Villains, Elvis, the Day of the Dead and more this weekend in the Vail Valley
Halloween happs stick around with musicals, concerts, costume parties and kids activities up and down the valley
The Vail Valley Theatre Company presents ‘Villains Anonymous’
The Halloween theme is still going strong in the Vail Valley as we roll into the weekend with performances of “Villains Anonymous,” which is the Vail Valley Theatre Company’s annual Rocky Halloween production. The Vail Valley Theatre Company takes you on a musical review where famous villains are forced to attend a support group and change their evil ways.
The court of public opinion has forced the villains to reform themselves and do a 12-step program called Villains Anonymous. The story takes us through some of the classic songs these villains have sung on stage and screen and there will be some Halloween tunes mixed in as well.
You’ll find evil-doers like Cinderella’s stepmother, Lady Tremaine, Rapunzel’s mother Gothel and Snow White’s stepmother, Queen Grimhilde as well as sea witch Ursula and her two eels, Flotsam and Jetsam from “The Little Mermaid.” There’s also Ebeneezer Scrooge, Sweeney Todd, Eva from “Bring It On,” and other scoundrels.
The Vail Valley Theatre Company has been rehearsing since September and the costumes are amazing and depict the time period and charter of each villain perfectly. The cast of about 30 people varies in age from 17 to almost 70 and these folks are very talented and entertaining.
Performances started Wednesday night and continued on Halloween and there are two more shows at the EagleVail Pavilion Friday and Saturday. The audience is invited to come at 6:30 p.m. to mingle and the show begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $50 plus fees and the price includes an alcoholic beverage, coffee or soft drink and a sweet treat. For more information go to .
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Elvis-themed Halloween Party with The Runaway Grooms at Shakedown Bar Vail
Hold on to those costumes, Halloween continues at Shakedown Bar Vail on Saturday with The Runaway Grooms playing and there will be a costume party. The theme is Elvis, but traditional Halloween costumes will be welcome, too.
The Runaway Grooms are excited to share information on their new live album, “Live at Soundcheck Studios, Pembroke MA 11/12/23” and their recently released Barn Sessions on YouTube. The Barn Sessions take you into an intimate jam session with The Grooms at their beloved practice space right here in Eagle.
On Saturday night, expect to hear some of their new works along with some Elvis tunes. The band was inspired by the “Elvis: As Recorded at Madison Square Garden 1972” album. They will mix the King of Rock and Roll with some Jerry Garcia, some spooky tunes, a little Doors and infuse it all with a psychedelic twist that only The Runaway Grooms can do.
There will be a contest for the best Elvis costumes and non-Elvis costumes. And The Runaway Grooms even suggest you turn your Halloween costume, be it a witch, zombie, pirate, etc., and throw on some cool Elvis sunglasses or a wig, adding sideburns and you’ll instantly be on-theme.
Check out some of the recent Instagram posts to get a glimpse of the excitement brewing for this Elvis-themed show and maybe be inspired by the special poster promoting the show (the poster will be a part of the giveaways that night).
Get your tickets for this special show at either or .
Minturn First Fridays at Mexican Bar & Grill
Head to Minturn on Friday for First Fridays, a new offering hosted by the town of Minturn and area businesses. This month’s First Fridays will have a Day of the Dead theme at Mexican Bar & Grill from 5 to 7 p.m. There will be an Altar De Muertos exhibition that explores the Mexican tradition of honoring the dead. Free chips and salsa will be served from 5 to 7 p.m. and attendees will get two drink tickets for either a house margarita or a draft beer. There will also be $13 dinner specials and $9 appetizer specials along with happy hour pricing on drinks the rest of the night.
First Fridays started in September and so far the events have been held at the recently renovated Eagle River Inn with tastings by Eagle River Whisky. In October, First Fridays was hosted at Kirby Cosmo’s BBQ and Bar with tastings by Dano’s Dangerous Tequila and 10th Mountain Whiskey.
To find out more, go to and click on the calendar page.
Speaking of the Day of the Dead, SpeakUp ReachOut is hosting D铆a de los Muertos at the Eagle River Center on Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m. This Spanish-speaking event is free for all ages and an opportunity to remember loved ones through tradition. There will be many activities, crafts and traditional Mexican food including pan de muerto and folkloric dance. D铆a de los Muertos is a meaningful holiday where people can honor those who are no longer here and it brings the community together. For more information, go to .
Backcountry Only Gear Swap at Cripple Creek in Avon
Want to get into backcountry skiing this year? Have old gear you want to off load or want to upgrade into something better that what you have already? Cripple Creek Backcountry in Avon is hosting a Backcountry Only Gear Swap so stop by this week and get stocked up or make a little money on your old gear or use your trade in to put toward some new equipment from the store.
Cripple Creek Backcountry will have alpine touring, telemark, skimo and split board gear up for grabs. If you have been curious about any of these sports, this is a good way to get into a new sport at a fraction of the retail price.
If you are selling gear, go to Cripple Creek’s Facebook Events page and fill out the form and drop off your gear. The Facebook post says they will help you price and sell your gear for 110% store credit or 70% cash, which is a consignment rate that is hard to beat.
Enjoy a cup of coffee or a craft cocktail from Two Sparrows Coffee & Bar during the event and get stoked for the upcoming season. Cripple Creek Backcountry will also have new gear on display as well as the used products. Learn about some of the other events Cripple Creek Backcountry has scheduled for this winter and start developing your backcountry community. To learn more, visit Cripple Creek Backcountry’s .
