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Fall festivals, lots of live music and one more weekend to ride Vail’s lifts: Tricia’s Weekend Picks 09/30/22

The change of seasons is upon us and this weekend provides events up and down valley

Gyptober Fall Fest

Celebrate all things fall at Gyptober Fall Fest on Saturday at the Lundgren Amphitheater in Gypsum on Saturday. This fall festival will have an Oktoberfest vibe, so don’t be surprised if you see some people wearing traditional Bavarian wear like lederhosen and dirndls. But don’t be surprised if you see Halloween costumes, either. That’s the beauty of the event — all things fall means a blend of costumes.

Gyptober Fall Fest will run from 2 to 5 p.m., rain or shine and we could see some rain showers per this weekend’s forecast, but just pack the umbrella and raincoat just in case. There will a blend of Oktoberfest events as well as traditional Halloweeen events., such as a pumpkin decorating contest. Bring your already carved, painted or embellished pumpkin to the event to be judged. There are other fun contests mixed into the day, too.

  • 2:30 p.m.: Great Pumpkin Race (age groups staggered: 2-5, then 6-10)
  • 2:45 p.m.: Youth Apple Cider Holding Contest 
  • 3 p.m.: Adult Stein Holding Contest 
  • 4 p.m.: Pumpkin Sweeping Contest 
  • 4:30 p.m.: Pumpkin Decorating Contest Judging
The town of Gypsum blends Oktoberfest, Halloween and all things autumn into Gyptober Fall Fest.
Town of Gypsum/Courtesy photo

Plan on spending the afternoon at Lundgren Amphitheater and the kids will love the bounce houses, mechanical bull and obstacle course. There will also be an opportunity for kids to go trick-or-treating. It’s called trunk-or-treating because they have set it up where people decorate their cars and kids go from trunk to trunk, tailgate to tailgate, and collect the sweet goodies.



It’s free to attend the event and you can purchase beer and food while you are there. For more information, go to TownOfGypsum.com.

Eagle Ranch Pumpkin Patch

Pumpkins, fun and games, costumes and more can be found at the Eagle Ranch Pumpkin Patch on Sunday.
Daily file photo

Eagle Ranch will also get into the seasonal spirit with its annual Eagle Ranch Pumpkin Patch at Brush Creek Park and Pavilion. Bring the whole family for some fall fun between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Eagle Ranch Homeowners Association and the Town of Eagle and is hosted by the Cub Scouts Pack 229. They’ve all been working hard to come up with a day of play.

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In addition to picking out your pumpkin from the Eagle Ranch Community Gardens, there will be a climbing wall, bouncy houses, games, face painting by Lenka and art projects by Dewey Dabbles. If you get hungry there will also be hot dogs and a bake sale. Area law enforcement, fire departments and the ambulance will have vehicles on display so kids can get up close to view all the features.

This event happens rain or shine, so plan accordingly for that time of day. For more information, go to EagleOutside.com. Proceeds from this event benefit Cub Scout Pack 229 and is the largest fundraiser they have all year.

Minturn Hometown Throwdown

Minturn will be filled with live music at several venues this Saturday.
Town of Minturn/Courtesy photo

Minturn will be showcasing some of its favorite venues and area musicians at the third annual Minturn Hometown Throwdown. On Saturday, three different and iconic venues will host musicians between 1 and 7 p.m. The performances will be staggered to allow you to try and see as many performers as you can at the Little Beach Park and Amphitheater, Kirby Cosmo’s BBQ Bar and The Agora.

Agora: 

  • 1 p.m.:  Jean Larie
  • 2:15 p.m.: Tom Rushlow
  • 3:30 p.m.:  Skip Dog

Kirby Cosmo’s

  • 2:45 p.m.: Karmage (Karm Trygg)
  • 4 p.m.: Jen Mack
  • 5:30 p.m.: Tim and Kristine
  • 8:00 p.m.: All-Star Jam
Little Beach Park
  • 3 p.m.: The Turntable Revue with Johnny Schlepper Band with Jake Wolf
  • 5 p.m.: Hardscrabble 
  • 6:30 p.m.: Primal J and Neanderthals

Also in Minturn on Saturday will be a ribbon-cutting event before the Hometown Throwdown concerts get underway. At 12:30 p.m. the public is invited to view the new signage and learn about the digital directory on the town’s website highlighting area businesses and historical landmarks. The new Downtown Minturn Map & Directory will be revealed in Main Street, across from Magusto’s. There is also another sign on the south side of town at the Minturn Bike Park. The goal of the signage is to enhance the visitor experience and to promote downtown businesses. For more information about this weekend in Minturn, go to Minturn.org.

Underground Sound: Susto

Susto takes the stage at the Vilar PAC on Sunday night.
Vilar Performing Arts Center/Courtesy photo

Speaking of live music, the Vilar Performing Arts Center continues with the Underground Sound series this Sunday. Dubbed “Love for the Locals,” the annual fall concerts feature diverse performances across musical genres at an affordable price, thus, a way to bring locals into this world-class venue.

There were six concerts in the series this year and there are two left, one this Sunday and the other on Thursday, Oct. 6. Sunday brings Susto to the stage. This South Carolina indie band has been a part of festivals such as Austin City Limits and the Hangout and they’ve opened for The Lumineers, The Head and The Heart and others. You can take a listen to some of Susto’s songs on VilarPAC.org to get an idea of their sound and if you like Jason Isbell, Shakey Graves and Trampled by Turtles, you’ll likely enjoy Susto’s sound. I love the lyrics to the song, “Friends, Lovers, Ex-Lovers: Whatever,” no matter what, it sounds like these guys got your back:

Friends, lovers, ex-lovers or whatever,

I hope you know I’ll always care,

Friends, lovers, ex-lovers or whatever,

Just call my name and I’ll be there.

This Sunday’s concert is at 7 p.m. and tickets are $28 and can be purchased at VilarPAC.org.

Last days for lift access on Vail Mountain

This weekend marks the end of summer lift access at Vail Mountain. Beaver Creek wrapped up its lift service on Centennial Express (No. 6) last weekend. This Friday, Saturday and Sunday, you have the opportunity to let the lifts do the hard work for you while you effortlessly are brought up the mountain to see the fall colors.

Gondola One (No. 1) in Vail Village and the Eagle Bahn Gondola (No. 19) will open at 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The ticket offices in both locations will be open at 9 a.m. Keep in mind, if you already have your Epic Pass for the 2022-23 Season, summer lift access is included in that pass. And if you are thinking about getting an Epic Pass for the 2022-23 season, get it now before prices go up on Oct. 9 and use the pass this weekend. Individual Scenic Gondola Tickets are priced as follows:

  • Adult (13+) – $50
  • Child (5-12) – $32
  • Senior (65+/Military) – $45
  • Kids 12 and under are free with a paying adult

Enjoy the hiking and biking trails from the top of the mountain and you can always hike or bike up and take either gondola down.

After this weekend, you’ll have to wait until Vail opens on Nov. 11 and Beaver Creek is opening on Nov. 23. For more information, go to Vail.com or EpicPass.com.


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