VAIL — The festival is called Snow Days, but it’s the nights that have music fans most excited.
Local drummer Jake Wolf says it would appear that this year’s Snow Days festival has really stepped it up.
“Nathaniel Rateliff doing a free show here is pretty phenomenal,” Wolf said. “We’re talking about an act that sold out at Red Rocks this summer and prompted them to add a second night. That doesn’t happen very often.”
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats will perform on Friday night at the Ford Park Concert Venue in Vail, with Wildermiss opening for them. Gates open at 6 p.m.
“Promoters are really going out of the norm this year, and I have to salute them for it,” Wolf said. “The Devon Allman Project is Saturday night — the son of Gregg Allman playing a free show in Vail — again I think that’s going to be a fantastic show.”
The Devon Allman Project will perform on Saturday night at the Ford Park Concert Venue in Vail, with Shakey Graves opening for them. Gates open at 6 p.m.
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LOTS TO CELEBRATE
Along with larger headlining acts, the Snow Days festival has been expanded to four days, with the Thursday night kick-off featuring the full spectrum of classic Vail party activities.
Rewind will play at Golden Peak tonight starting at 5 p.m., with a bonfire, a torchlight ski down, fireworks and more planned.
Sally Gunter with Vail described the expanded and rebranded celebration of snow as a “full-on festival.”
“It’s an elevated experience this year, for sure,” Gunter said. “We have a lot to celebrate with all the snow Vail has received.”
Vail has been open for less than a month and has already received more than 100 inches of snow this season.
The resort has more than 5,000 acres of in-bounds terrain currently open, with lifts like the Poma in Mongolia Bowl already running, something that’s common to see closed well into January.
PUB CRAWLS
Several pub crawls have been planned, with themes like an ugly sweater competition hearkening back to the early days of Vail. Bud Light is sponsoring the pub crawls, with gift items and swag being handed out along the way.
Thursday’s pub crawl is a “pray for snow,” theme, which means you can dress up like a priest and pound beers without feeling like you’re committing a sin. It starts at 7 p.m. and takes place at Vendetta’s, Pazzo’s and the Bridge Street Bar in Vail.
Friday’s pub crawl is an ugly sweater competition, starting at 10 p.m. and also taking place at Vendetta’s, Pazzo’s and the Bridge Street Bar in Vail.
Saturday’s pub crawl is more of an afternoon affair, with “light up the night” as the theme (please keep smoking to designated areas in the village). It starts at 2:30 p.m. and participating businesses include the Express Lift Bar, Pazzo’s and Los Amigos.
Also, a “Savor Vail” component has been added to the Snow Days lineup, with restaurants and shops offering deals that can be hard to find in Vail as the holidays approach.
Big Bear Bistro will offer $5 bloody Marys and mimosas and $10 house bottles of wine during Snow Days, Blue Moose Vail will offer $3 Colorado Draught Beers from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the first 100 people who show their Vail Ski Pass starting at 3 p.m. will get one free slice of cheese or pepperoni pizza. Bully Ranch in the Sonnenalp will offer $4 draft beers, $5 well drinks and $6 mudslides or house wine from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.; The Remedy bar in the Four Seasons will offer 20 percent off cocktails from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and Tavern on the Square will offer $3 Craft Beer specials all weekend.
