Summer means it’s time for beach vacations and camping trips, and the perfect time to read a new page-turning mystery. Durango author Scott Graham has just released a new book and will be at The Bookworm this week to talk about it.

On Tuesday, celebrate the latest release in Graham’s National Park Mystery Series, “Great Sand Dunes Massacre.” Graham’s latest novel, set in its namesake National Park, follows archaeologist Chuck Bender as he unravels a devious web of deception and deceit before one death turns into a massacre.

Graham’s National Park Mystery series, published by the nonprofit, environmental and social justice publisher Torrey House Press, has grown in popularity over the last ten years.

“I’m happy to report that sales of my series have steadily increased over the years — thanks in no small part to the hand-selling support of booksellers at independent bookstores like Bookworm of Edwards,” Graham said. “I was especially gratified to see sales of my series double last year, after the release of the Special 10th Anniversary Edition of ‘Grand Canyon Sacrifice’, featuring an all-new foreword by the wonderful Anne Hillerman. I have no doubt her kind praise of my series is the reason for last year’s big increase in sales.”

It’s not just the sales of his books, which support his nonprofit publisher, that Graham enjoys about being an author of such a long series. He truly enjoys revisiting his central characters. “I’m entirely grateful for the success my series has enjoyed over the last decade,” Graham reflected. “The length of the series has enabled me to delve deeper into my family of characters with each book, sharing their lives with readers as they grow and change over time. I keep waiting to see, when I begin each book, if I’ll grow tired of writing about the same crew of characters. Instead, the world I’ve created has continued to expand and grow more interesting for me to explore through my writing. I hope the same is true for readers as well.”

Although “Great Sand Dunes Massacre” is the 10th book in Graham’s National Park Mystery Series, readers do not necessarily read the other nine books before they can enjoy his latest.

“Each of my National Park Mysteries is a standalone story that can be read without having first read the earlier books in the series,” Graham stated. “Readers can pick and choose which mystery they’d like to read based on their interest in a particular national park or plot line. That said, roughly a year passes between each book in the series, so those who read the books in order get to follow along as the blended Bender-Ortega family matures, and, in particular, as daughters Carmelita and Rosie grow from spunky adolescents into feisty teenagers.”

Through his books, Graham sends the Bender-Ortega family to 10 different national parks across the West.

“I hope readers will enjoy the villainous tale I’ve worked to develop and share with them,” Graham stated. “After that, I hope they’ll come away with a new appreciation for the national park they’ve just read about, and why our national parks and public lands deserve all the support we can give them.”

Avon’s Harry A. Nottingham Park boasts a wonderful playground, paddle boat and stand-up paddle board rentals, volleyball courts, grills, a walking path and great views of Beaver Creek, but don’t forget about the entertainment that can be found at the big stage next to the lake. The Avon Pavilion will host two concert series this summer, so bring out your friends and family and enjoy live music each week.

SunsetLIVE! on Sunday nights

SunsetLIVE! happens each Sunday night from now until Sept. 6. The series started on Memorial Day weekend and brings in various acts from Eagle County and the region. SunsetLIVE! lives up to its name with great views of the sunset.

SunsetLIVE! is pretty casual, bring your low-back lawn chairs, a blanket and sit on the south shore of the lake or on the docks. People have also been known to watch from their stand-up paddle boards, kayaks or duckie boats. Pack a picnic, and this concert series is BYOB since there are no alcohol sales at SunsetLIVE!

The concert goes from 6-8 p.m. and is a great way to wind down your weekend or continue your vacation.

