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Oktoberfest in Lionshead, Underground Sound at Vilar and Avalanche Alumni in Vail: Tricia’s Weekend Picks 9/9/22

Even post-Labor Day weekend, the mountain towns are hopping with things to do for all ages

Oktoberfest in Lionshead

It’s officially Oktoberfest season in the Vail Valley. Last week Beaver Creek kicked it off in grand style on the plaza level in the village and the oom-pah bands brought out the crowds – and the lederhosen and dirndls – for some Bavarian fun. The beer, pretzels, brats and more will move east to Lionshead Village for three more days before the event wraps up in Vail Village the following weekend. See, I told you last week that if you bought a dirndl or lederhosen, you’d definitely have opportunities to wear the traditional Bavarian garb.

You’ll feel like you are in Bavaria with the architecture surrounding Vail Square and the glockenspiel clock and maypole. Spaten beer, brats, pretzels and strudel will be served along with plenty of authentic music from The Average German Band, Helmut Fricker and the Rhinelanders, and the PolkaNauts all three days. On Saturday night, the accordion takes a break and makes way for the ’80s and classic rock sounds of Rewind band.

Look for the Denver Kicker Schuhplattlers who will bring traditional Bavarian folk and plattler dances to Vail Square. This group was started in Denver in 1960 and travels throughout the state and region to bring an authentic spirit of Bavaria to events like this.



Oktoberfest contests like brat eating and stein holding contests will be held as well as keg bowling, which is harder than it looks. Kids will be occupied with the Kid-toberfest so bring the whole family.

Hours are noon to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. New this year, you can go straight to the bar, no tokens are necessary. Also new, get your ceramic or glass beer steins in advance and your first pour is free in your new drinking vessel. Order online and pickup at the venue. For a schedule and more information, go to OktoberfestVail.com.

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Underground Sound concert series

The Main Squeeze will kick off the Underground Sound concert series at the Vilar Performing Arts Center this Friday.
Vilar Performing Arts Center/Courtesy photo

Many events like Bravo! Vail Music Festival, Vail Jazz and the Hot Summer Nights concert series have wrapped up for the summer, but, the music never stops here in the Vail Valley. The Vilar Performing Arts Center is bringing back Underground Sound, a popular multi-week series that brings in up-and-coming acts and some better-known names from a variety of musical genres.

The unique thing about this is the concert series pass. One pass can get you all six shows and a drink at each show for $125. The pass is transferable as well, so share it with friends, co-workers and neighbors. Tell your neighbors you’ll take care of all the kids and let them have a date night at a show and then they can return the favor. It’s an affordable way to see quality shows in a world-class venue.

You can also purchase the VIP Access Pass for $250. It includes access to the May Gallery Patrons Lounge where you can hang out before the show and through intermission, early entrance to the theater for priority seating, one drink, complimentary appetizers and non-alcoholic beverages and cookies.

This Friday check out The Main Squeeze, a five-piece band out of Los Angeles who’ve been touring together for about 10 years and have performed at many festivals like Bonnaroo and Firefly. If you like the sounds of Karl Denson, The Motet and Galactic, this band’s for you.

The concerts go through Oct. 6. For a full list of bands and details on the passes, go to VilarPAC.org. You can also buy individual tickets for the shows if you aren’t up for getting the full pass.

Avalanche alumni in Vail

Colorado Avalanche Alumni members and Bernie, the mascot, visit Vail this weekend to help raise funds for youth hockey.
Vail Mountaineers/Courtesy photo

Some people are still riding the avalanche of excitement of the Colorado Avalanche winning the Stanley Cup in June. Some members of the Colorado Avalanche Alumni Association will be in town this weekend for the 4th annual Avalanche Alumni Weekend, a benefit for the Vail Mountaineer Hockey Club that serves youth hockey programs in the Vail Valley.

The event gives attendees a chance to rub elbows with Colorado’s most beloved hockey players, watch some hockey and bid on virtual auction items. On Saturday, Vail Mountaineers coaches and Avalanche Alumni players will run youth hockey clinics at Dobson Ice Arena. There are rumors that there may be appearances by some of the players who brought home the 2022 Stanley Cup trophy, as well as the Avs’ beloved mascot, Bernie. There will also be a meet and greet event at Grey Salt in Vail Village that is free to the public from noon until about 2:30 p.m.

On Saturday night, get ready to catch the action on the ice at Dobson Arena as the Avalanche Alumni players, including Adam Foote, Peter Budaj, Scott Parker, Pierre Turgeon and Vail local, John-Michael Liles, face off against the Vail Snowcats for a fast-paced, exciting, and high-level game of hockey. Young skaters from the Vail Mountaineer program will be filling the first intermission with relay race action and spectators can win $500 in the Chuck-a-Puck competition during the second intermission. Doors open at 6 p.m., the puck drops at 7 p.m. and tickets are available at the door.

From its inaugural year in 2018, the Vail Mountaineers have been able to raise almost $175,000 in support of youth hockey in the valley, directly offsetting program fees for nearly 200 local families while providing critical funding for the club’s scholarship program. Visit VailMountaineers.com for more information.

2nd Friday ARTwalk

The 2nd Friday ARTwalk will be held in Eagle on Friday night.
EagleARTS/Courtesy photo

The 2nd Friday ARTwalk in Eagle happens this Friday from 5 to 9 p.m. Portions of Broadway in downtown Eagle will be closed down to allow for artist tents, food trucks and vendors to bring out their wares to the people.

In addition to the art, live entertainment will be provided by Joe Hanley. Children’s activities will be available. Come for the art and activities but stay for the special exhibits including chainsaw sculpting by Joe Srholez and acrobatic performances by P.L.A.Y.

The Vail Valley Art Guild is part of the 2nd Friday ARTwalk as well. Their September exhibit, “A River’s Edge” features works by local artists and showcases Eagle County’s rivers, streams and ponds and the surrounding ecosystems.  

For more information, visit the EagleART’s ARTWalk Facebook page.

Eagle River Cleanup

The Eagle River Cleanup happens this Saturday morning followed by a picnic at the Broken Arrow in Arrowhead.
Vail Daily archive

After a long summer of folks enjoying the rivers and banks along Eagle County’s waterways, it’s time to clean up those areas before the snow falls during the 28th annual Eagle River Cleanup. Much like its spring counterpart, the Community Pride Highway Cleanup along I-70 and other surrounding roadways, the Eagle River Cleanup asks volunteers to come out and do their part to keep our waters and banks looking pristine.

Volunteer groups are assigned to different stretches of the Eagle River, Gore Creek and other popular public banks to pick up trash and debris. According to the Eagle River Watershed Council, river use rates by locals and visitors has increased as more people are enjoying world-class recreation activities. That increased use inevitably contributes to more trash.

Hundreds of volunteers will be out on Saturday morning covering approximately 75 miles of Eagle County waterways. Volunteers will be rewarded by a barbecue held at the Broken Arrow Café at the base of Arrowhead Mountain. Joining the Eagle River Cleanup volunteers will be the Community Pride Highway Cleanup group who worked hard this spring to remove trash from the roadsides. The picnic has not been held since 2019, so it is great we can bring this event back after the pandemic restrictions. There’s usually a prize for the most unusual item found, so keep an eye out for random things that end up in or near the rivers and creeks in our area. To learn more and to volunteer, go to ERWC.org/events.


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