April Taste of Vail and Pink Vail Lodging Deals

April, Vail lodging deals

Taste of Vail Lamb Coofoff

To make sure that an epic ski season comes to a spectacular end, we are offering April Vail lodging deals. This ski season Mother Nature has graced Vail with lots of fluffy powder. And, now spring has brought beautiful blue bird days which makes us really excited for all that is still to come.

April Vail Lodging Deals Starting at $199

Vail will be thinking pink in early April with a new rosé tasting event as opener for the iconic Taste of Vail food and wine festival, April 2-5, plus more than 1,000 pink-clad skiers taking to the slopes to fight cancer as part of the third annual Pink Vail ski fundraiser, April 4 and 5. Helping travel budgets stay in the pink as well, Antlers at Vail hotel is offering a roomy studio or one-bedroom suite for $199/night for participants in either event. And Pink Vail skiers receive an additional opportunity to lower their room rate by doing good with extra Antlers discounts based on how much moolah they raise for Pink Vail beneficiary Shaw Regional Cancer Center. In addition to its new Debut of Rosé, providing one of the first opportunities of the year to taste the 2013 rosés just being released, events at this year’s Taste of Vail will include the annual spring lamb cook off, a gourmet tasting picnic atop Vail Mountain, and the Saturday Grand Tasting auction as well as seminars on topics ranging from cigars to olive oil. For tickets and a full schedule of events, visit www.tasteofvail.com.

Pink Vail, April Vail lodging deals

Special Pink Vail lodging rates April 4-5, 2014

Also happening the first weekend of April, Pink Vail – billed as “the world’s biggest ski day to conquer cancer” – will have as many as 2,000 participants registering at www.pinkvail.com to ski individually or join a team and gather donations. The event also includes on-mountain deck parties, live music, and the Celebration Ski-Down tribute ski. Antlers at Vail is an official hotel of Pink Vail, and will donate $5 per room night to Pink Vail in addition to its room rate deals for participants.

Also, April sees the return of the Vail Film Festival and a local favorite, Spring back to Vail.

Pink Vail: The World’s Biggest Ski Day to Conquer Cancer

The Antlers at Vail hotel is offering special Pink Vail rates April 4-5, 2014

The Antlers at Vail hotel is offering special Pink Vail rates April 4-5, 2014

People walk, run, and even shave their heads to benefit cancer care. Here in Vail, we ski! 100% of the proceeds from Pink Vail stay local, benefiting patient care and survivorship programs at Shaw Regional Cancer Center – a boutique cancer center serving residents of Colorado and around the country. Unfortunately, many of us have been affected by cancer. Pink Vail celebrates the united fight against the disease in a fun and unforgettable way.

We at the Antlers at Vail like to support good causes and so are an official hotel and not only are we offering great Pink Vail lodging rates to participants but we will also donate $5 for each room booked to Pink Vail.

  • We are offering Pink Vail participants a special $199/night for April 4 & 5, 2014.
  • Participants who raise $300-$749 will receive a rate of $129/night in a studio, 1 BR, or 1 BR with bunks for April 4 & 5, 2014 .
  • Participants who raise $750 or more will receive a rate of $99/night in a studio, 1 BR, or 1 BR with bunks for April 4 & 5, 2014 .

Call (800) 843-8245 and mention code: Pink Vail or 142870 to book! To sign up to fundraise go to PinkVail.com.

 

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Register solo or form a team at www.pinkvail.com and ask friends and family to support your fundraising efforts. Then, join us on April 5, 2014 for a day on Vail Mountain to celebrate our united fight against cancer. Incredible prizes are awarded to top fundraisers, best costumes, and winners of the “Checkpoint Challenge.” The event includes on-mountain deck parties, live music, and the Celebration Ski-Down—a tribute ski to those who have fought or lost their battle with cancer. All proceeds from Pink Vail benefit patient care and resources at Shaw Regional Cancer Center.

 

REGISTER AS AN INDIVIDUAL

START/JOIN A TEAM

DONATE

 

Winter Fun in Vail, Colorado

Vail is known for its epic skiing in the winter and its multitude of events in the summer. Well, winter is also chock full of events. It is a spectacular place for a winter getaway regardless of whether you ski.

Get in the holiday spirit November 29, 2013 with the Beaver Creek 33rd Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony and 11th Annual Gingerbread House Competition.

Snow Daze. Photo courtesy Vail Resorts, Zach Mahone.

Snow Daze. Photo courtesy Vail Resorts, Zach Mahone.

The winter season truly kicks off with Snow Daze December 9-15. This year’s entertainment lineup will include free headliner concerts from Rebelution on Friday, Dec. 13 and Matisyahu on Saturday, Dec. 14.  Just announced Nov. 14, Big Head Todd and The Monsters will complete the entertainment lineup for Vail Snow Daze 2013. Vail Snow Daze takes place Dec. 9-15, 2013.

