Green beer, Irish music, country music a dance party and more: Tricia’s Weekend Picks for 3/17/23

St. Patrick’s Day

Time for the wearin’ o’ the green! St. Patrick’s Day is Friday but events will linger throughout the weekend. Don’t be afraid to don your green jacket, green tutu, green feather boa, green top hat, green sunglasses — anything to help you fit in on this festive day on and off the slopes.

Vilar Performing Arts Center

There’s nothing like authentic Irish music on St. Patrick’s Day to get you into the spirit of things. It’s the “luck of the Irish that the Vilar Performing Arts Center has Danú, a traditional Irish ensemble that hails from Country Waterford, a historic location in Ireland. Listen for the tin whistle, fiddle, flute, button accordion, bouzouki and vocals. Tickets are still available for this 7 p.m. show on Friday.

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Cucina at Lodge at Vail

Wear your green and come hungry because there will be a special menu including Irish whiskey and mint soup, shepherd’s pie egg rolls, corned beef sliders, graham cracker porter and cheddar au gratin potatoes. Wash it down with festive drinks and jam to the tunes of Johnny Schleper who will be playing from 3 to 6 p.m.

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Grand Hyatt Vail

Stop by or ski to the Grand Hyatt Vail for some Irish fare. The culinary team has whipped up a couple of specials like shepherd’s pie with ground lamb, Irish peas, carrots and Caraway whipped potatoes. There will also be corned beef and cabbage with smashed new potatoes, braised cabbage and Irish whiskey jus and drink specials.

Southside Benderz

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Come check out what Southside Benderz is calling the “World’s Best St. Patrick’s Day Party” where they will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day all day long with $7 car bombs, $4 Jameson shots and $3.50 Guinness on draft.

North Coast Originals

If you’re down in Eagle, head to North Coast Originals for a party the whole family can enjoy. From 4-10 p.m. they will be serving green beer and bangers and mash along with green milkshakes and there will be cookie decorating going on as well.

Chasing Rabbits

For the late-night partygoers, Chasing Rabbits will have green beer and a DJ to dance the night away while dressed in your green attire. Enjoy a DJ set from Ski House Party Tours. No tickets in advance are required, just a cover charge at the door. For information about VIP tables and bottle service contact VIP@chasingrabbitsvail.com.

Hip-hop class

Learn some new moves at this St. Patrick’s Day-themed event that gives back to charity. The Athletic Club at the Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa is hosting a one-hour hip-hop class taught by local choreographer Meredith Kirkman from 5:30-6:30 p.m. The class is free, but donations will be collected and given to the local nonprofit The Cycle Effect, which uses mountain biking as a way to empower young women in our schools to build brighter communities. Stick around after class and show your moves in the dance floor at the Lookout Lobby Bar which will have live music and drinks. For more information visit AthleticClubWestin.com or call 970-790-2051.

Shamrock Shuffle

Burn some of that green beer or shepherd’s pie off at the Shamrock Shuffle on Saturday. This annual event is put on each year by the Krueger Family and the Vail Recreation District. This is a 5K, 10K and a Fun 1K race, stroll or walk held at the Vail Nordic Center. You can travel using snowshoes or running shoes (with or without traction devices). Snowshoe rentals will be available on a first-come, first-served basis donated by the Vail Nordic Center.

After the race wraps up, stick around for the post-race party at the Vail Golf and Nordic Clubhouse where prizes will be given away to the top finishers and all competitors are entered into the post-race prize giveaways.

St. Paddy’s Day at Glenwood Caverns

If you’re in the mood to take a road trip, head west to Glenwood Springs, about 60 miles from Vail, and ride the rides and experience the attractions at America’s only mountain-top theme park. They have come up with some fun ways to enjoy the St. Patrick’s Day weekend. Come out on Saturday and ride the seasonal rides and attractions including the alpine coaster, King’s Row and Fairy Cave tours, laser tag and a 4D motion theater.  

To make it feel more like Ireland, there will be performances by the Rocky Mountain Scots, traditional bagpipers, drummers and Celtic dancers. There will also be live music from Oran Mor, green beer, corned beef and cabbage and kid-friendly activities including gold coin games. 

Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey Dinner

Stoke & Rye, the new Richard Sandoval restaurant concept at the Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa, is keeping the St. Patrick’s Day theme going until Sunday with a whiskey dinner featuring Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey. Stoke & Rye’s executive chef angel Munoz has put together a four-course menu that will be expertly paired with a Stranahan’s cocktail and the event will conclude with a special Stranahan’s tasting.

• Welcome Cocktail: Stranahan’s maple old-fashioned with Stoke & Rye house-made bread 
• First course: Beef tartare — tenderloin, black garlic aioli, capers, cured quail egg, crispy marble potato chips, olive tapenade and grilled house made focaccia — Paired with Stranahan’s Original
• Second course: Fig and burrata salad — arugula, whiskey peach jam, compote figs, hazelnuts, balsamic reduction and extra virgin olive — Paired with Stranahan’s Sherry Cask
• Third course: Braised lamb shank — heirloom carrots, marble roasted potatoes and whiskey demi — Paired with Stranahan’s Diamond Peak
• Fourth course: Bread pudding — Stranahan’s & Bjorn honey sauce, berries and vanilla ice cream — Paired with Stranahan’s Rocky Mountain Spiked Coffee

Tickets are $135 per person and a portion of the proceeds will benefit The Cycle Effect, the nonprofit that uses mountain biking to help empower young women to create a brighter future. Advanced reservations are required here.  

