ߣÏÈÉú

Gypsum Daze brings in country music stars

Gypsum Daze offers up big fun in a small town and welcomes everyone to come out for a multitude of events and activities, most of which are free. Signature events include the parade, classic car show and youth talent show. Competitions include a pickleball tournament, a 5k race, a horseshoe tournament and, for those who dare, the jalapeño eating contest. Bounce house, face painting, water features and carnival rides will provide fun for the kiddos and there will be some midway games with a small fee to play those games.

Gypsum Daze is known for its concerts with big names in country music like The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Rascal Flats, LeAnn Rimes and Scotty McCreery. This year’s headliners are Brian Kelley and Lauren Alaina. On Friday night, gates will open at 6 p.m. and the music will start at 7 p.m. with opening act Dakota Hale. At 14, Hale was performing for audiences in Branson, Missouri, but is now recording albums in Nashville, Tennessee. This country music up-and-comer has actually attended Gypsum Daze with her family. After Dakota Hale, Brian Kelley, who is the Florida half of the band Florida Georgia Line, will treat the audience to songs off of his debut solo album, “Tennessee Truth.”

On Saturday, opening act Travis Denning takes the stage with his raspy Southern drawl and heavy hitting guitar. Denning is making his mark in the country music industry from co-writing songs for Morgan Wallen, Chase Rice, Jason Aldean and Justin Moore and having his own gold and platinum singles to now touring and collaborating with country music artist Hardy on his song, “Southern Rock.”

---

---

Headliner Lauren Alaina, who you may remember from ABC’s “American Idol,” will light up the night with her high energy show. She’s been fortunate to share the stage with other country music stars like Blake Shelton, Martina McBride, Luke Bryan and Carrie Underwood and has recently collaborated on songs with Kane Brown (“What Ifs”) and Hardy and Devin Dawson (“One Beer”).

Concert tickets are $35 per night or $60 for both nights and children 12 and younger are free. For a schedule of events and to buy tickets go to .

---

---

A capella and reggae at Vilar Performing Arts Center

Straight No Chaser

The intimate setting at the Vilar Performing Arts Center is great for any type of show but Straight No Chaser is one group that will sound especially fantastic. Straight No Chaser is an a capella group made up of nine men and their harmonies will fill the room and make you feel like you are listening to an ensemble that is much larger.

Straight No Chaser is traveling the country with its Summer: The 90s tour. Take a nostalgic trip back a few decades and relive your favorite 90s songs like “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” by the Backstreet Boys and “Life is a Highway” by Tom Cochrane. But think of those popular tunes without the use of any instruments, just the vocals from the talented singers in Straight No Chaser.  

The group was originally formed at Indiana University in the mid 90s and has now sold more than three million albums worldwide. They have collaborated with Paul McCartney, Elton John and Stevie Wonder. Straight No Chaser takes the stage at 7 p.m. on Friday with reserved seating starting at $68. Visit for more information and to buy tickets.

Shaggy

Get irie with the sounds of Shaggy, the Kingston-born and raised Grammy award-winning singer, song writer and producer, at the Vilar Performing Arts Center on Saturday at 7 p.m. Known for hits “It Wasn’t Me,” “Angel” and “Bombastic” he is among the top three streamed reggae artists of all time on Spotify, alongside Bob Marley and Sean Paul.

A couple of fun facts about Shaggy, he served four years as a U.S. Marine and went to the Middle East for two tours during Operation Desert Storm. He was also in a Cheetos commercial with Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher during Super Bowl LV. His album, “Com Fly Wid Mi” features songs from Frank Sinatra sung in a reggae style and it was produced by his good friend, Sting.

Reserved seating starts at $79 and if you want to skip the seat all together and dance in the orchestra pit, those tickets are $99. Go to for more details.

Bravo! Vail Music Festival welcomes the New York Philharmonic

This Friday, the New York Philharmonic is presenting a wonderful program featuring principal trumpet Chris Martin in Shostakovich’s Concerto in C minor for Piano, Trumpet and Strings, alongside symphonies by Mendelssohn and Prokofiev.

Regretfully, pianist Igor Levit was forced to withdraw from his concerts this week at Bravo! Vail Music Festival on doctors’ orders while recovering from a physical injury. Pianist Inon Barnatan will appear in his place and the repertoire remains unchanged.

Saturday will be Jaap van Zweden’s last concert as the New York Philharmonic’s music director and it highlights works by some of his favorite conductors — Wagner, Brahms and a new piece by Joel Thompson. “It is always a thrill when the New York Philharmonic takes the stage of the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, and this summer is especially meaningful as our dear friend maestro Jaap van Zweden conducts his final concerts as the orchestra’s music director,” said Anne-Marie McDermott, artistic director of Bravo! Vail Music Festival. “His artistry has been transformative over all the years he has appeared at the festival. We will relish every note!”

Bravo! Vail is also taking advantage of its surroundings and offering Nature Walks on Saturday and Sunday with the Westerlies performing throughout the Walking Mountain Science Center campus trails in Avon. The walks are 45 minutes long and will be held at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. on both days. Go to to get tickets and learn more about all concerts and events.

10K at 10,000-feet trail run

Doing a 10K race can be difficult but try doing a 10K at an elevation of 10,000-feet above sea level. That’s the idea behind the 10K at 10,000-feet, a trail run put on by the Vail Recreation District as part of the Dynafit Trail Running Series.

Both the 10K and the 5K will begin at Mid Vail at 8 a.m. and 8:05 a.m., respectively. Gondola One (No. 1) in Vail Village will be open from 7 to 8:15 a.m. to get runners and spectators up to Mid-Vail on Saturday morning. Runners must load by 7:30 a.m. and the bib is your lift ticket. Spectators can pick up a voucher to ride the gondola for free during the designated time before 8:15 a.m., otherwise, they can pay for a scenic lift ticket when the lift opens at 9:30 a.m.

The course winds up and around Vail’s Back Bowls and offers great views of the Gore Range and Mount of the Holy Cross and wildflowers. Aid stations will be available along the way before you return to Mid-Vail for the after party and a free T-shirt. Top finishers will be awarded prizes and raffle prizes will be up for grabs, too.

Lululemon is doing some nice discounts for those who race. On Friday, pick up your bib in advance at the Lululemon store in Vail Village between 4-6 p.m. and get 25% off (up to 15 items). The first 25 racers who come in on Friday to pick up their bib and make a minimum purchase of $100 (before discount) will get a free Lululemon water bottle and recovery gift from Lululemon. Even if you aren’t excited to run a race at 10,000 feet above sea level, the Lululemon deals may be worth it! For more information about the trail running series, go to .

Vail Comedy Show at The Drunken Goat

The Vail Comedy Show returns this weekend and will be held at The Drunken Goat in Edwards. Vail Comedy Show founder and comedian, Mark Masters searches far and wide for great comedic talent and is bringing Alex Dragicevich (pronounced Drag-a-vich) out to Vail for a night of fun and laughs. Dragicevich is from New York City by way of Chicago and has performed in Colorado a few times but never in the Vail Valley.

Dragicevich is part of the cast of “EASY” on Netflix and co-hosts a podcast with Geoffrey Asmus called “You’re an Idiot.” He also played college basketball at Notre Dame. Check out some of his bits on YouTube and get a taste of what this comedian is all about.

Dragicevich will be headlining the show on Sunday night from 8 to 10 p.m. which also features Vail Comedy Show founder and host Mark Masters, Denver comedian Delina Gigikos and Comedy Works headliner Steve Vanderploeg. Tickets are available online at .