All Vail Snow Daze concerts are free of charge and will be held at Vail’s Ford Park. The schedule of activities for Vail Snow Daze 2013 will also include the return of the sponsor expo village and gear demos at the base of Gondola One, Dec. 13-15, as well as après and after-dark parties in the Town of Vail throughout the week.

Vail Family Holidaze returns December 20-22 and December 31, 2013 with ice-skating performances by world-champion ice skaters, tree lighting and the New Year’s Eve Torchlight Ski Down and fireworks. Holidaze typically includes a candy cane patrol, kids zones (free event stations with holiday crafts), the Vail Arctic Express train rides, Santa’s Workshop and more), family movie nights, Dickens Carolers and then concludes with New Year festivities (Torchlight Parade of ski instructors and Vail locals form a glowing train of  as they ski down Golden Peak with glowing sticks, followed by a fireworks display).

Holidaze. Photo courtesy Vail Resorts, Tom Green.

Holidaze. Photo courtesy Vail Resorts, Tom Green.

Beaver Creek hosts their annual Winterfest December 21-31, 2013. Winterfest includes a multitude of performances, interactive activities, winter characters, parades, contests, holiday lights and more!

Burton US Open Snowboarding Championships returns to Vail, Colorado March 3-8, 2014. The Burton US Open and Vail will host over 100 of the world’s best riders like Shaun White, Mark McMorris, Kelly Clark, Torah Bright, Jamie Anderson, Iouri Podladtchikov and more, for four days of progressive Halfpipe and Slopestyle competitions that offer over $340,000 in cash prizes.

April 2-5, 2014 the Taste of Vail will showcase more than 30 of Vail’s finest chefs and restaurateurs alongside the owners and winemakers from nearly 50 of the countries’ top wineries.

World Championship Pond Skimming in Vail, Colorado

An athlete competes in the World Pond Skimming Championships. He takes to the air in the hopes of making it across a freezing pond before sinking. Photo Credit: Tom Green, Courtesy Vail Resorts

Spring Back to Vail, the biggest end-of-season bash in the Rocky Mountains, returns to Vail April 7-20, 2014!  This celebration concludes the season in style with some serious fun under the sun, including free live concerts, the infamous World Pond Skimming Championships, après after-dark parties, base area giveaways, and so much more!

And, of course there is so much else to do all season long from world-class shopping to snowshoeing, ice skating, sleigh rides and tubing and ski biking up at Adventure Ridge.

Jazz @ Vail Square Offers High-Energy Jazz and Blues

Have you enjoyed Jazz at Vail Square yet this summer? There is still time! Today’s performance is the perfect kick off to the Pro Challenge coming through Vail tomorrow.

Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers Perform Thursday at Jazz @ Vail Square

Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers Perform Thursday at Jazz @ Vail Square

Today’s performance promises to be a toe-tingling time with Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers.

Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers heat up the Jazz Tent with high-energy jazz and blues that will make anyone and everyone’s body itch to swing. Those who are so inclined are welcomed to take their moves to an open dance floor below the stage.

Hailing from California, Lavay Smith and her band have become a highly revered staple of the San Francisco jazz scene. Of their many awards and accolades, they earned the San Francisco Chronicle’s reader’s choice poll for best band. Nationally, they have been heralded by everyone from actor Dan Akroyd to Bill Clinton for their talent and feel-good dynamic.

The Seattle Times have deemed them “the best thing to come out of the jump/swing revival … the gal can sing her tail off,” and the Boston Globe has commented that the band is  “a notable exception to the retro-swing norm. The saucy vocalist and her crew actually know the difference between jump music and bland R&B in corny suits.”

Snapping her fingers and shaking her hips, Smith belts out her very own, “ruby red lip” and “daddy”-filled  tunes and also adds a fresh level of richness to numbers by such icons as Billie Holiday and Bessie Smith.

When asked in a recent podcast about how enjoyable it must be to woo younger generations into the realm of classic jazz and swing, Smith said, “What I really love is when an old guy who may not be a musician comes to the show and loves the music and says, ‘they’re playing my music. You guys are doing it right,’”

The seven-piece Skillet Lickers in and of themselves are star-studded. Founded and led by pianist Chris Siebert, who writes most of the band’s original arrangements, every Skillet Licker (Mike Olmos, Danny Armstrong, Jules Broussard, Robert Stewart, Nat Johnson and Howard Wiley) has an A-list track record of Lincoln Jazz Center performances and recordings with everyone from Wynton Marsalis to Qunicy Jones.