SunsetLIVE! musical lineup:

• May 31 – String Creek Band
• June 7 – Twang Box
• June 14 – Town Calvary
• June 21 – Hand Turkey
• June 28 – Knight Groove
• July 12 – The Evolution Live
• July 19 – Rhyme and Reason
• July 26 – Hobo Village
• Aug. 2 – Kory Montgomery
• Aug. 9 – Brian Spotts
• Aug. 16 – Big Sleeps
• Aug. 23 – Blue Ox Boys
• Aug. 30 – Cactus Cat
• Sept. 6 – Frisco Funk Collective

AvonLIVE! on Wednesday nights

This Wednesday kicks off the first AvonLIVE!, which is the town’s Wednesday night concert series. The schedule includes national and regional award-winning acts, and this series takes place at the Avon Pavilion stage. Avon brings out food trucks and will serve alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages from its Hahnewald Bar (no outside alcohol permitted at AvonLIVE!) so come straight from work, the trail or wherever your daily activities were and dance, sing along and have fun at the show. Low-back chairs and blankets are welcome at AvonLIVE! as well as picnics.

You won’t want to miss these great acts, and each Wednesday there is an opening band as well as the headliner, so you get two shows for the price of one. And of course, both AvonLIVE! and SunsetLIVE! are free. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. and the music starts at 6 p.m. and goes until 9 p.m.

AvonLIVE! musical lineup:

• June 10 – The Original Wailers | Opener: O’Connor Brothers Band
• June 17 – Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe | Opener: Whirled Peas
• June 24 – HeartByrne – David Byrne Tribute | Opener: The Chaotic
• July 8 – Forever Dangerous: Tribute to Michael Jackson | Opener: Beau Thomas Band
• July 15 – Fantastic Cat | Opener: Sway Wild
• July 22 – An Evening with Dogs in a Pile
• July 29 – The Rumble | Opener: Frisco Funk Collective
• Aug. 5 – Lindsay Lou | Opener: John Truscelli & Jess Rose Duo
• Aug. 12 – Assembly of Dust | Opener: Bonfire Dub
• Aug. 19 – Vandelux | Opener: Chiilla

A few things to note about SunsetLIVE! and AvonLIVE! that you should know about before you go:

• Shows happen rain or shine unless the safety of the musicians, guests and staff would be impacted by weather. Pay attention to the town of Avon’s Facebook and Instagram pages for updates
• Parking can be a little tricky in Avon, and public transportation is encouraged as well as biking or walking to the venue. Free parking is available after 5 p.m.

For more information about musical acts, parking and what other amenities are available at the park and events, visit DiscoverAvon.org.

The GoPro Mountain Games are approaching fast, and this annual event gives everyone an opportunity to watch world-class athletes test their mettle in various sports like kayaking, climbing, biking, slacklining and more.

On Wednesday at The Bookworm of Edwards, author Susan Norman — a national and world champion in whitewater kayaking and rafting — will share about her memoir “Risk: A Life Saved by the River,” a compelling narrative about this pioneering woman’s connection to wild rivers, and how the journey heals her past and current childhood trauma. Norman’s connection to the river and whitewater sports started when she was very young.

“My dad made me try whitewater paddling when I was two-and-a-half, but it wasn’t until I was about 16 that I started developing my own passion for the sport,” Norman said. “Then I started competing. I was a fearful kayaker and I saw that the skill level you could achieve through kayak slalom racing would make me a much more skilled paddler. Whitewater paddling, like many other sports at the elite level, requires a magical combination of power and grace. When you start developing those skills, the result is very addictive. I didn’t enjoy the racing itself most of the time, but I loved the training and the community.”

Norman built community in whitewater sports through two different competitive seasons in her life.

“I competed in whitewater kayak slalom for the US National Team over a period of about six years, while I was working my way through my undergraduate degree,” Norman said. “I spent several summers traveling and competing in Europe, won the National Championships in 1982, and lived a total paddling dirtbag lifestyle. Then in my early 30s, after I had completed college and was beginning my career as a United States Forest Service hydrologist, I began competing in international whitewater rafting. I competed on a six-person team with an all-star cast of powerful women athletes and pioneers in the sport of rafting. Many of our competitions were on large volume and/or technical Class V rivers all over the world including Siberia, Africa, South and Central America. We won several World Championships, and my teammates are life-long friends.”

