A holiday market, comedy, art show, gear swap and a whole lot of jazz hands this weekend in the Vail Valley
The Eagle Winter Market gives you a jump start on your holiday shopping while the Vail Nordic Swap helps you save on outdoor equipment and if you’re looking for laughs, the Vail Comedy Show returns to Eagle
Youth Musicals
Peter Pan Jr.
Area youth have been rehearsing for months to get their fall performances ready for the stage. The Homestake Peak School Drama Club has been busy working on “Peter Pan Jr.” while the Vail Performing Arts Academy is celebrating 30 years with a musical revue that reflects on performances from the last three decades.
27 third-through-eighth graders are a part of the “Peter Pan Jr.” production and have been practicing since August. The kids already performed on Thursday and have two more shows at 6:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday at the Homestake Peak School auditorium. Come early for the school’s famous bake sale. Proceeds from the bake sale go to the Homestake Peak School Drama Club. Tickets are $10 for students and $12 for adults and children three years old and under are free. For more information, go to HPSDrama.org.
Vail Performing Arts Academy 30th Anniversary Musical Revue
The Vail Performing Arts Academy has been giving kids a platform to showcase their singing, dancing and acting talents for three decades. To honor this milestone, executive director Annah Scully and her talented team consisting of Colin Meiring (artistic director), Melinda Carlson and Hannah Belle Terrell (vocal directors) and Val Watts (costumes), have come up with a fantastic showcase looking back at performances of the past and putting it all together for one big night of entertainment. The 30th Year Musical Revue will be hosted at the Vilar Performing Arts Center, where Vail Performing Arts Academy launched its first production, “Grease,” back in the 1990s. The shows will be on Saturday and Sunday at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at VilarPAC.org. For more information about Vail Performing Arts Academy, go to VPAA.org.
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Vail Nordic Center gear swap
Although the Nordic trails aren’t open yet, the Vail Nordic Center is open for the winter season. The Vail Golf Club turns into a fun winter wonderland with classic cross country and skate skiing, snowshoeing and even fat biking. If you need Nordic gear for the upcoming season, stop by the shop and get deals on all sorts of Nordic equipment and other related gear at the gear swap on Saturday.
The annual Ski and Snowboard Club Vail Nordic Swap allows you to buy or sell skate, classic, backcountry, alpine touring and telemark skis, snowshoes and other related gear and clothing. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Entry is $5 per person and free after 12 p.m. and everything drops in price to 50% off after 12 p.m. If you have gear you want to sell, bring it to the Vail Nordic Center on Friday between 3 and 6 p.m. and Saturday between 8 and 9 a.m. Equipment and Gear Pickup will be on Saturday from 1 to 2 p.m. This event is organized by and benefits Ski and Snowboard Club of Vail. Go to SkiClubVail.org for more information.
Avon Art Guild Second Friday Gallery Night
The Avon Art Guild is hosting its Second Friday Gallery Night from 5 to 8 p.m. The open house will include works from members of the guild and some of the artists will be there along with volunteers to explain the works of art. Look for paintings, mixed media, photographs, sculptures and more.
This event is open to the public and works can be purchased, which helps the nonprofit art community and individual artists. The Vail Valley Art Guild recently added this new Avon location in the Seasons building and the guild is happy to host events in this location that is central to the Vail Valley. For more information, go to VVAGCO.com.
Eagle Winter Market and Holiday Fair
Halloween is over and it’s time to start thinking about the holidays. Get a jump start on your holiday shopping by checking out the beautifully handcrafted wares at the Winter Market and Holiday Fair.
The Winter Market and Holiday Fair is one-stop shopping for those looking for handmade goods, beauty products, food and more. Check out the website for a list of vendors like Casa Crobu Homemade Italian or Sweet Jean’s Pantry with homemade sauces and spreads. For something sweet, check out Dar Chocolates. Clothing vendors will be on hand with brands like Heartbreaker Hats, Ski Girl and Annie and Dean Children’s Boutique. You’ll also find candles, art, jewelry and more.
The event is free and open to the public on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Eagle River Center. Attendees are asked to bring a nonperishable item for the Vail Valley Salvation Army food pantry.
Bring the whole family and your pet for photos with Santa. Kids can get creative and color holiday art in the coloring zone or get their face painted while adults enjoy a holiday beer or wine. The Winter Market and Holiday Fair allows you to get your holiday shopping done early with some of the best craft vendors in the state. For more information and the list of vendors, go to EagleHolidayMarket.com.
Vail Comedy Show at Moe’s Original BBQ
Get ready for some laughs at this month’s installment of the Vail Comedy Show. Raanan Hershberg, who Deadline calls “one of the sharpest up-and-coming comics on the New York scene,” will be at Moe’s Original BBQ in Eagle on Friday night. He has appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” “The Late Late Show with James Corden” and on Comedy Central. He already performed at The Sebastian Hotel in Vail Village on Thursday night and is now ready to move the laughs downvalley on Friday.
Hershberg is from Kentucky and now lives in New York City but tours nationally. In addition to touring, he’s been busy on the podcast circuit and also does his own podcast with Joe List called “Joe and Raanan Talk Movies.” Hershberg did a Q-and-A with the Vail Daily earlier this week talking about his stop in Eagle County.
In December, the Vail Comedy Show returns with Carmen Morales from Comedy Central and HBO with shows in Vail Village and Eagle. More comedians are scheduled throughout 2025. To get tickets and to learn more about the acts, check out VailComedyShow.com.
‘Ski, Climb, Fight’ author at Colorado Snowsports Museum
Learn about the fascinating history of the 10th Mountain Division, the famed winter warfare unit that trained south at Vail at Camp Hale, at a book talk at the Colorado Snowsports Museum. Join Lance R. Blyth, author of “Ski, Climb, Fight: The 10th Mountain Division and the Rise of Mountain Warfare.” Blyth is the Command Historian of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and the U.S. Northern Command. He is also the Adjunct Professor of History at the United States Air Force Academy and an experienced backcountry skier.
Blyth delves deep into the origin of the 10th Mountain Division and talks about the gaining of knowledge of winter warfare and mountaineering and how it could be utilized in battle. The book dedicates six out of its nine chapters to the time frame from 1940 to 1945 and talks about all the knowledge that had to be gained during that time frame, from testing techniques and equipment to glacial travel to winter camping, avalanche safety and alpine survival. The later chapters in the book talk about what happened to the 10th Mountain Division in the decades after World War II until modern day.
“Ski, Climb, Fight: The 10th Mountain Division and the Rise of Mountain Warfare” was just released this month and Blyth will speak at the event from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday in honor of Veterans Day on Monday. This event is free and the books will be available for purchase at the gift shop. If you can’t make it this Sunday, Blyth will return and do another talk on Feb. 27 as part of Vail Legacy Weekend. For more information, check out the Events section on SnowsportsMuseum.org.