“One thing we’ve set out to do in this band is to have some of the power of a big band but the looseness of a small band,” Siebert said. “To play with this horn section, I think, man if I wasn’t playing with them tonight, I’d be paying to see them. I get to play with my heroes and listen to them solo. How did I get to be so lucky?”

What: Jazz @ Vail Square with Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers

When: 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22

Where: The weatherproof Jazz Tent at The Arrabelle in Lionshead

Tickets: Preferred seats are $20 in advance, $25 day of show and general admission is FREE on a first-come basis. Visit vailjazz.org.

 

Vail Fourth of July Festivities Expanded

Antlers' owners and guests enjoy the Fourth of July parade in Vail.

Antlers’ owners and guests enjoy the Fourth of July parade in Vail.

There is never a void of things to do in Vail for the Fourth of July, and this year is no exception. Vail America Days returns to Vail Village and continues throughout the Fourth of July weekend, July 4 – July 7. The celebration  has been expanded to a four-day festival featuring spectacular fireworks, a classic town parade  through the heart of Vail Village, live music, children’s entertainment and an open-air street  festival atmosphere.

Entertainment will include Vail’s celebrated 4th of July parade this year with a nostalgic theme, fireworks by the world-famous Zambelli Fireworks (conditions permitting), live musical  entertainment throughout the weekend featuring family music, Jazz, and our annual Patriotic Music from Bravo! Vail featuring the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. For the family, there will be an array of children’s activities, and multi-day festival style attractions with Americana style food and drink  – as always complimented by all that Vail summer has to offer on and off the mountain.

The Vail 50th themed parade will begin at Golden Peak at 10 a.m. on Thursday July 4 and will wind its way through the villages, ending in Lionshead. Vail’s parade is one of the most popular events during the Independence Day holiday, attracting thousands of spectators. This year’s theme is “Vail’s 50th Anniversary Celebration” and will set the tone for the rest of the day’s celebrations featuring musical entertainment, a patriotic concert and a fireworks display at dusk.

Fourth of July celebrations continue at noon and throughout the remainder of the day with free entertainment in Vail Village at the main Vail America Days Stage at Solaris Plaza. The live music and beer garden will be open to the public through 10 p.m. on and stay open from noon – 10 p.m. on Saturday, July 5 and Sunday, July 6 to keep the celebration going. Another new addition to Vail America Days, is the Stars and Stripes zones, which offer an array of games and activities for the whole family to enjoy, The Stars and Stripes zones are complimentary and will be located in Lionshead and Gore Creek Promenade on Thursday, July 4 – Saturday July 6 from 12 – 4 p.m. each day.

For a complete schedule visit VailAmericaDays.com.

Pets and Musical Children Make the Antlers at Vail Home

Dock Dogs competition at the 2013 GoPro Mountain Games.

Dock Dogs competition at the 2013 GoPro Mountain Games.

We love the variety of friends who make the Antlers their home while here in Vail. As the official pet-friendly hotel of the Go Pro Mountain Games, we enjoyed many furry friends visiting over the weekend. Those furry friends included a skateboarding bulldog and competitors in the 2013 Dock Dogs competition at the GoPro Mountain Games. Most of those friends have checked out now, and our friends at the Colorado Children’s Chorale have checked in. Our condo arrangements (from studios to four-bedroom condos, all with full kitchens) make us an ideal home for families, or anyone coming for an extended stay.

 

The Colorado Children's Chorale during their annual visit at the Antlers at Vail.

The Colorado Children’s Chorale during their annual visit at the Antlers at Vail.

The Colorado Children’s Chorale is at the Antlers for their annual visit.  They are in town for a workshop designed to develop performance skills such as singing, dancing, acting and stage movement. Professional conductors and Chorale members work with attendees to share music and theater skills plus elements of teamwork and self confidence. The workshop concludes with a performance, Voices in the Valley, featuring workshop participants on stage with the Colorado Children’s Chorale at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater on Friday, June 14 at 7:00 p.m.

Here’s a taste of all the fun we’re looking forward to at the Antlers at Vail Condominiums and Conference Center this week in a video of the Colorado Children’s Chorale Rehearsing in the Antlers at Vail Courtyard in 2010.

Access to the Best of Vail

After a visit from the Easter Bunny, kids enjoy a hunt for eggs in Lionshead.

After a visit from the Easter Bunny, kids enjoy a hunt for eggs in Lionshead.

 

Today I am marking my two and a half week anniversary here at the Antlers at Vail with my second blog post. This is my first experience working in the lodging industry and while I have had the fortune to work with the Antlers as the official condo hotel of both the Bravo! Vail music festival and Vail Symposium, there has still been a lot for me to take in.