Norman became a parent for her nephew when his biological parents were struggling with addiction, mental illness and poverty. “I became a parent for my nephew because I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t,” Norman said. “He was going to end up in foster care. It initially felt like paddling off a waterfall into a class V rapids with Class II paddling skills. My son presented a lot of challenges related to his emotional trauma, and I discovered I also still carried a lot of that kind of baggage from my own childhood trauma. I relied on county and school counselors to help me learn the skills I needed to understand both myself and him, and cope with our challenges,” Norman said.

It wasn’t just her athletic community that made an impact in Norman’s life, it was also her writing community that encouraged her to share her story. “The writing coach and group I worked with eventually convinced me that my late-in-life parenting journey was tied to my life long relationship with the river, and needed to be a significant part of the story,” Norman said. “That truly is what makes my adventure sports memoir unique, because the parenting story is woven in to create a much bigger picture of why a connection to the outdoors through adventure sports can provide lifelong resilience.”

In reading her unique sports memoir, Norman hopes that readers learn how risk-taking can have a positive impact on life.

“Taking chosen risks through outdoor adventure is a powerful path for creating personal resilience to face unforeseen challenges we all have to face in life,” Norman said. “Of course, the level of chosen risk will and should evolve as we age. But continuing to put ourselves out there, with reasonable calculated risk, in community, will continue to provide powerful emotional and physical benefits.”

It will be a full weekend of entertainment in Vail as the 5th Annual Vail Comedy Festival comes back to town. 22 comedians from as far as New York, Seattle, Los Angeles, Georgia, Chicago and Dallas will fill several different venues in Vail Village this weekend. Get ready for stand-up comedy routines, magic shows, films and more.

“It’s very exciting. It gets bigger every year and I love bringing a lot of comedians from around the country here to see how awesome Vail is,” said Mark Masters, a comedian who founded and has hosted the Vail Comedy Show for years and added the multi-day Vail Comedy Festival in 2022. “Word has gotten around on the comedian circuit that this is a fun event, so we have many comedians who want to perform here.”

Comedian Casey Balsham from New York City will headline the Vail Comedy Festival on Saturday night. Her viral online clips, “A Message to Gen Z” and “Childbirth = Women’s Super Bowl,” have both been viewed over 20 million times.

“Casey is a phenomenal comedian and I can’t wait for our audiences to see her. She tapes a comedy special the very next weekend, so we are going to get a peak performance,” Masters said.

Balsham will be traveling to Vail with her children.

“It’s always funny to me when I am traveling with my small children and people ask me if it’s their first flight and I respond back with ‘No it’s their 50th.’ We took our older daughter to Italy for shows when she was about 18 months and there’s this really fun photo of her in the green room in Bologna with me and there’s a burlesque dancer getting ready, and all these posters on the wall, and big mirrors … I can’t wait to show her when she’s older,” Balsham said.

When asked about memorable experiences in comedy, Balsham talked about being a mother.

“I think just being a woman and mother in comedy itself is an accomplishment. The fact that I was on stage two months after having my daughter and doing an hour of material blows my mind. I still feel like my brain is in pieces and I can’t remember basic words, but I was able to perform a whole show while postpartum. Women are amazing and have amazing things to say. Listen to them,” Balsham said.

Balsham’s husband, comedian Robby Slowik, is also a headliner at this year’s comedy festival.

“I’ve never been to Vail, but I’m a big skier and always want to do winter gigs in Colorado, so thanks for having me … in summer,” Slowik joked.

Also headlining at the festival on Sunday night is comedian Nick Vatterott from Los Angeles. He is an Andy Kaufman Award-winning comedian, writer, actor and producer whose credits include HBO, Comedy Central, “CONAN” and “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.”

“Nick came out of Chicago and I loved his stuff online and finally got to see him in person last year in New Orleans and I’m thrilled to have him in Vail this year,” Masters said.

“I haven’t performed in Vail, but I’ve performed in Pueblo, which is Spanish for ‘town.’ They named their town ‘town,’ pretty cool! I’ve also performed in the giant doom bunker underneath the Denver airport. They’re a tough crowd because they’re lizards, and if you don’t do well, they eat you,” Vatterott said.

Vatterott used to tour internationally with the famous Chicago sketch group Second City.

