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Memorial Day ceremonies, barbecue and brews, spring skiing and more: Tricia’s weekend picks 5/24/19

After a snowy week, get out to some of the events and activities around the Vail Valley this Memorial Day weekend.

Memorial Day events

Every year, the last Monday of the month of May marks Memorial Day, a federal holiday in the United States honoring those who lost their lives fighting for our freedoms in the country’s armed forces. It was originally called Decoration Day because people would decorate the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers, flags and wreaths. It is sometimes confused with Veteran’s Day. Memorial Day is a day to remember the men and women who died while serving, while Veteran’s Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans.

Local VFW Post 10721 will host a few services around the area after a busy week of placing flags by the graves of each deceased veteran at local cemeteries with the Boy Scouts to awarding scholarships and high school students.

10th Mountain Division Memorial Service

  • Monday, 11 a.m. at Tennessee Pass off of U.S. Highway 24. 
  • Arrive early for a good seat and parking. Bring a lawn chair if you’re so inclined and warm clothes for changing weather conditions.
  • Lunch will be held afterward at Ski Cooper Lodge.

Annual Eagle County Service

  • Monday, 4 p.m. at Freedom Park Memorial in Edwards.
  • The ceremony honors Eagle County residents who have fallen in the line of duty including military, 911 and emergency responders.
  • The service will include guest speakers and musical selections including the national anthem, taps and bagpipers.

Prior to Memorial Day, the Colorado Snowsports Museum is hosting opportunities to hear about the famed winter warfare unit, the 10th Mountain Division at their recently remodeled location in Vail Village.



Sandy Treat is a longtime Vail local who will resume his Tales of the 10th talks on Fridays from 3 to 4 p.m. starting this week. Treat, who is now 96 years old, shares his stories of voluntarily joining the 10th and coming to Colorado to train at Camp Hale, which is located between Vail and Leadville. Treat also will recount some of the stories of the 10th battling the German forces in Italy during World War II. A $5 donation is suggested.

The Colorado Snowsports Museum will also host a public meet-and-greet with 10th Mountain Division veteran Dick Over. At 94 years of age, Over has shared his stories of the 10th with all ages for the past 70 years. Stop by the museum at 3 p.m. on Sunday to meet Over and learn more about what it was like during those trying times, then stick around and catch a screening of “Climb to Glory.” The Colorado Snowsports Museum has this acclaimed documentary looping every day and also houses a 10th Mountain Division exhibit. For more information, visit http://www.snowsportsmuseum.org

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Blues, Brews & BBQ Festival at Beaver Creek

The 16th annual Blues, Brews & BBQ Festival kicks off a season full of activities and events at Beaver Creek. Pro and amateur barbecue cook-offs, a craft beer festival and live music round out the weekend and will entice people to come out and kick off summer after a long and snowy offseason. Here are a few highlights; for a full schedule, visit http://www.beavercreek.com.

Friday

  • Beer garden and food vendors open from 2 to 6 p.m. 
  • Free live music: Ron Artis from 3 to 4 p.m. and Shemekia Copeland from 5 to 6 p.m.
  • Backyard BBQ Competition from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Covered Bridge Patio. Amateur contestants will be provided with a Big Green Egg, a mystery grilling meat and side dish items.

Saturday

  • Beer garden and food vendors open from noon to 6 p.m.
  • The Kids Zone will be open from noon to 4 p.m.
  • Free live music: Burnsville Blues Band from noon to 2 p.m., Quinn O’Sullivan from 2:30 to 4 p.m. and Larkin Poe 4:30 to 6 p.m.
  • Colorado Craft Beer Festival from 1 to 5 p.m. at the base of Beaver Creek Mountain. This is a separately ticketed event where you can try samples from more than 25 Colorado breweries.

Sunday

  • Beer garden and food vendors open from 12 to 6 p.m.
  • The Kids Zone will be open from noon to 4 p.m.
  • Free live music: Taylor Scott Band from noon to 2 p.m., Davy Knowles from 2:30 to 4 p.m. and Los Lobos from 4:30 to 6 p.m.

Eagle River Jam and River Park Grand Opening on Sunday

On Sunday, head to the banks of the Eagle River for the annual Eagle River Jam and River Park Grand Opening in Eagle. Enjoy free rafting with Timberline Tours, hot dogs, lawn games, live music with Colorado surf band the Royal Aces and view the ribbon-cutting for the new Eagle River Park and hear from the folks who helped make this whitewater park become a reality.  

