Memorial Day weekend ceremonies, BBQ, Vail Comedy Festival and more in Vail this holiday weekend
From remembering our fallen heroes to kicking off barbecue season, the Vail Valley has a long list of events up and down the valley
Chris Dillmann/Vail Daily file photo
68th Annual 10th Mountain Division Memorial Day Ceremony – Tennessee Pass
Join others in a moving tribute on top of Tennessee Pass at the 68th Annual 10th Mountain Division Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday morning. Come early for coffee and donuts starting at 9:30 a.m. before the ceremony begins at 11 a.m. This event honors veterans of the 10th Mountain Division and the 99th Infantry Battalion who lost their lives in combat. The ceremony will run from 11 a.m. until noon with a lunch for purchase following at Ski Cooper from noon until 2 p.m.
Dress for the elements as this is outdoors on top of Tennessee Pass at an elevation of 10,424 feet. Bring a lawn chair as seating will be limited.
The 10th Mountain Division Foundation’s mission is to honor and perpetuate the legacy of the soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division past, present and future by doing good works that exemplify the ideals by which they lived. Learn more at 10thmountainfoundation.org.
Memorial Day Ceremony – Freedom Park
Freedom Park Memorial Committee and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10721 will host the annual public ceremony in memory of all veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces and Emergency Response Agencies from Eagle County who have died in the line of duty. The ceremony will be held at the Freedom Park Memorial in Edwards at the Flagpole Plaza.
The event will begin at 3 p.m. and highlights include the color guard composed of local veterans, patriotic music sung by Michelle Cohn Levy and a keynote address by Navy veteran Gary Oleson. The ceremony will also include a reading of the names of Eagle County military and emergency responders who have perished in the line of duty. For more information, email claire.noble@eaglecounty.us.
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Members of VFW Post 10721 and friends have been placing flags on veterans’ graves with assistance from the local Boy Scouts, Daughters of the American Revolution the Civil Air Patrol and Rotary Club. On Friday, they will be placing flags at the Eagle and Gypsum cemeteries at 5 p.m. and the public is welcome to join.
Unknown Tales of the 10th at Colorado Snowsports Museum
The Colorado Snowsports Museum has a wealth of knowledge surrounding the beginnings, high and low points of the 10th Mountain Division, so make sure to stop in if you want to familiarize yourself with this important group of heroes who did so much for the direction of World War II and the ski and outdoor industry. On Saturday, come and hear Lance Blyth, who is the command historian of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and an adjunct professor of history at the United States Air Force Academy. Blyth has been a guest at the Colorado Snowsports Museum before, talking about his book, “Ski, Climb, Fight” which shares experiences of the 10th Mountain Division. Books will be on sale and it’s a perfect opportunity to get it autographed. The event starts at 4:30 p.m. For more information, go to SnowsportsMuseum.org.
Flag to Remember unveiling at 10th Mountain Whiskey Distillery
The 10th Mountain Whiskey & Spirits Company in Gypsum will be unveiling a special flag this Memorial Day. A Flag to Remember, a nonprofit started by Anthony Peterson to remember those we have lost, will be revealed at the distillery at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Each flag contains the names of members of U.S. military branches and first responders, and these flags are starting to show up at locations across the country.
Stop by for some barbecue by The Fully Belly food truck and listen to music by Andy Cyphert. Meet Peterson and learn more about Flag to Remember Foundation and his efforts to keep the names and memories of the fallen alive. 10th Mountain Whiskey & Spirit Company honors the legacy of the 10th Mountain Division and partners up with many veteran service organizations. For more information about the event, go to 10th Mountain Whiskey’s Facebook page. To learn more about Flags to Remember, go to flagstoremember.com.
Eagle River Brewing anniversary party
Eagle River Brewing is a veteran-owned brew house and is celebrating its third anniversary with a party featuring Zachy G. and the Love on Friday starting at 4 p.m.