“A highlight of my career is getting to do sets on late-night television. Something I always watched growing up. I got to do a really weird bit on Jimmy Fallon that, to this day, I still wonder how they allowed it on national television. Conan was a big highlight. I watched him religiously growing up. Hearing him laugh behind me at my first bit, I just was like, ‘Whelp, no need to keep doing comedy after this, not going to get any better than that moment.’ Except maybe doing the Vail Comedy Festival!” Vatterott said.

This year marks the second year of FILM@Vail Comedy Festival, which highlights cinema in the comedy and mental health spaces and includes movies that have won awards at prestigious events such as the Tribeca Film Festival. Vatterott will be showing one of his films there.

“I made a film in my apartment during the pandemic. I’d been writing a movie called ‘Tommy Hoarder and the Search for Missing Keys.’ Then, during COVID, I made the whole film myself, filmed it, acted in it and catered it. In the film, I start seeing creatures made out of the clutter, puppets of sorts, and I interact with them. It’s been a long road, but it’s been really exciting to finally get this into festivals like Vail, and I’m really looking forward to finally getting this film out into the world,” Vatterott said.

“Vail Comedy Festival has always felt like a big family, and Nick’s sister Abby will be at the festival for a screening of her short film ‘Mashy Potatoes,’ so this year it will have even more family vibes,” Masters said.

To view the schedule, learn more about the comedians and to buy tickets and passes, go to vailcomedyfestival.com.

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.

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.

The Eagle River Jamboree has officially announced the full lineup for its inaugural festival taking place Aug. 8–9 at the Eagle County Fairgrounds in Eagle. The two-day music and outdoor experience will bring nationally touring artists, regional favorites, camping, outdoor recreation, local vendors, family activities, and late-night experiences to the banks of the Eagle River.

The 2026 lineup features Ripe, Robert Randolph, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, The Band of Heathens, Jason Scott & The High Heat, Pickin’ On The Dead, DJ Williams Band, The Runaway Grooms, Dragondeer and more. Saturday’s headliner, Ripe, returns to Eagle after bringing their high-energy funk set to the Eagle Block Party in 2022.

The festival is produced by the Colorado Music Foundation, a local nonprofit dedicated to building and supporting a thriving music community in Colorado by providing performance opportunities and increasing access to music education for Colorado artists and youth.

Proceeds from the festival pour directly back into Colorado communities through initiatives like the Play It Forward Instrument Drive and Education Program, where Colorado Music Foundation provides free instruments and lessons to aspiring musicians and disadvantaged populations.

“We wanted to create a legacy musical event for down valley while remaining authentic to the community and our mountain culture,” said Zach Gilliam, festival director of the Eagle River Jamboree. “This festival is about bringing people together through music, outdoor adventure and shared experiences while also supporting the mission of the Colorado Music Foundation.” 

In addition to the music, the Eagle River Jamboree encourages attendees to explore the surrounding Eagle and Gypsum communities, including hiking, fishing, rafting, mountain biking, off-roading, camping, local breweries, restaurants and the natural beauty of Colorado’s High Country.

Two-day general admission passes start at $140, with VIP packages also available. Organizers encourage early purchase as capacity will be limited for the first year of the event. Visit eagleriverjamboree.com for tickets and more information.

The weather may have been a bit wintery lately, but Beaver Creek is getting ready to welcome everyone back after the ski season for its summer kickoff event. Blues, Brews & BBQ started in 2003 and since then it’s grown in size and scope and now encompasses three days, with 10 bands, 20 craft brews, over a dozen Beaver Creek restaurants, two guest pit masters and one celebrity chef.

There will be so much great blues music to listen to, tasty beers to try, barbecue to taste and chef competitions to watch. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself at Beaver Creek all three days. Use this as your guide to one of the Beav’s signature events.

Music schedule

Listen to award-winning blues artists, as this event not only celebrates the start of barbecue season, but also lets music lovers hear some great artists live and in person for free at Beaver Creek.

Friday

• Larry McCray: 4:30-6 p.m.
• George Porter, Jr. of The Meters: 6:30-8 p.m.

