Bluegrass festival, comedy, country dancing, fire trucks and fun this weekend in the Vail Valley
Activities and events fill the autumn days and nights in what can hardly be called 鈥渙ff-season鈥� anymore
Free live music at FreeFall Bluegrass Festival in Vail
Head to Vail Village for three days of free live music featuring some of bluegrass music’s top hit makers. This event will feature over 12 solo acts and bands on three stages from Friday afternoon until Sunday night and makes for a great off-season activity.
The musical lineup includes familiar names to the Vail music scene like bluegrass legend Sam Bush, Phoffman from Greensky Bluegrass, Terrapin Family Band featuring Chris Pandolfi of Infamous Stringdusters and Nicki Bluhm, and local bands like Danger Mountain and Blue Ox Boys.
The main stage is at Solaris Plaza, the secondary stage is in between Gore Creek Promenade and Gore Creek and the third stage is a special stage set up by Rock and Roll Playhouse. The is a nationally traveling stage that brings parents and kids together to enjoy music in an atmosphere for kids. On Saturday, the Rock and Roll Playhouse will offer songs from the Grateful Dead and other bands and on Sunday The Beatles will be featured.
Music starts at 4 p.m. on Friday and noon on Saturday and Sunday. There will also be after parties at Cucina at Lodge at Vail from 9 p.m. to midnight and those parties will have a $10 suggested donation that will go toward , a music venue in Asheville, North Carolina. Many of the musical acts involved in the FreeFall Bluegrass Festival have played this venue so it seemed right to give back after the devastation of Hurricane Helene. For a full schedule, list of artists, frequently asked questions and more, go to .
Touch-a-Truck
The Vail Library is inviting kids and kids-at-heart out to Touch-a-Truck, a fun event where you get to see amazing vehicles and all their bells and whistles up close. Feel the power of a tow truck, turn the lights on in a police car or hop into a fire engine.
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In addition to those vehicles there will be a snowcat from Vail Resorts, a Town of Vail bus, a Core Transit bus, an ambulance, garbage vehicles from Vail Honeywagon, multiple construction vehicles from Schoenfield Construction, a truck from Old Growth Tree Service and new this year, a helicopter provided by HAATS (High-Altitude Aviation Training Site). El Bajon food truck will be there and will provide free churros for the first 400 people and then will sell additional churros after that.
Jess Blumenfeld from Children’s Garden of Learning preschool has been an integral part of planning Touch-a-Truck from its inception with the team from the Vail Public Library, but kids from all over are encouraged to attend. The event is Sunday from 10:30 a.m. until noon. There will be “quiet time” for sensitive ears where it will be horn free from 10:30-11:15 a.m., then be prepared for noise from 11:15 a.m. until noon. This event is free and will be held in Ford Park Parking Lot in Vail.
Open House at Vail Fire Station
Speaking of sirens and horns and flashing lights, Vail Fire and Emergency Services is inviting you out to the West Vail Fire Station #3 (2399 N. Frontage Road) to observe National Fire Prevention Week. The event will be from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and will be open house style so you can come and go as you please but bring the kids so they can participate in activities like exit drills, view equipment displays and partake in a children’s obstacle course. Free hot dogs and chips will be served.
Folks of all ages can learn more about carbon monoxide alarms and smoke alarms. This year’s theme is “Smoke Alarms: Make them work for you” and will focus on fire safety while cooking.
Did you know that Fire Prevention Week has been going on for 102 years? Fire Prevention Week was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 that killed nearly 300 people, burned more than 2,000 acres and left approximately 100,000 homeless. The fire began on Oct. 8 and did most of the damage on Oct. 9.
For more information about fire prevention, please visit or contact Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Ocepek at 970-477-3536 or email rocepek@vail.gov.
A painting class set to classical music
During the month of October, Bravo! Vail Music Festival is celebrating Music Education Month and teaming up with other groups throughout the community to reach new and existing audiences and approach music in a different way.
This Friday, Bravo! Vail has partnered up with Alpine Arts Center to offer Autumnal Musical Expressions through Cocktails & Canvas. Cocktails & Canvas is a popular activity hosted by Alpine Arts Center that takes participants through a step-by-step group painting exercise. Here, the professional artist instructor will guide you through the process, but you’ll be listening to music specifically picked for this event.
“While painting an autumn themed image, we will be listening to and inspired by classical music that has themes reflecting the change of seasons,” said Aileen Pag谩n-Rohwer, Bravo! Vail’s senior director of education and engagement. “As we withdraw inward and save energy for the cold winter ahead, music and art can help us understand the world around us and help us look forward to what will grow ahead.”
The event will be held at the Alpine Arts Center in Edwards on Friday. Come early at 5:15 p.m. to get beer, wine or champagne at the Art Bar and the class will begin at 5:30 p.m.
Try out this unique evening of painting and music that explores musical themes of autumn and their impact on the art world. For more information and to reserve your spot, go to .
Comedy at Moe’s BBQ in Eagle
The Vail Comedy Show is hosting the Mountain Fresh Comedy Festival with a stop in Eagle on Friday night at Moe’s Original BBQ. The Mountain Fresh Comedy Festival features comics from around the country and headliners from late night television. Leah Bonnema is being flown in from Los Angeles but she is no stranger to the Vail Valley, Bonnema has performed here a few times at the Vail Comedy Festival.
Bonnema has appeared on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on CBS, is the author of “The Holiday Breakdown,” is a former headliner of the Vail Comedy Festival and co-hosts the “Were You Raised By Wolves?” podcast.
Doors will open on Friday for the show at 8 p.m. and the comedy will start at 8:30 p.m. Tickets range between $20-$35 and can be purchased at .
Western Dance Night at 4 Eagle Ranch
Wanna do some boot scootin’? On Friday, Western Dance night returns to 4 Eagle Ranch where there’s plenty of space to get on the dance floor and learn some new moves or perfect some old ones. The Walker Williams Band will provide the tunes that are perfect for the dance moves you just learned.
Come early for the dance instruction between 6 and 7 p.m. where line dancing and couples dancing will be taught. The band will play from 7-10 p.m. If you work up a thirst or an appetite, libations and food will be available for purchase. The chef has prepared beef chili, Caesar salad and bratwursts that you can enjoy once you need a break from the dance floor.
Tickets are $20 for adults aged 18 and older and its $10 for youth under 18 years old. No reservations required but if you want to learn more, go to . 4 Eagle Ranch is located about 4 miles north of Interstate 70 at the Wolcott exit.