Timberline Tours once again will bring out rafts and pro paddlers to give people a chance to experience the thrill of being on the water. Rafting is open to everyone who arrives before noon, on a first-come, first-served basis. Some age restrictions may be applied due to water levels.

The river has always been important to Eagle for its recreation, scenic beauty, water and environmental impact, but it has been underappreciated in the past. 

“We used to build fences to keep people away from the river. Now we have built a park to welcome everyone to the river,” said Jeremy Gross, marketing and events manager for the town of Eagle. “We hope that all of the residents of Eagle and Eagle County come out and enjoy this new park and its access to the river.” 

The Eagle River Park was designed with four in-stream features. The bottom feature is the beginner feature and is the smallest and easiest. The second from the bottom is slightly bigger and still a great beginner to intermediate feature. Features one and two are much larger and more advanced. They were designed with a bypass channel on river left so they can be avoided if they are above the person’s skill level.

Gross also hopes the new waves draw regional, national and international boaters to Eagle to play. June 11 through July 9, the Eagle River Park will host the Whitewater Throwdown, offering three categories of racing: team raft, kayak and stand-up paddleboard.

“With its easy access from downtown and its welcoming vibe, comforting fire pits, playful beaches, etc., we expect the park to be a daily attraction for all ages throughout the summer,” Gross said.

To learn more, visit http://www.eagleoutside.com.

Vail Beaver Creek Restaurant Week

For the past six years, the incredible deals during Vail Beaver Creek Restaurant Week have been reserved for the autumn season, until now. Sunday kicks off eight days of dining specials that cost only $20.19, along with additional drink and lodging packages.

Take the time during the offseason to visit some of the best restaurants in the Vail Valley. Experience the ambiance and delight your taste buds while not breaking the bank.

Try Idaho red trout with haricot verts, almonds, sorrel, spinach and beurre noisette from Splendido at the Chateau. At 8100 Mountainside Grill at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek, you can get a three-course meal for $20.19. Choose your appetizer: seared scallops in the shell, spring pea risotto or smoked corn chowder. The intermezzo is a chef’s choice sorbet, followed by your choice of entree: grilled salmon, low and slow brisket or house-made spinach fettuccine.

Love Moe’s Original Bar B Que? Get the Double Wide Family Pack, which feeds three to four people and includes 1 pound of meat (pork, chicken or turkey) two pint-size sides, choice of bread (four buns or cornbread) for $20.19.

Some restaurants are offering deals during lunch and dinner. The Vail and Beaver Creek Chophouse has lunch for two for $20.19, which includes two burgers served with fries. In the evenings it will offer a three-course meal with your choice of prime New York steak or halibut for $20.19.

Make a night of it and take advantage of the lodging specials. Hotel Talisa has rates starting at $159, and the Vail Marriott has rates starting at $169.

For more information on Vail Beaver Creek Restaurant Week or to view the list of $20.19 specials and lodging offers, visit http://www.diningataltitude.com. If you miss this go-around, Restaurant Week will return this fall for 10 days starting Sept. 27 and running through Oct. 6. 

Breckenridge extends season

What was supposed to be an article recommending you check out Breckenridge during its closing weekend has become an announcement letting you know that Vail Resorts decided to extend Breckenridge’s season by two weekends. Breck was going to close on Memorial Day, but recent snowfall is allowing the resort to stay open June 1-2 and June 8-9.

The storm earlier this week blanketed Breck with more snow. Who would have thought that the mid-mountain base would still be over 70 inches at the end of May?

It’s been a party all month with live music, roaming DJs and fun and games. Celebrate the fact that you’ll have two more weekends to ski at Breck all the way into June.

The base of Peak 7 is where you will find the Bud Light Beach, complete with Adirondack chairs, beach-themed games like snow beach volleyball and bags. The Hollywood Farmers will take the stage on Saturday and Coral Creek will play on Sunday. Both performances are free and will last from noon to 3 p.m.

On Saturday and Sunday, keep an eye out for the mobile Red Bull Cat Tracks DJ, which roams around and provides trailside tunes. On Memorial Day, the DJ Cat will be jamming at the base of Peak 7 all day long.

For more information on the extended season and the line up for this weekend, go to http://www.breckenridge.com.


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