Saturday

• Kara Grainger: 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Buffalo Nichols: 1:30 – 3 p.m.
• Jontavious Willis: 3:30 – 5 p.m.
• Tommy Castro & The Painkillers: 5:30 – 7 p.m.

Sunday

• Kent Burnside: 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
• Ghalia Volt: 1-2 p.m.
• Kevin Burt & The Big Medicine: 2:30-4 p.m.
• Tab Benoit: 4:30-6 p.m.

BBQ competitions

In addition to the vendor booths throughout the village offering up mouthwatering barbecue, there will be some demonstrations and competitions happening between the musical acts.

Friday

• BBQ Demo Party: 6 p.m. – Matt Good of the Charter at Beaver Creek, celebrity chef Brother Luck, pit masters Mike Starr of Blazing Star BBQ and Todd Michael Johns of Plowboys Barbecue.  

Saturday

• International Backyard Barbecue: 1:30 p.m. – Jan “Jasko” Markot of Hooked
• Battle of the Brothers – Wings: 3 p.m. – Matt Good of the Charter and George Pincay of Golden Eagle Inn
• Thai Chicken Curry: 5 p.m. – Pit master Mike Starr of Blazing Star BBQ and pit master Todd Michael Johns of Plowboys BBQ

Sunday

• Embers of Honor: A Tribute to Fallen Veterans: 12:30 p.m.- Matt Good of the Charter, George Pincay of Golden Eagle Inn and Jose Rodriguez of Beaver Creek Chophouse
• BBQ Meets Sushi: 2 p.m. Jan “Jasko” Markot of Hooked
• Short Ribs: 4 p.m. – Anthony Beltracchi of Fireside Grill at The Osprey

Breweries serving suds

You can turn Blues, Brews & BBQ into a mini beer tasting event with the new 12 for $12 Beer Tasting Punch Card. Test drive a few brews with 12 one-ounce tastings before you choose your favorite flavor.

• Outer Range Brewing Company – Frisco
• 4 Noses Brewing – Denver and Broomfield
• Vail Brewing Company – EagleVail
• Westbound & Down – Denver, Basalt, Idaho Springs, Lafayette
• Wibby Brewing – Longmont
• Wild Cider – Firestone

Minturn Whisky Company is also part of the offerings this year and wine and other cocktails will be available. Keep in mind that the brews part of the event is cashless, but you can use a debit or credit card to purchase punch cards and the tasting card.

• $45 Punch card for five beers or cocktails
• $10 single beer/cocktail ticket
• Punch cards and single tickets are good for 16-oz beer, 12-ounce Minturn Whisky cocktail or 9-ounce wine
• $12 for 12 one-ounce tastings punch card

Most of the event will be hosted on the Beaver Creek Plaza level (where the ice rink is in the winter) with the chef competitions and demonstrations being held on the mezzanine above the fountain, just up the stairs from the Beaver Creek Plaza. The Kids Zone will be along the Slopeside Lawn. Parking is available for free at the Elk and Bear lots and shuttle buses will be running throughout the event. Bring the kids to enjoy the bouncy house, activities and games at the Kids Zone, but no pets are allowed at Blues, Brews & BBQ. The event is free and food and drinks are available for purchase. Want to make a weekend out of it? Have a staycation up in Beaver Creek where some lodging deals offer 20% off. For more information, go to beavercreek.com and search under Signature Events.

Touch-A-Truck

The Vail Public Library is taking you out from behind the books to an outdoor experience your kids will never forget. Touch-a-Truck returns this weekend and is an opportunity to get up close to some of the fascinating vehicles that save lives, move people and get the job done.

From ambulances, police cars and buses to a cement truck, a pink moving truck and heavy machinery there’s so much to see, feel and hear — yes, the sirens will be turned on, but there is a designated quiet hour, too, for those kids who are sensitive to noise. Please note that the organizers were unable to get the helicopter from High Altitude Aviation Training Site in Gypsum due to fuel costs, so, sorry, no chopper this year.

