Live music, trail runs, a carnival and more: Tricia’s Weekend Picks 5/20/22

Trey Anastasio Band at The Amp

Phish founding member Trey Anastasio will be at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater on Saturday to kick off the summer concert series. The Trey Anastasio Band, commonly referred to as TAB, will perform at a ticketed show at 6:30 p.m. at Vail’s famed outdoor amphitheater.

For three decades, Anastasio has not only been receiving Grammy nominations for his works with Phish but also collaborating with musical greats like Herbie Hancock, Carlos Santana and Dave Matthews. He is a composer, guitarist and vocalist and his work has gone beyond his jam band roots and now includes classical and theatrical circles. Anastasio has written a Broadway musical, “Hands on a Hardbody,” and is an accomplished orchestral composer.

Tickets are $55 for general admission lawn seating and $79.50-$99.50 for reserved pavilion seating. The Trey Anastasio Band last performed at The Amp in 2019 with two sold-out shows.

Even though the venue holds 2,500 people, this show could sell out by Saturday night, so grab some tickets by going to GRFAVail.com.

The Trey Anastasio Band is the first of many acts coming to The Amp this summer. Country music singer Jake Owen plays on May 29 and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead will play two shows on June 1 and 2. Michael Franti plays on June 3. Later this summer, check out Primus on Aug. 12 and 13, Amos Lee with the Colorado Symphony on Aug. 14 and Maren Morris on Aug. 16. The full schedule can be found at GRFAVail.com/Events.

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Block Party Pre-Party

You know you have a cool event when it requires a pre-party before the actual party itself. The Block Party will be happening in Eagle on June 3-5, but to kick it off, the Pre-Party is happening this Saturday at Eagle Town Park.

Walk, ride your bike, bring the kids and picnic fixings in a wagon or drive to Eagle Town Park for two bluegrass bands on the Centennial Stage. The Pre-Party is a BYOB event, but organizers are asking that attendees bring only beer and wine and no glass. There will also be a few food vendors at the park if you don’t bring your own eats.

Coral Creek will kick off the music from 3:30 to 5 p.m. and then the Blue Canyon Boys will take over from 5:30 to 7 p.m. During the intermission there will be multiple sets of tickets given away to both the Block Party on June 3 and 4 as well as tickets to the Leftover Salmon “Bloodies & Bluegrass” event on June 5.

In addition, Block Party merchandise like hats, water bottles and the official event poster will be given away. Block Party tickets will also be for sale during the event.

This year the Block Party is not only bringing in Leftover Salmon, but also nearly a dozen bands. Thievery Corporation, Heavy Breathers, Ripe, Common Kings, Sam Bush, Keller & The Keels, Rebirth Brass Band and more will be playing in downtown Eagle.

“Our vision for the Block Party has always been to bring a world-class music festival to Eagle. Each year we do our best to up our game and believe this year’s bands are bigger and better than ever,” said Ted Wenninger, managing director of Optimum Events and event organizer.

At the Pre-Party, Wenninger said they will be announcing the final Saturday night headlining act.

“No hints on this front, but I will say the band is always a Colorado favorite,” Wenninger said.

For more information about the Pre-Party on Saturday or the Block Party in June, go to BlockPartyEagle.com.

Boneyard Boogie Trail Run

Get your summer started with the Dynafit Vail Trail Running Series that kicks off on Saturday. The trails of Eagle play host to the Boneyard Boogie, a 13-kilometer trek that takes you through juniper shrubs and pinion groves and affords you beautiful vistas on the Charlie Brown, Boneyard, Haymaker and Pool and Ice trails. New for 2022, the Vail Recreation District has added a 5K race.

The racecourse is mostly on single track with a couple of double tracks mixed in and a short section of bike path. Throughout the 13K, there is an elevation gain of approximately 1,300 feet reaching a maximum elevation of 7,700 feet. The 5K course has a nice flow to it with an elevation gain of 400 feet.

The races will start and end at the Eagle Pool and Ice Rink and you can park in that area, too. Parking is limited, so do your best to car pool. The 13K begins at 9 a.m. followed by the 5K at 9:15 a.m. Day-of registration will start at 8 a.m. or racers can pick up their race numbers on Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. at Peak Performance Footwear in the Riverwalk in Edwards.

All racers will receive a custom designed t-shirt at the race finish and donuts from Northside Coffee and Kitchen. Post-race celebrations are back this year, so plan to stick around for the awards ceremony, raffle giveaway and Mountain Time Lager courtesy of New Belgium Brewing.

For more information and a course map, go to vailrec.com.

TEDxYouth@Vail

TEDxVail returns with its student-led event, TEDxYouth@Vail, on Sunday at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail. Since 2010, TEDxVail has been a resource for the Vail Valley community for sharing ideas and spurring change. TED, which stands for technology, entertainment and design, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ideas worth spreading. TED Talks are popular all over the world and this weekend you’ll find an event for the youth, put on by the youth.

Each year, local students volunteer to be speakers as well as execute the event. There will also be adult speakers covering topics that resonate with all audiences. The event provides the students an opportunity to get out of their comfort zone by speaking in public. The students present topics that are important to them in front of peers and adults within the community.

This year’s TEDxYouth@Vail’s theme is “Resilience.” Some of the topics include critical race theory, NFTs in the art world, immigration, clinical trials and police brutality.

The event is put on by students with only a handful of adults assisting in mentorship capacities, so they really are taking on the theme creation, the event design and the day-of execution. Teams seek out sponsorships, design stage sets, create swag bags for guests and decide on the food provided at intermission. They also go to the schools in Eagle County and present in classrooms to encourage students to attend. They manage registration, the advertisements on several social media platforms and produce the live show with a team of professional producers.

Come and check out what our area youth are talking about. The TEDxYouth@Vail event happens between 1 and 5 p.m. this Sunday. The doors will open at 12 p.m. and the first speaker begins at 1 p.m. Between speakers, attendees have a chance to mingle with others at the social spaces for conversation, crafts, and snacks. Go to TEDxVail.com for tickets, speaker information and more.

Pre-registered students are free or $5 at the door. General admission tickets are $10 online or $15 at the door.

Carnival in Avon

Browns Amusements is bringing fun and excitement to Avon weekend as the Carnival returns to Beaver Creek Rodeo Grounds on Beaver Creek Boulevard, just east of downtown Avon.

Ride the classic carnival rides and then head to the award-winning Midway to test your skills at one of the fun games and win some prizes.

Come for the rides and games and stay for the delicious carnival food like a fresh hot funnel cake or a jumbo popcorn at the food wagon. Gates will open at 5 p.m. on Friday and noon on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets can be purchased at the event and a portion of the proceeds will go to the Vail Valley Salvation Army.