There are also some events that aren’t centered around the St. Patrick’s Day theme this weekend:

Fabulous Femmes at Route 6 Café

How about a little dancing this weekend? The favorite Vail Valley trio, the Fabulous Femmes, will be bringing tunes that make you want to move because they are hosting a dance party at Route 6 Cafe on Saturday night. The Fabulous Femmes have mastered the harmonies of top hits that have spanned the decades, so there’s sure to be a melody you’ll like. From the pop sounds of the 50s, the groovy tunes of the 60s, a little disco, to 80s and rock ‘n’ roll, come down early to Route 6 to get a seat — but you won’t need it much since you’ll likely be on the dance floor. The event starts at 7 p.m. and there’s a $10 cover at the door.   

Pat Green at the Vilar

His last name may be Green, this his music won’t have anything to do with St. Patrick’s Day. Pat Green is a three-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter from Texas and he will be taking the stage at the Vilar Performing Arts Center on Sunday night at 7 p.m.

Green may have started out playing in college towns and in dance halls, but he has gone on to sell over two million albums and has sold out the Houston Astrodome. He’s performed with big names like Willie Nelson, Kenny Chesney and the Dave Matthews Band.

Like many artists, Green was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the inability to perform in front of crowds and it brought his spirits down. On his website, Green explains his feelings during this uncertain time.

“No doubt, I love working,” Green said. “To go out and be a performer is the joy of my life, other than my wife and children. But when that was taken away from me in 2020, I went into the darkest place I’ve ever been in my life, and for me, it was the music and my wife that brought me back out of it.”

After nine months of trying to navigate the new normal during the pandemic, Green’s wife, Kori, encouraged him to gather his friends and bandmates and go to their second home in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and start creating music again. The result is Green’s 14th album and he said it’s as strong as any record he’s ever done.

“The older you get, you just have more to think about,” Green said. “So that’s what this record is, a guy with more to think about, coming through a hard time and into something as fun and beautiful as creation. I’m just gonna take the ball and run with it.”

The concert on Saturday starts at 7 p.m. with opening performer JD Clayton taking the stage. Tickets are still available at $45 for reserved seating and $45 for the orchestra pit if you know you want to be up and dancing around during the show. This is also a part of the Vilar Performing Arts Center’s Pick 3/5/8 winter ticket package where the more shows you pick, the more you save. Get your tickets soon, it’s spring break in Texas and Green has a huge following in his home state. Go to VilarPAC.org for more information.  

‘Women of Vail’ talk

Imagine what it was like when Vail started up 60 years ago. On Saturday, you can hear first-hand from the ladies who shaped Vail into what it is today. The Colorado Snowsports Museum is hosting its last Through the Lens Series of the winter season and will feature co-authors Elaine Kelton and Carolyn Pope and their book, “Women of Vail: Those Who Walked This Bridge 1962-1970.”

Kelton said they chose that time frame because Vail was still a one-village community at the time and that the dynamic changed once Lionshead was added in the late 1960s. The book came out in time for Vail’s 50th anniversary season which was 2012-2013. Warren Miller provided remarks introducing the book and he comments on how those pioneering types were looking for adventure and freedom in those early years, and that set a standard that still identifies someone who moves to the valley today.

Joining Kelton and Pope will be some of the women featured in the book. Over 150 women were interviewed for the book and their stories span from just graduating college and wanting to see what the West was like to some looking for a change after a divorce. Some had skied on the East Coast or Europe and some had never tried the sport. Some were driving to Aspen or California and stopped at Vail along the way and before they knew it, they had a job and stayed. Each story is unique and endearing and gives a glimpse into the non-glamorous side of Vail.

Celebrate Vail’s 60th anniversary and Women’s History Month. The event starts at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for Colorado Sports Museum members and $25 for the public. Beer, wine and appetizers are included with ticket purchase. For more information, visit SnowsportsMuseum.org.

Repertory Team Spotlight

The Vail Valley Academy of Dance has been working hard to showcase this season’s work at competitions in Denver, Utah and Dallas and this weekend you have an opportunity to see what they’ve been working so hard on and what choreography has been winning them awards at the 2023 Repertory Team Spotlight on Sunday.  

Vail Valley Academy of Dance Repertory Company will be performing their award-winning solo, duet, in a first-ever local performance dedicated to the Repertory Company. It’s a great way to celebrate the group’s record-breaking year and inspire the next generation of dancers. Bring the little ones so they can see the successes of this hard-working group.

Come support the competition team at Homestake Peak School this Sunday. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. and the show starts at 5 p.m. General admission tickets can be purchased at the door and are $10 for adults and kids 18 years old and under are free. There are also reserved VIP seats for $50. To inquire about those seats, email Kyle Deighan at KyleMDeighan@gmail.com in advance to secure your seats.