Touch-a-Truck will be held at the Ford Park Parking Lot on Sunday from 10:30 a.m. until noon. The quiet hour will be from 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Parents, get the cameras ready (and you might want to take a selfie with one of the huge rigs, too!) and watch your kid climb up into the cab of a tractor, flip the lights on in the police car or switch on the sirens in a fire truck. This event is free and open to the public and parking is free in the Vail Village Parking garage, which is a short walk to Ford Park. For more information, go to vaillibrary.com.

Dig Into Reading at Museum at Dinosaur Junction

Dig Into Reading is an exciting collaboration presented by The Literacy Project and the Museum at Dinosaur Junction in Edwards. Taking place this Sunday from 11 a.m. to noon the event will feature an introduction by museum director Billy Doran and an author/illustrator visit with Kriss and Angel King who created the “Just Keep Zippin'” children’s book series. 

Sunday’s program will focus on “Back on Track” — the story of a T. rex train conductor who needs glasses. In this whimsical book, Doc Zippy, who is a horse, helps Trax navigate through the process of visiting the optometrist for eye testing and choosing glasses. Featuring the animal and human characters from the real-life Museum at Dinosaur Junction, including Doran, “Back on Track” is an encouraging tale of resilience that kids will find fun and heartwarming.  

During the hour, Kriss and Angel King will share their creative journey and bring their stories to life for young readers. They will also have some fun dinosaur swag for kids. After the program, families are invited to stay and explore the museum at their own pace. For more details, check out Museum at Dinosaur Junction’s Instagram page.

Boneyard Boogie Trail Running Race

With the warm and dry winter that we had (until storms rolled in recently this spring) the weather has actually been good for running outside. If you feel up to the challenge, the Vail Recreation District is kicking off its annual Vail Trail Running Race Series on Saturday. The first stop is downvalley with the Boneyard Boogie held in Eagle. The race series is well known for its iconic routes. It’s a locals’ favorite which draws many runners from around the region, state and beyond.

The perfect way to plan your weekend.

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The Boneyard Boogie offers a 14K and a 6K option. Both races will start at the Eagle Pool and Ice Rink. The 14K will start at 9 a.m. and the 6K will begin at 9:15 a.m. Eagle is known for its singletrack, which flows through the pinyon groves and juniper shrubs. The elevation gain will be slightly under 1,300 feet for the longer race.

At the race finish, grab a donut from long-time sponsor Northside Coffee & Kitchen and then head to the post-race party at Capitol Public House for awards, prizes, burgers and beer. This trail running race series runs through mid-September. Sign up for the whole series or participate in individual races, the schedule and more details can be found at vailrec.com.

Bikes and BBQ fundraiser

Bikes and BBQ blends two great things: riding on two wheels and tasty eats from Moe’s. When you add the charity component to it, it makes it even better. Come support The Cycle Effect at its annual fundraiser on Saturday from 5-8 p.m. The Cycle Effect’s mission is to empower young women through mountain biking to create brighter futures.

During the day, join the coaches for a bike clinic and short trail ride for beginner and intermediate riders. Space is limited, so contact The Cycle Effect to get signed up. The bike clinic will go on from 12-3 p.m., meet at the Eagle Pool & Ice Rink. The price is $175 and that includes the bike clinic, swag from The Cycle Effect, the trail ride and a drink ticket for the party at Moe’s BBQ.

The party at Moe’s BBQ is open to the public from 5- to 8 p.m. Enjoy live music by the Blue Ox Boys. There will be plenty of giveaways such as bike gear and accessories from FOX, SRAM, Bontrager, Melanzana ad Wild Rye apparel, Beaver Creek golf rounds, Wahoo ELEMNT Rival Watch, Vail lift tickets, Color Coffee goodies and more.

The money raised from the event provides the coaching, bikes, gear and transportation The Cycle Effect riders need to get out on the trail and teach life lessons. To learn more, go to thecycleeffect.org.  

Books in Bloom

Even though reading a book seems like a solitary activity, Books in Bloom invites lovers of the written word to come together, get inspired by authors and share their joy of reading. The Eagle Valley Library District has been hosting this event since 2011 and this is their way of showing appreciation to the public.