I feel very fortunate to be working here as a part of the Antlers family, and to get to experience to some extent what our owners and guests get to experience. My first week here our Grand Poobah (aka Rob) shared an informal SWOT analysis with me. The top item on the strengths list was “location”. But I don’t think that does it justice. It is really more like the very best access to all that Vail has to offer, and that is a lot.

The antlers-bedecked cruiser bikes are free for guests. A fun way to tour the village!

The antlers-bedecked cruiser bikes are free for guests. A fun way to tour the village!

 

Two weekends ago my family came into town for the Vail Rec District’s Easter egg hunt. We parked here at the Antlers, enjoyed the Easter activities and then stopped back in at the lobby to enjoy some conversation, coffee and hot chocolate for our daughter before heading home. Last weekend we took our daughter up skiing. Of course, everyone knows the convenient proximity of the Antlers to the gondola. Earlier this week I needed to run to the bank. Instead of getting in the car and driving, I grabbed one of the free antlers-bedecked cruiser bikes and enjoyed a refreshing ride through town. As a long-time Vail local, working here reminds me of all the reasons that I live here. I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to bringing my hiking boots in and enjoying some impromptu Vail hikes this summer!

Posted by: Liana, the new marketing gal

World Pond Skimming Championships at “Lake Golden Peak” April 14

World Championship Pond Skimming in Vail, Colorado

An athlete competes in the World Pond Skimming Championships. He takes to the air in the hopes of making it across a freezing pond before sinking. Photo Credit: Tom Green, Courtesy Vail Resorts

I’m the new marketing gal at the Antlers and am excited to have a platform here at the Antlers to share some of my favorite things about this unique community that I’ve chosen to call home.

Vail’s winter season boasts some pretty spectacular events from amazing concerts and fireworks to fabulously fun New Year’s parties. But ski season isn’t over yet and one of my most favorite events will be here next weekend: the legendary World Pond Skimming Championships, which returns to “Lake Golden Peak” on April 14.

The annual competition entails floatable (and sometimes sinkable) athletes launching themselves off an on-snow jump onto an icy pond in attempt to successfully exit the pond on both feet. There is no best costume trophy, but there should be. All of these very talented athletes also know how to have fun by dressing up in some pretty funny costumes.

Pond Skimming is a part of Spring Back to Vail, the biggest end of season bash in the Rocky Mountains. Most people probably come to Spring Back to Vail for the jam-packed schedule of headliner concerts, but I’d make the trip just for the Pond Skimming.

Also, another favorite is the Taste of Vail. New to this year’s extravaganza was the Nordic Wine Sampler (happening as I post this) where participants cross country ski or snowshoe around the Vail Nordic Center while stopping at various stations for wine and cheese. It is followed Thursday, by the 9th Annual Colorado Lamb Cook-off and Après Ski Tasting in the heart of Vail Village, which can be fun for the whole family. Taste of Vail continues with the Mountaintop Picnic Friday and concludes with the Grand Tasting Saturday and lots of specialty seminars in between.

Posted by: Liana, the Antlers New Marketing Gal

Annual Big Beers, Belgians, and Barleywines at Vail Cascade

If you are looking for something a little different to do this weekend and really like beer, the annual Big Beers, Belgians, and Barleywines festival is starting Thursday January 10th at the Vail Cascade hotel. In it’s 13th year here in Vail this festival is different from most mainly because the 2 main criteria for the beers is they must be Belgian style and must be more than 7% alcohol! It features a homebrewers competition, beer paring dinners, and tasting for the public on Saturday afternoon.  For more information and to purchase tickets to events visit their website here. Want to be even more adventurous check out two of our local breweries Crazy Mountain Brewery located in Edwards Colorado has a tasting room. Bonfire Brewing CO located in Eagle Colorado has a bar and tasting room, they do have live music sometimes on the weekends.

Blues, Brews, and BBQ

The summer festival season is about to begin starting with the Blues, Brews and BBQ happening Memorial Day weekend in Beaver Creek. Enjoy live music and BBQ from around the country! Beaver Creek is also kicking off its summer culinary demonstration series the same weekend.

Amy, Darci, and Katie enjoying a brew!

Free Events Schedule:

12:00 – 6:00pm:  Brews and BBQ on the plaza
12:00 – 4:00pm:  Kids activities
12:00pm, 1:30pm, & 3:00pm:  Culinary Demonstrations

Free Entertainment Schedule:
Saturday, May 28
12:00pm – 2:00pm Tommy Thomas & the Working Man’s Band
2:30pm – 4:00pm Seth Walker
4:30pm – 6:00pm Eric Lindell

Sunday, May 29
12:00pm – 2:00pm Seth Walker
2:30pm – 4:00pm Tommy Thomas & the Working Man’s Band
4:30pm – 6:00pm Eric Lindell