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Ceremonies, blues music, comedy, BBQ and more: Tricia’s Memorial Day Weekend Picks

From honoring veterans to a cocktail making class, here’s a look at what’s happening Memorial Day Weekend in the Vail Valley

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 serving in the country’s armed forces. The 10th Mountain Division Foundation will present its 65th annual Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday at 11 a.m. at the 10th Mountain Division Monument Tennessee Pass near Ski Cooper, south of Vail. Come early for coffee and donuts from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Lunch will be available after the ceremony at the Ski Cooper base area lodge for $15. Seating is limited at the outdoor ceremony, so attendees are asked to bring along a lawn chair and dress for the conditions as it can be cooler at that altitude.

The Freedom Park Memorial Committee and VFW Post 10721 will be conducting its 19th annual community ceremony in memory of all veterans of the armed forces and emergency response agencies who have served our country. This will be at the Freedom Park Memorial American Flagpole Plaza in Edwards at 3 p.m. on the west side of the pond.

The service will include music from Michelle Cohn Levy of B’nai Vail and the keynote speaker is Eagle County Commissioner Kathy Chandler Henry. There will also be a reading of the names of Eagle County heroes who died in line of duty.



Blues, Brews & BBQ

Barbecue and all the fixings can be found this weekend at Beaver Creek’s annual Blues, Brews & BBQ.
Beaver Creek Resort/Courtesy photo

After shutting down its slopes on April 16, it’s been pretty quiet at the Beav’ but that will all change as the kickoff event of the summer returns this holiday weekend. Blues, Brews and BBQ will bring all that and more to the plaza level of Beaver Creek Village. Here you’ll find music from great blues artists, plenty of styles of barbecue and lots of beers to wash it down.

This year, Beaver Creek is bringing in the professionals of barbecue: Myron and Michael Mixon. This father and son duo tour all over and are on many cooking shows sharing their barbecue skills. Myron is known as the winningest man in BBQ and Michael is a professionally ranked barbecue pit master. They will conduct several demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday.

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Please note that there is no separate Craft Beer Festival like in years past. Instead, the brewers will be selling their brand throughout the festival. There will also be hard seltzers and hard ciders available. Many of Beaver Creek’s restaurants will be serving up barbecue and more.


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The event is free to attend and you just pay for beer and food as you wish. You can get a punch card for beer in advance on BeaverCreek.com. $35 plus fees gets you five beers and you’ll save $1 off each additional beer and it is good for all three days of the event. You can also get the 2023 commemorative SHINE mug online for $30 plus fees and that includes a free beer. Elevate your experience by going the VIP route. $150 gets you all day access to a VIP Lounge, commemorative poster and mug, exclusive special reserve beer tasting, talent meet and greet and the Mixon barbecue demo tasting.

For the schedule, information on the bands, a list of vendors and participating breweries, go to BeaverCreek.com and look up Signature Events.

Vail Comedy Festival

The Vail Comedy Festival is back for its second year and welcomes over 30 artists to venues in Lionshead and Vail Villages through Sunday. From yoga with comics to late-night shows with special headliners, get ready to laugh out loud.

Many of these comics have performed on late-night talk shows, HBO specials and other comedy outlets. In addition to headliner shows, live podcasts and open mic events and speed rounds where comedians are given five minutes to be their funniest, there will also be some free shows with Travis Nye geared towards kids. Nye is a magician and comedian who will keep the whole family smiling. Check out his shows near the RocketFizz candy store in Lionshead at Sunbird Park and he’ll be doing magic on the streets of Vail, too. To read more about the comedians coming to town and how to get tickets, go to VailComedyFestival.com.

SunsetLIVE! In Avon

A nice bonus during this holiday weekend is that many people have Monday off, so treat Sunday like a Saturday night and head out to Nottingham Lake in Avon to hear some live music during SunsetLIVE!

SunsetLIVE! has been going on for a few summers, and it’s a free concert held at the Terrace, a stage perched over Nottingham Lake behind the main stage at Nottingham Park. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and sit along the north shore beach or south lawn of the pavilion or watch it from your paddle boat or standup paddle board. Picnics are welcome as well.

The concert series, which runs on Sundays from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend, features bands from Eagle County and beyond. The Lone Chimney Band will take the stage on Sunday from 6 to 8 p.m. so you’ll have time to watch the sun go down and unwind from the day. For more information and to see the lineup of who will be playing this summer, go to Avon.org.

Craft Cocktail Class

Going camping this summer? Learn some tips and tricks to enjoying a craft cocktail from 10th Mountain Whiskey & Spirits Company.
10th Mountain Whiskey & Spirits Company/Courtesy photo

Want to elevate your camping cocktail game? If so, join Melissa Friel, assistant distiller at 10th Mountain Whiskey and Spirits Company for a Craft Cocktail Class on Friday from 6-8 p.m. The theme will be centered around camping and she will cover transport and storage whether you’re backpacking and packing light or if you are a cabin camper. They will even teach how to forage for ingredients. Friel plans to show you how to make three cocktails using all seven of their flagship spirits.

  • Wild foraged rose hip mint julip
  • Dandelion infused bees knees 
  • Grilled peach bourbon smash

In addition to making the drinks, charcuterie and some snacks will be served and Friel will be grilling some brats for the class. Attendees will also get a tour of the distillery in Gypsum. The best part, you get to go home with a goodie bag that will include a camp cocktail book and supplies you will be able to use during your fun camping trips this summer. Space is limited, so go to BrownPaperTickets.com and reserve your spot today.


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