This year’s special guests are River Selby, Amanda Skenandore and Allen Eskens. Each author will give a talk at Colorado Mountain College in Edwards starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Doors will open at 9:30 a.m. with brunch and refreshments, with more food options available during intermission. Stick around to purchase books and have the authors sign them. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased online at evld.org or at the event.

Electric Social and Sustainability Fair

Feeling social? Head to the Electric Social at the Sustainability Fair in Avon this Saturday. Hosted by Walking Mountains Science Center, this event will feature a variety of electric vehicles for people to check out, and owners will be around to share their experiences and insights. E-bike vendors will be offering test rides and free tune-ups and advice for those who already own one. There will also be partners present to answer all your questions about rebates, bike safety and home electrification.

The Sustainability Fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Sun & Ski parking lot in Avon. Check out all sorts of educational demonstrations and lessons from the pros on topics like composting, home and business sustainability, water-wise landscaping and more.

There will be live music by Al Maul, free beer and brats from Ein Prosit, mini donuts and lemonade. Additionally, every attendee will be automatically entered into a raffle to win one of three $100 gift cards to local bike shops, along with other Sustainability Fair prizes. For details go to walkingmountains.org and avon.org.

Ready to head to Flavortown? You can do just that and watch a local chef compete on a new program on Food Network hosted by celebrity chef Guy Fieri. Taylor Frankel, executive chef at Slope Room at Gravity Haus Vail is competing against other chefs in “Flavortown Food Fight” on May 13.

Frankel is no stranger to the reality chef challenge-style shows, she has competed on “Alex vs. America,” where chefs attempt to take down “Iron Chef’s” Alex Guarnaschelli, a feared and accomplished competitor. She also appeared on the Food Network’s “Chef Grudge Match” in the summer of 2025 with fellow Vail Valley chef Maria Busato. That cooking competition was housed in a boxing ring complete with a live audience surrounding the chefs as they created a dish during a set amount of time.

So, you can say, the people at the Food Network have Frankel’s number.

“To be called in for any Food Network show is great, but then to be called to be on one of Guy Fieri’s shows was so cool because in the last few years, he’s created all these very competitive shows like “Tournament of Champions,” and just to get into that ecosystem and get in front of him, I’m super excited about. I still can’t believe it,” Frankel said.

Frankel said she grew up in Boulder with parents who loved to cook and watched the Food Network all the time.

“I would always sit at the counter every night and watch my mom cook and watch the Food Network while I pretended to do my homework. So yeah, I learned everything from her and the Food Network,” Frankel said.

The premise of Flavortown, which, as all Guy Fieri fans know, is his signature catchphrase representing anything bold, comfort food flavors in the culinary world, is to challenge chefs from all across America in his fictitious town set up with different restaurant concepts. From food trucks, bistros, ethic specialties to fine dining, the chefs never know what’s coming at them in this changing landscape.

“One of the things Guy wanted to highlight is that chefs have to work in a lot of unusual spaces,” Frankel said. “Most restaurants are set up as a disadvantage to cooks and chefs. They’re small. They’re in basements. They’re in tight quarters. A lot of the restaurants in Flavortown had weird setups and the fast-casual restaurants were shaped like a horseshoe. So, you had to run around a ton and that highlight the chef’s adaptability and athleticism and shows how we keep it all going.”

Each episode kicks off with a skills challenge and trivia with the chef who wins that picking what type of dining concept the chefs will work in. Frankel said she brushed up on all sorts of techniques, methods and recipes before the filming, which happened in December.

“We literally had no idea what we were walking into. You never know if you’re going to have to make desserts, for example,” Frankel said. “So just memorizing recipes and just going through all your old notes to bring different dishes back to your brain and just memorizing spice blends, that’s what I did to prepare. I was making pâte à choux which is a French pastry dough that can make a variety of things like Parisian gnocchi, churros, gougères and that is good for a sweet or savory dish.”

