Dance, art, musicals, mushrooms and more at Vail | Tricia’s Top Weekend Picks

Vail Dance Festival

We’ve been at the 31st Annual Vail Dance Festival for a week now and premieres and collaborations have already wowed audiences and this weekend is no different. A brilliant cast of dancers from around the world take the stage at International Dance Nights I on Fridays and International Dance Nights II on Saturdays. Don’t be fooled by the similarity of the titles, each night will have different works, so you’ll want to attend both.

On Friday, don’t miss New York City Ballet’s 19-year-old firecracker Roman Mejia. He will take up the traditional female solo in “Fandango” in a new collaboration with choreographer Alexi Ratmansky. You might think that riding a mountain on a bike is hard on your lungs, but this solo lasts seven minutes and includes many leaps and turns at breakneck speed at the end, at 8,150 feet above sea level. .

On Saturday evening, don’t miss the world premiere of legendary choreographer Alonzo King. This new work will be performed by an incredible cast of dancers from King’s LINES Ballet and New York City Ballet. The choreography will be paired with an original score by jazz pianist, composer and performance artist Jason Moran.

Other dazzling works will be presented during this two-night showcase that will feature more than 20 dancers from various companies coming together to form collaborations not found anywhere else. We also cannot forget the musicians. Many shows are scheduled on stage with the string quartet, Brooklyn Rider, the Juilliard Music Fellows and other pianists, violinists and singers.

“The audiences of the International Dance Evenings experience our magnificent dancers and musicians like nowhere else in the world. It’s new partnerships, new explorations and new interpretations of classic works performed on our extraordinary stage in the Ford Amphitheater surrounded by the Rocky Mountains, ”said Damian Woetzel, artistic director of the Vail Dance Festival.

For more information on tickets, visit http://www.vaildance.org. The Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater is an open-air venue, so dress accordingly so you can enjoy the entire show.

All about art

For more than three decades, Beaver Creek has hosted hundreds of artists from across the country and the world at the Beaver Creek Art Festival. Woven all over Beaver Creek Square, you’ll find over 100 artists from 30 different states showcasing paintings, sculpture, pottery, jewelry, mixed media and more. Festival artists are hand-selected by an independent panel of expert judges, so be aware that you are seeing some of the best performers in their respective mediums at this show.

The art exhibition is organized by Howard Allan Events, which is regularly ranked among the best art exhibitions in the country. Every weekend, Howard Allan Events shares the unique creations of hundreds of award-winning artists with thousands of art lovers. Each artist will be present during the two days of the festival.

The 32nd annual Beaver Creek Art Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entrance to the event is free. For more information, please visit http://www.beavercreek.com.

Speaking of art, there is an art battle hosted by Alpine Arts Center on Friday. What is an artistic battle? Watch local artists fight for the audience’s vote as they work across all mediums and topics in a timed art competition. There will be painters, potters, glassmakers, fiber artists, and more, and viewers will be able to see the artistic techniques up close behind the scenes and watch each piece evolve from start to finish.

The art battle will take place from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Center des arts alpins with live music by Justin Allison. The music continues with Vail’s free jazz concert on the back lawn of Riverwalk. The winner will be announced during the concert. Both the Art Battle and the Vail Jazz Concert are free to spectators. Visit http://www.alpineartscenter.org for more details.

Eagle Mushroom and Wild Food Festival

Have fun discovering mushrooms this weekend at the Eagle Mushroom and Wild Food Festival in Eagle and beyond. Six speakers, whose talents range from academics to author, enthusiasts and semi-professional foragers, will give you some advice on locating, identifying and preparing these delicious pieces. Graham Steinruck’s nine-course dinner on Saturday is already full, but here’s a look at other lectures, mushroom forays, and cooking demonstrations you can attend:

Friday

• 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. – Registration and reception of speakers

Saturday

• 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. – Registration
• 8:30 am, 9:30 am and 10:30 am – Lecture series – Capitol Theater
• 10:30 am – Kid’s Session – Capitol Theater
• 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Free and unguided public incursions – various locations
• 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. – Cooking class – Zealous School
• 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. – Identification table – Boneyard (formerly Dusty Boot)
• 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. – Sauté Table – Boneyard (formerly Dusty Boot)
• 6:00 p.m. – Nine-course dinner – SOLD OUT

Sunday

• Farewell brunch – Grand Avenue Grill

Trail races

If you’ve been trail running all summer and want to see how you stack up against other running enthusiasts, there are a few options this weekend. The Vail Recreation District hosts the Dynafit Berry Picker Trail Run on Saturday and Beaver Creek hosts a half marathon on Sunday.

The Dynafit Berry Picker Trail Run takes runners from Gondola One Base in Vail Village to the top of Vail Mountain in Mid Vail. The route will take you through beautiful aspen stands and along stunning trails that lead to magnificent views. Runners will gain over 2,200 feet in just over 4.5 miles with an average gain of 14%.

Dynafit Berry Picker Trail Running

• Registration – pre-register at http://www.vailrec.com or the day of registration is from 6.30 a.m. to 7.30 a.m. at the base of Gondola One
• Start of the race at 8:00 a.m.
• 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Free access for spectators
• After the race, the gondola will be free for runners and spectators who will descend to the village of Vail

The endurance racing series returns to Beaver Creek for its eighth year with not only a half marathon, but also a 10k and a 5k. The courses take place on single-track trails and on dirt roads with a total vertical drop of 2,400 feet for the half-marathon, 1,200 feet of elevation gain for the 10 km and 600 feet of elevation gain for the 5 km .

Please note that this is a cupless event meaning they will have refreshment stations available on the course, but no cups will be distributed. Runners will be allowed to refill their water bottles or packs. The folks at Endurance Racing Series will also be selling reusable ERS cups that are easy to carry during any race or training. They will also be available on site that morning for purchase.

Beaver Creek Endurance Race Series

• Registration – 6h00
• Half marathon – 7:30 a.m.
• 10k – 8h
• 5k – 8:30 am
• All races start and end at Creekside Park
• For more information: http://www.enduranceraceseries.com

“Frozen Jr.” Musical at Vilar

For most kids, summer means lazy days in the sun, family vacations, and summer camps, but for the 60 students who are part of the Vail Performing Arts Academy (VPAA), summer means also long hours spent learning lines and dance moves for “Frozen Jr.” from disney

The VPAA was one of the first theater companies in the world to secure performing rights, which makes this production, based on the 2018 Broadway musical, very special.

Sing along with Elsa, Anna and the rest of the characters from Arendelle’s wizarding land when “Frozen Jr.” takes the stage at the Vilar Performing Arts Center on Sundays and Mondays. “We invite the young (and old) of the audience to stand up and sing along with our cast for ‘Let It Go! “In a catchy and jubilant finale,” VPAA executive producer Annah Scully said in a press release.

“With a cast of beloved characters loaded with magic, adventure and a lot of humor,” “Frozen Jr.“is sure to enchant and delight audiences of all ages,” said Scully.

“Frozen Jr.” will be presented at the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek on Sunday August 4 at 2:30 pm and 6:30 pm and Monday August 5 at 6:30 pm Tickets are $ 10 for reserved seats. Visit vilarpac.org or call 970-845-8497.