Family fun, a shamrock shuffle, free Vail Mountain tours and worm moon snowshoe tour this weekend in the Vail Valley
Spring break happenings are plentiful for all ages this year
Family fun at Beaver Creek
Spring break is here and that means that families are enjoying a break from school and hitting the slopes. Beaver Creek has a ton of family programming happening through the month of March.
Hawk’s Nest Cabin is a cool place for teens and tweens to hang out. It has arcade games, board games, a ski simulator, an interactive dance floor with a chandelier above it filled with 5,300 individually controlled pixel lights and mocktails at the bar. Special programming this month includes:
- Friday: Root beer tasting and root beer float making – 2-5 p.m.
- Sunday: Popcorn and a movie – 6-9 p.m.
- Monday: Chess Club – 2-5 p.m.
- Tuesday: Bingo – 2-5 p.m.
- Wednesday: Foosball Tournaments – 4-6 p.m.
Other family events going on this weekend on the plaza level in Beaver Creek include:
- Friday: Complimentary Caricatures with Ken Carpenter – 3-5 p.m.
- Saturday: Kids’ Story Time at Beaver Creek Sports Kids – 2 p.m., Family Fun Fest – 3:30-5 p.m. and Fossil Posse Dinosaur Adventures from 3:30-5 p.m.
- Sunday: Complimentary Caricatures with Ken Carpenter – 3-5 p.m., and live music from 3-5 p.m.
Also, the ice rink is open daily from noon to 9 p.m. More information on activities can be found at BeaverCreek.com.
Krueger Family Shamrock Shuffle
On Sunday get into the Irish spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, which is on Monday, by participating in the 14th annual Krueger Family Shamrock Shuffle. There’s a 5-mile course, a 2.4-mile course and a 100-yard Kids Fun Run. All courses are at the Vail Nordic Center. Feel free to use snowshoes or running shoes (with or without traction devices) to travel over the snow and wear a costume.
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The event will kick off at 10 a.m. and is followed by an after party at the Vail Golf & Nordic Clubhouse. Prizes will be awarded to the top finishers in all categories and there will also be raffle prizes given away. Race participants will get a free burrito and beer (for those 21 and older) at the post-race party.
New this year, participants will have a chance to try heat therapy with Nomadic Roots Sauna & Wellness after the race. To register, go to VailRec.com.
DJs at Solaris Plaza
Solaris Plaza is providing beats for those coming off the hill to enjoy après ski. Head over to the ice rink from 2:30-5:30 p.m. for a performance by Mindchatter with special guest Trés Mortimer. Bryce Connolly is the mastermind behind Mindchatter. He has performed with acclaimed artists such as SG Lewis and Polo & Pan. You may have seen him perform at Electric Forest, Bonnaroo and Coachella’s DoLab. Trés Mortimer hails from Chicago and loves mixing in ’90s Chicago house music with other genres.
The event is free and for all ages, but RSVP to reserve your spot at ChasingRabbitsVail.com. Mindchatter will also host a ticketed DJ set indoors at Chasing Rabbits at 10 p.m. on Saturday.
Free Vail Mountain tours
Whether it’s your first time to Vail Mountain or you’ve been coming here for years, you can always learn something new and find new ways to navigate the largest ski resort in Colorado by joining one of its many mountain tours. A mountain host with extensive knowledge of Vail Mountain will guide you over the vast terrain. You can find tours every day of the week except Saturdays and the tours are complimentary. For more information call 970-754-8245 or go to Vail.com.
Frontside Mountain Tours
- Sundays through Fridays (no Saturdays)
- Meet at 10:15 a.m. at top of Eagle Bahn Gondola (No. 19)
- Tours leave promptly at 10:30 a.m.
- Recommended for intermediate skiers and snowboarders and above
Blue Sky Basin Tours
- Sundays through Fridays (no Saturdays)
- Meet at 10:15 a.m. at the Legacy Hut near the top of Mountain Top Express (No. 4)
- Tours leave promptly at 10:30 a.m.
- Recommended for upper-level intermediate skiers and snowboarders and above
Legacy Tours
- Tuesdays and Thursdays
- Meet at 12:45 p.m. at Legacy Hut at the top of Mountain Top Express (No. 4)
- Tours leave promptly at 1 p.m.
- Recommended for intermediate skiers and snowboarders and above
Women’s Winter Adventure Tours
- Wednesdays
- Meet at 9:45 a.m. at Legacy Hut at the top of Mountain Top Express (No. 4)
- Tours leave promptly at 10 a.m.
- Recommended for ladies who are advanced intermediate skiers and snowboarders and above
Total lunar eclipse full moon snowshoe tour
Want to check out the worm moon? Join a naturalist from Walking Mountains Science Center and take a moonlit snowshoe hike with a total lunar eclipse going on. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon, Earth and sun are basically in a straight line, with the Earth being in the middle and the moon moves into the Earth’s shadow. The last time a total lunar eclipse occurred was three years ago.
This month’s total lunar eclipse is also known as the blood worm moon. According to NASA, the blood moon refers to the reddish hue. The moon will still be illuminated by light from the sun that passes through the edge of the Earth’s atmosphere and bends toward the moon. The worm moon reference comes from the Farmers’ Almanac and refers to when the earthworms become active again in the spring. It’s also known by Native American tribes as the sap or sugar moon as it marked a time to tap maple trees, or the crust moon, indicating how the snow would develop a crust due to the freeze-thaw cycle and changing temperatures.
This month’s tour will be up the Grouse Creek Trail where you’ll be led to a bonfire and you’ll learn about winter and animal adaptations to the nocturnal environment. Come dressed and prepared to be outside and on the snow from 7-10 p.m. In our time zone this week’s total lunar eclipse will begin at 12:26 a.m. Friday morning. Totality will last for about 65 minutes. A partial eclipse will begin about an hour and 15 minutes before the total eclipse starts. For more information, go to WalkingMountains.org.
