Vail Dance Festival, carnival action, multitudes of music and more this weekend in the Vail Valley
It's the height of summer fun with bucking bronocs, ballet and Bravo! Vail Music Festival performances all in one weekend
Vail Dance Festival
The 36th annual Vail Dance Festival will host its Opening Night performance at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The performance will offer a taste of what is to come in the next 10 days as the festival goes from The Amp to the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek to the Performance Pavilion in Avon and the streets of Vail.
Friday night’s highlights include many collaborations and a blending of dance genres like tap with festival favorites Michelle Dorrance and Memphis Jooker Ron Myles. Other featured performances include artist-in-residence and New York City Ballet principal Sara Mearns performing Balanchine’s “Élégie.” The National Repertory Orchestra will also perform Tschaikovsky’s score live during “Serenade.” Opening Night kicks off at 7:30 p.m. and the amphitheater is open one hour before showtime.
On Saturday night come see Dance Theater of Harlem at The Amp in a program featuring George Balanchine’s “Allego Brillante” and the company’s artistic director Robert Garland’s recent work “Nyman String Quartet #2” and “Blake Works IV (The Barre Project)”by William Forsythe. The performance is at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday night is one of the Vail Dance Festival’s signature performances, where Damian Woetzel, the artistic director of the Vail Dance Festival, takes the audience through the movements with the artists in rehearsal and performance mode. It’s a unique way to view dance and learn about the movements and the athleticism involved. UpClose: Swerve will be at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater and will begin at 6 p.m. For information on all performances, master classes, Dancing in the Streets and other events, visit VailDance.org.
Eagle County Fair and Rodeo
Since 1939, Eagle County has been celebrating its western heritage and bringing the community together with camaraderie and competition. The event has become so popular that the rodeos, held nightly at 7 p.m., are sold out, but you can still take in the fun by going to all the surrounding events and activities.
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The carnival rides and food booths are open early so come down and enjoy the fun. On Friday, gates open at 3 p.m. and on Saturday gates open at noon. This year’s carnival will feature rides including the Majestic Ferris Wheel, Space Shuttle, Ripsaw, Thea’s Zoo, Flying Pink Elephants and more. Get your thrills before eating too much cotton candy or funnel cakes.
Come early to view the 4-H exhibits in the Eagle River Center, which will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Check out the chickens, bunnies, lambs, pigs, goats and more. The 4-H kids have been working hard to raise these animals over the past year and many of them will be featured at the Junior Livestock Auction on Saturday at 11 a.m. Many area restaurants have been known to buy livestock from this auction to keep the meats on their menu super local, so don’t be surprised if you see a few restaurant owners bidding.
Also, on Saturday you’ll find the Pretty Baby contest. This is the cutest thing ever with little ones dressed in their best to impress the judges. Does your baby have what it takes? Show up to register between 9:30 and 9:55 a.m. and the contest starts at 10 a.m. at the Eagle River Center. For more information, go to EagleCountyFairAndRodeo.com.
Avon Arts Celebration
The 5th Annual Avon Arts Celebration returns to Nottingham Park in Avon Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Over 120 artists from Eagle County, Colorado and the nation will be there showing everything from paintings and pottery to sculptures and woodworking.
Shop while sipping on wine, beer or spirits. Wheatley American Vodka, Bucknell Family Wine from the Western Slope and Woods High Mountain Distillery in Salida are some of the featured beverages along with Meyers Rum and Corazón Tequila at the event’s Barrels, Bottles and Brews which will benefit the Vail Valley Art Guild. There will also be food trucks among the art tents. So, if you need a grab lunch, a snack, or keep going with a cup of coffee, you’ll find it at the venue. There will also be music by pianist Gene Morris all weekend near the wine and spirit tasting booths.
On Sunday at noon, there will be a $1,000 shopping spree giveaway. Ask any artists for a free drawing ticket, place your ticket in the tub where the winning ticket will be drawn from and then you must be present to win. For information on the event, the artists, vendors and more go to ColoradoArtWeekend.com.
Musical Offerings
Vail Summer Sessions
Vail Mountain has teamed up with Toyota to offer a fun music series on and off the mountain this weekend. On Friday, head up to the top of the Eagle Bahn Gondola (No. 19) for a concert by indie pop band Cannons at Eagle’s Nest from 5-6:30 p.m. If you have your 2024-2025 Epic Pass, you can hop on the gondola or purchase a Scenic Gondola Pass at the ticket office, or hike or bike up to the top. Although the concert is free, space is limited and a wristband is required, which can be picked up starting at 9:30 a.m. on Friday at the Toyota tents at the base of Lionshead. Come early for the pre-party at Bistro 14 from 4-5 p.m. at Eagle’s Nest.
On Saturday, enjoy the sounds of Vandelux, a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and producer who will be at the base of Gondola One (No. 1) from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in Vail Village. This is also a free concert.
Throughout the weekend, Toyota will have all sorts of fun activities in Vail and Lionshead from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday-Sunday. Come out for lawn games, a dog photo booth, customizable bucket hats and pins and great giveaways like e-bikes and even a Toyota Tacoma Trailhunter. For a full schedule and to find out about additional events this weekend, go to Vail.com and click on the Events Calendar.
PrimalFest in Minturn
On Saturday, head to the Little Beach Amphitheater in Minturn for PrimalFest going on from noon until 9 p.m. PrimalFest will host eight bands including headliner Primal J and the Neanderthals, Michael Morrow and the Culprits, Pinheads, Jen Mack and more. PrimalFest started in 2017 and has been hosted in Dotsero, Keystone, Eagle and other locations but PrimalFest producer, Dan Renner of DFR Productions and bass player for Primal J and the Neanderthals, is happy to return to Minturn.
“I love playing and bringing other bands to the beautiful Little Beach Amphitheater in Minturn, the town I grew up in,” Renner said in an email to the Vail Daily.
In the past, PrimalFest has brought all sorts of genres of music to the stage including bluegrass, reggae, classic rock, metal and ska. Admission is free, bring the family, pack a picnic, it’s a BYOB event, but please no glass in the park. Blankets and low camp chairs are welcome. Mountain Belles, which is a food truck serving Creole food, will be selling items out of its truck during the event. For more information and a list of bands, visit Minturn.org/Home-Page/Page/PrimalFest.
Free Bravo! Vail Concerts
Bravo! Vail Music Festival has wrapped up its concerts at Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, but the music continues with several concerts before the festival ends on Aug. 1. The Community Concert Series connects festival musicians and music lovers in various settings, from a mobile trailer Bravo! Vail calls the Music Box to the historic Tabor Opera House in Leadville.
Bravo! Vail welcomes The Westerlies, a four-piece ensemble featuring Riley Mulherkar and Chloe Rowlands on trumpet and Andy Clausen and Addison Maye-Saxon on trombone. The ensemble got its name from the prevailing winds that travel from the west to the east, and they have traveled to all directions to share their sounds. From Carnegie Hall to Coachella, their music ranges from jazz and roots to chamber music and more.
On Friday, come see The Westerlies play in the delightful music box at 11 a.m. at the Field House parking lot in Edwards or at 6 p.m. at the Singletree Pavilion in Edwards. On Saturday, the Music Box will move to Lake Creek Village in Edwards for a performance at 11 a.m. On Sunday, travel to Leadville and see The Westerlies perform at the famous Tabor Opera House at 2 p.m. The Tabor Opera House was built in 1879 and has hosted performances by Oscar Wilde, John Philip Sousa and Harry Houdini. For more on the free Community Concert Series, go to BravoVail.org.