Mountain Village Oktoberfest is a community-centered festival celebrating Bavarian heritage and alpine tradition through live music, food and beverage experiences, and family-friendly programming across Heritage Plaza, Sunset Plaza, Conference Center Plaza, and Reflection Plaza. Participating businesses throughout the village are invited to display a shared design that visually ties their storefront to the festival - creating a cohesive, immersive alpine atmosphere the moment guests step into Mountain Village.

We are seeking one original design concept that can be adapted and applied across a wide range of business formats - from full display windows to narrow entries, banners, and freestanding signage - so that every business, regardless of size or storefront type, can participate.

Theme & Inspiration: Theme: Design should reflect Bavarian and alpine Oktoberfest tradition - think alpine florals, pretzels, steins, oompah bands, autumn foliage, mountain silhouettes, or festive Bavarian textile patterns (checks, ribbons, lederhosen and dirndl motifs).

Brand Alignment: Concepts should incorporate or complement the festival's brand palette of deep navy, teal, and gold, though artists are encouraged to bring their own creative interpretation and color accents within that framework.

Adaptability: This is the most important guideline. The design must translate cleanly across multiple formats and surfaces, including: full storefront windows, narrow single-pane windows, glass entry doors, vertical or horizontal banners, sandwich boards / A-frame signs, and awnings or hanging signage. Submit your concept as a flexible system (a central motif, pattern, or character set) rather than a single fixed illustration, and include at least two sample mockups showing the design adapted to different formats.

Production-Ready: Design should be legible and effective at a distance, easy to reproduce as static clings, vinyl decals, or printed banners, and suitable for both daytime and evening (lit) display.

Originality: Final artwork must be original work created by the submitting artist and free of copyrighted or trademarked material.

Open to professional and emerging artists, illustrators, and designers. Artists based in Telluride, Mountain Village, and the surrounding San Miguel, Ouray, and Montrose County region are especially encouraged to apply, consistent with Mountain Village Oktoberfest's local-first commitment. Entries may be submitted by individuals or small creative studios.

• Design Concept: A concept design or rendering of the primary storefront motif, in color.

• Adaptation Mockups: At least two mockups showing how the design adapts across different formats (e.g., a full window and a banner, or a door and a sandwich board).

• Artist Statement: A short written description (150 words or fewer) of the concept and how it reflects the Oktoberfest theme.

• Artist Bio & Portfolio: Name, contact information, and 2–3 samples of previous work or a portfolio link.

• File Format: Files should be submitted as high-resolution PDF or JPEG (print-ready vector files such as AI or EPS welcomed but not required at the submission stage).

Submissions will be reviewed by the Telluride Unveiled and Mountain Village Oktoberfest team based on:

Creativity and originality of the concept.

Alignment with the Bavarian/alpine Oktoberfest theme and festival branding.

Adaptability of the design across window, banner, and signage formats.

Feasibility of production and reproduction across multiple businesses.

Overall visual impact and appeal to festival guests.

The selected design will be adapted for use by participating Mountain Village businesses for the Oktoberfest festival weekend and may be featured in event marketing materials. The artist retains ownership of the original artwork and will be credited as the designer wherever the storefront concept is displayed or promoted.