The party is part of the Road to the Jamboree Series which leads up to the Eagle River Jamboree, a new multi-day event held in downtown Eagle in August. Eagle River Brewing will be celebrating another year with craft brews, food trucks and live music.
Enjoy the food and fresh beer and take advantage of the pre-concert pricing on tickets for the Eagle River Jamboree. There will also be ticket raffle, so grab your friends and head to the brewery and raise a glass to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. More details can be found on Eagle River Jamboree’s Facebook page.
Blues, Brews & BBQ at Beaver Creek
Beaver Creek welcomes all to come and join in for the kickoff of summer. Blues, Brews & BBQ has been a family favorite for over two decades and invites chefs, brew masters and blues musicians to come together to create an unforgettable experience at the base of Beaver Creek Mountain. On Friday, the live music will go from 4:30 to 8 p.m. The kegs will be tapped with specialty brews from local and regional breweries. While the beer may be from these parts, the music won’t be — expect to find musicians from the Delta and New Orleans, or if they weren’t born on the Bayou, these artists have created a soulful sound of their own and followed in the footsteps of those who have been singing the blues for years.
Beaver Creek’s Blues, Brews & BBQ is really three events in one. The foodies will love the flavors created by Beaver Creek chefs and other vendors, and there will be pit masters and celebrity chefs there, too. Music lovers will love the chance to hear Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient George Porter, Jr. and Tab Benoit play along with many others. For the beer geeks out there, you will love the 20-plus suds you can sip during the weekend.
The event is free to attend and bring the kids for the kids zone with fun and games but leave the dogs at home. Entry is free and you can pay for food and drink as you go. Please note that the brews part of this event is cashless. You can use a credit card to buy a drink punch card for beer, cocktails, wine or Minturn Whisky Company (official whiskey of the event). There’s a special tasting punch card if you want to try many beers along the way. Get details about the chefs, musicians and beers, competition schedules, lodging discounts and more at BeaverCreek.com.
Vail Comedy Festival
The three-day holiday weekend draws a lot of people to town, and if you’re looking for some laughs find out what the locals already know and attend the Vail Comedy Festival. In its fifth year, The Vail Comedy Festival has grown and not only includes top-notch touring comedians but also cinema and magic. FILM@vail Comedy Festival showcases films that touch on mental health in the comedian industry. It’s done in such a way that allows you to talk about it and that helps remove the stigma of this disease. The film component was a hit last year, so this year expect feature-length films and shorts on all sorts of topics.
The comedy is going to show up in different forms and formats. From headliners taking the stage at the end of the night to Open Mic opportunities and The Sevens Comedy Showcase, where comedians get seven minutes to see how funny they can be. It’s a rapid style showcase that is sure to create tons of laughs.
Travis Nye returns with magic combined with comedy as he dazzles audiences of all ages, so bring the kids to his shows throughout the weekend. From quick laughs to illusions, Nye never disappoints.
The Vail Comedy Festival is the hot ticket this weekend, with some shows selling out like they have in years past. You can buy individual tickets for shows or go all out and get the VIP festival pass and the perks that go with it. There are lots of choices that will fit your schedule, interest level and budget. The best thing to do it view the offerings and schedule on the website at vailcomedyfestival.com. The festival runs from May 21-24.
SunsetLIVE! in Avon on Sunday
Sunday night kicks off SunsetLIVE!, which is a free concert series at Avon’s Nottingham Park. The series runs on Sundays from now until Sept. 6 from 6-8 p.m. The cool thing about these shows is that they take place on the back side of the Avon Performance Pavilion, which is called The Terrace. Sit on the patio chairs near the band, bring your own blanket or lawn chairs and enjoy the south lawn or paddle board your way to the music.
This week, come listen to the Front Range’s Orchard Creek Band as they play some bluegrass, Americana and a little classic country on stage. The band lineup filled with regional and local favorites. View the band schedule and other details at Avon.org.
