with savings of up to 30 percent. It also lists an optional Spot refundable-pass product. Spot allows a full refund if you cancel for any reason before the season, and prorated refunds through Feb. 28, 2027. If you're still deciding about a pass, the Sunday of the swap is the last day to buy at the advertised savings. Check the terms on the resort's page before you buy. The resort describes its Nov. 26 to April 4, 2027 season as a target that depends on weather and conditions.

From Opening Day To New Year's Eve

After Thanksgiving, the countdown on East Colorado Avenue gets short. O'Bannon's has five weeks of ski season left after opening day, and it keeps its 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. hours the whole way. Fitzpatrick told the Telluride Times she hopes the Latin Night crew can keep their nights going somewhere, "because it's such a strong community." She also explained the plan for the final night:

"We're gonna have a big New Year's Eve party and drink whatever's left. And, in true O'Bs style, everyone is welcome."

That's from her interview with the Telluride Times. She said her goal was always a bar where "you can come in and be from wherever." After Dec. 31, the room downstairs gets a new name and a new operator, but the same space. The Patio's partners plan to run the bar below, with their burger counter upstairs.

A move to Telluride runs on the same calendar: gondola weeks, pass deadlines and opening day all shape when to arrive and when to close. If a Telluride winter is on your calendar, Eric Roark can help you build the plan. Let's Coach You Home: Schedule a Relocation Strategy Session.