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Vail’s Opening Day, Veterans Day, Vail-Beaver Creek Restaurant Week, Nordic ski gear swap and more: Tricia’s Weekend Picks 11/11/22

Vail celebrates its 60th year and the deals are flowing at Vail-Beaver Creek Restaurant Week

Vail Mountain opens

Get ready to enjoy the first day of skiing and snowboarding in Eagle County on Friday as Vail Mountain opens for the 2022-2023 season. The first day of the season is always exciting with plenty of costume-clad enthusiasts on the snow. There will also be people camped out at the base to claim first chair bragging rights and it’s a reason to go to work a little bit later just to make a few turns.

On Wednesday, Vail Resorts sent out a press release stating that Vail Mountain would open with at least 75 acres of terrain. Vail Mountain plans to open Gondola One (No. 1) out of Vail Village and the Eagle Bahn Gondola (No. 19) in Lionshead. The gondolas and lifts will operate from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. Mountain Top Express (No. 4) will give skiers and riders access to Swingsville and Ramshorn runs in the Mid Vail area. The Little Eagle Lift (No. 15) will access beginner terrain at Eagle’s Nest. All skiers and snowboarders must download at the end of the day, there is no top-to-bottom skiing or riding at this time.

If you get hungry, on-mountain dining will be available at the following locations:



  • Express Lift Après Bar in Vail Village Mountain Plaza 
  • Mid Vail at the top of Gondola One (No. 1)
  • Buffalo’s at the top of Mountaintop Express (No. 4)   
  • Eagle’s Nest Market Place at the top of the Eagle Bahn Gondola (No. 19)

This year, Vail Mountain celebrates its 60th anniversary and will kick off the season with a ceremony celebrating key partners in sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion, youth access and adaptive sports. Come early for the Opening Day ceremony starting at 8:15 a.m. with representatives from Vail’s key sustainability and environmental partner, The United States Forest Service, as well as the National Brotherhood of Skiers, SOS Outreach, Small Champions and Vail Veterans.

Vail Mountain opens for the season on Nov. 11.
Vail Resorts/Courtesy photo

In 1962, Vail Mountain opened on Dec. 15. It was the realization of a dream of Pete Seibert, a 10th Mountain Division veteran who came back after WW II to find a place to start a ski resort. With the help of Earl Eaton, he found that place, and they had grand visions for building a ski area here. With its ties to the Army’s winter warfare unit, the 10th Mountain Division, it’s fitting that Vail’s Opening Day falls on Veterans Day. Stop by the Express Lift Après Café at the base of Gondola One (No. 1) for free tastings of 10th Mountain Whiskey & Spirits Company products and toast the season ahead and those who served our country.

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There are many things to celebrate this season, including two new chairlifts set to open later this season, a new six-passenger lift, Game Creek Express (No. 7) in Game Creek Bowl that replaced the four-person lift and a brand new lift in Sun Down Bowl, called the Sun Down Express (No. 17). There will also be ice bars on the slopes and snow bungalows, giving you a place to retreat to during the ski day at the top of Eagle’s Nest.

So, get the boards ready, take inventory and make sure you have all your gear and get out there and enjoy Vail Mountain’s Opening Day this Friday. For more information, go to Vail.com and if you still need your Epic Pass, visit EpicPass.com. Prices go up on Nov. 20.

Veterans Day

A crowd gathers at Flag Pole Plaza at Freedom Park in Edwards to honor veterans. There will be a ceremony at 4 p.m. on Friday for Veterans Day.
Vail Daily Archives

This Friday is also Veterans Day, which is recognized on Nov. 11 each year. To jog your memory from high school history class, Veterans Day was originally called Armistice Day, marking the end of World War I when at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the fighting ended with the signing of an armistice.

This holiday is often confused with Memorial Day, held on the last Monday of May each year. According to Military.com, Memorial Day honors military personnel who died in service of their country, particularly those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle. Veterans Day honors everyone who has served in the military, whether or not they served in wartime or died in battle.

To honor veterans locally, head to the Flag Pole Plaza in Freedom Park in Edwards, next to Battle Mountain High School and Colorado Mountain College.

The 17th annual Eagle County Veterans Day ceremony honoring veterans of the United States Armed Forces and those currently serving on active duty is presented by the Freedom Park Memorial Committee, VFW Post 10721 and Eagle County. The keynote speaker will be U.S. Army Captain Peter Thompson, a Vietnam veteran. The National Anthem will be sung by Michelle Cohn Levy, the cantor at B’nai Vail. The event starts at 4 p.m.

Thanks to the talented students at Eagle Valley High School, you can learn more about our local veterans by watching the videos they have put together. Dr. Joy Hamilton and her award-winning media team at Eagle Valley High School have been interviewing veterans so teachers can bring vets from the local VFW Post into the classroom virtually. These videos will all be sent to the Library of Congress to be saved for posterity. They are also now available to the public, so check out your friends and neighbors and learn about their time while they served our country. The videos from this year and past years can be found on YouTube.