Frankel said it was such a great experience because Fieri spent quite a bit of time with the chefs, explaining the rules and why he wanted to do a show like this and highlight the versatility that chefs have.

“He was so personable and he just loves chefs and wants to contribute to our livelihood. We were just hanging out with him and the judges before we competed and you feel like a family,” Frankel said. “I just love being around these people, I just click with other chefs, it is a bond that’s hard to explain. You have so many shared experiences.”

How far does Frankel last in Flavortown? Watch the episode of “Flavortown Food Fight” on the Food Network this Wednesday or you can stream it the next day on HBO Max and Discovery+.

Frankel will be watching for the first time on Wednesday, too.

“It’s definitely nerve-wracking waiting for the episode to come out because you don’t even know how the show’s going to be presented and edited, you have no idea,” Frankel said. “It’s been a long five months waiting. The first time anyone else sees it is when I will see it, which is the scariest part.”

In combination with drought, wildfire risk and warming temperatures, there is great environmental concern for bumblebee populations across the United States and the world. Bestselling author Eileen Garvin, explores this concern alongside honeybee keeping, human immigration and other themes in her newest novel “Bumblebee Season.”

Come to The Bookworm Tuesday to celebrate the new book release from the beloved bestselling author of “The Music of Bees.” Her new novel is a heartwarming new story that returns to the vibrant world of beekeeping in a small Oregon town. There will be a Q-and-A and book signing following the event and light refreshments will be provided.

Garvin’s latest novel is an inspired yet unexpected return to the world she created in her first novel.

“I never expected to return to the world of ‘The Music of Bees,'” Garvin reflected. “But I was inspired at a beekeeping conference where I met a beekeeper who was paraplegic and had designed a beautiful horizontal hive that was more accessible than traditional hives. I bought one for myself and I wanted to bring that hive into Jake’s life and see how it might have an impact and open up the world of beekeeping even more for him.”

Garvin explores beekeeping in her newest novel as well as the overlapping efforts between bumblebee and honeybee conservation through the character of Abigail.

“Honeybees are not endangered,” Garvin stated. “Honeybees, while beloved by us for making honey —the only bee that we get honey from — are not native to North America. In the U.S., the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee, Hawaiian Yellow-Faced Bees, Franklin’s Bumble Bee and others have been listed as endangered. By some estimates, 25% of all North American bumblebees are facing risk of extinction. The threats to native pollinators and honeybees—drought, pesticide use, pathogens and habitat loss—ultimately affect all creatures, including humans.

“Pollinators are an indicator species that signal how healthy the environment is in general,” Garvin said. “There are more than 20,000 species of bees in the world and more than 4,000 native species in North America. Bees pollinate about 80 percent of all flowering plants and 75 percent of fruits, nuts and vegetables grown in the U.S. Some sources break it down like this: Bees are responsible for one out of every three bites of food we eat. But aside from the Herculean effort these small creatures do to help feed us, they are also unique beings that deserve their place in our world.”

Not only does Garvin highlight environmental themes in her books, she also often includes characters that spotlight human-centric issues that are often politicized. “I certainly have found connection and friendship among people who are different from me, or who seem different from me on the surface,” Garvin reflected. “But ultimately, I think we all want the same things — home and belonging. My character, Flaco, grew out of the news and world events of 2019, which is when I set the story. Locally, we had a grassroots movement protesting a contract between our county jail and ICE. Nationally, we had tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors at the US/Mexico border. The population of Hood River County is more than 40 percent Latino, so these events were of great concern for our community. When writing Flaco, I asked the question: If this boy appeared in Hood River County in the spring of 2019, who would be there to help him? In that way. I’m looking at the local, human connection. Unexpected friendship, as always, is a big theme in this story.”

Many different kinds of readers are drawn to Garvin’s books, and her newest novel is no exception.

“Anyone interested in honeybees or bumblebees will like the book as well as anyone who loves the natural world and a good story about people searching for a cure for heartache. Personally, I read for entertainment, information and comfort. I hope readers might find those things in reading ‘Bumblebee Season.'”