Vail-Beaver Creek Restaurant Week

From date nights to family dining, take advantage of the savings during Vail-Beaver Creek Restaurant Week, which runs from Nov. 11 to 23.
Vail-Beaver Creek Restaurant Week

Hit the slopes and then grab lunch, après ski or dinner at a discount at restaurants that are participating in Vail-Beaver Creek Restaurant Week. The annual event, which began in 2013, usually happens in the fall but this year it coincides with the early part of the season. And although it says it lasts a week, this year it is extending beyond one week and is actually going on from Nov. 11 to Nov. 23, so you have plenty of time to check out the deals at your favorite restaurant or try someplace new.

The pricing usually follows a theme of the current year, so this year prices will be $20.22 for dinner deals, or even $2.22 for a fresh drip coffee and cookie at Vail Mountain Coffee & Tea Company in Beaver Creek or $2.22 for a draft beer or house wine at Blue Moose Pizza between 3 and 5 p.m. at the Lionshead and Beaver Creek locations. Some restaurants are paying homage to Vail’s 60th anniversary and doing deals for $60. For example, Sweet Basil is doing a $60 lunch special for two people that includes one appetizer, two entrees and one dessert. Here are a few other deals that may grab your attention.

  • Moe’s Original BBQ – Double Wide Family Pack (Pork): One pound pulled pork, two sides, corn bread or buns
  • Stoke & Rye – Small plate and glass of wine for $20.22. Your choice of select fine wines and for the small plates you can choose from bacon-wrapped scallops, beef tartar, mushroom ravioli or smoked oysters.
  • Gessner at Grand Hyatt Vail – Choice of first and main course or main course and desserts. First course choices include onion soup or roasted vegetable salad and main course choices are chicken fried chicken or Colorado trout. For the dessert lovers, they will serve a limoncello ice cream flute or white chocolate croissant bread pudding.

Taco deals, sushi deals, burger deals, steak deals…is anyone hungry yet? Don’t buy groceries for the next 13 days because breakfast, lunch and dinner await you at Vail-Beaver Creek Restaurant Week. Find a full list of participating restaurants and offerings at DiningAtAltitude.com.

Vail Nordic Swap

The Vail Nordic Swap takes place this Saturday and benefits the Ski & Snowboard Club Vail Nordic Ski Team.
Ski & Snowboard Club Vail/Courtesy photo

If you’re looking to get into some Nordic sports this winter, take advantage of the savings you’ll find at the annual Vail Nordic Swap on Saturday at the Vail Nordic Center from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. The event is a benefit for the Ski & Snowboard Club Vail Nordic Team, with 10% of the sales commissions going to the team.

There will be a selection of skate skis, touring and classic skis, telemark skis, alpine touring skis, snowshoes and related gear and clothing in good condition. There will also be deals on new gear.

If you have gear you’d like to sell, you can drop it off at the swap on Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 8 to 9:30 a.m. before the swap at the Vail Nordic Center starts at 10 a.m. Unsold gear pick up is from 3 until 4:30 p.m. only on Saturday at the Vail Nordic Center. No alpine or snowboard gear allowed.

Admission is $5 per person and free after 12 noon. Children under 12 years of age are free. For more information, go to SkiClubVail.org.  

Eagle Art Walk

Emmy Stained Glass will be one of the artists exhibiting at ARTwalk on November 11.
EagleARTS/Courtesy photo

Get ahead of the holiday shopping rush and support local artisans and businesses at the same time by heading to the EagleARTS monthly Second Friday ARTwalk this Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. Stroll along Broadway visiting local shops, galleries and restaurants. Local artists will be exhibiting handmade works of art inside participating businesses, including ARTSPaCE workshop+gallery, Antlers & Rosé, Everyday Outfitters, Food Smith/Mountain Flour, Nurture Skin & Body, Mountain Lifestyle Properties, QuietKat, ROAM restaurant and Yoga Off Broadway.

EagleARTS has really turned the ARTwalk into the place to be on Friday nights. In addition to the artists and businesses, they will have food trucks, live entertainment from Joe Hanley and Jen Mack, plus a performance by the Battle Mountain High School Drumline making for a festive night out.

EagleARTS wants to show off some of its community art projects, so be sure to check out the community mural at 2nd Street and Broadway and take a seat on EagleARTS’ latest public art project which are two benches painted by local artists located at 120 Broadway and 225 Broadway.

The Vail Valley Art Guild is a part of the evening as well. This month’s exhibit is called Small Gems and features the artwork of Elaine Kuntz. Stop by their gallery at 108 West 2nd Street in Eagle.

For more information, visit the EagleART’s website at EagleArts.org or search for the EagleARTS Holiday 2nd Friday ARTwalks event on Facebook.


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