John Mayall and Tommy Castro & the Painkillers Headline the 13th Annual Blues, Brews & BBQ Festival May 28-29, 2016
Start the summer season with Beaver Creek’s signature Blues, Brews & BBQ festival, tantalizing the taste buds for the thirteenth annual Memorial Day Weekend summer kickoff.
Beaver Creek, Colo. April 21, 2016 — Start the summer season with Beaver Creek’s signature Blues, Brews & BBQ festival, tantalizing the taste buds for the thirteenth annual Memorial Day Weekend summer kickoff. Festival-goers are regaled with sweet and tangy barbecue, delectable microbrews, and tasty blues jams including “The Godfather of British Blues,” and Blues Hall of Fame Inductee John Mayall on Saturday afternoon. Sunday’s festivities close out with Tommy Castro & the Painkillers, Winner of the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year Award. Top barbecue connoisseurs from across the state join local chefs, electrifying musicians and world-class microbreweries to dish out a diverse summer kickoff festival that delivers for all ages, May 28 through 29.
Starting on Saturday, May 28, top Colorado barbecue chefs reach for their top-shelf ingredients, recipes and techniques to barbecue, smoke and roast succulent Colorado meats, poultry and summer vegetables to pair with cold, thirst-quenching craft brews. All barbecue vendors will be competing for bragging rights and $1,750 in cash prizes. Attendees will have the chance to vote on Saturday and Sunday to determine the People’s Choice winner for Best Barbecue Vendor. Selected winners will be crowned on Sunday at 4:10 p.m. on the main stage in Beaver Creek Plaza.
A free Kids’ Zone will be open from 12 to 4 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday providing activities and arts & crafts designed for kids 12 and under. Also available for kids is a chance to test their endurance on the mechanical bull or jump around in the bounce house.
Live Blues
Both days’ musical lineups will open with the passionate and bold performance of Shari Puorto, a blues rock band from California. Her energetic performance will kick off the festival from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. each day. A true master of the harmonica, Gary Allegretto will then take the stage at 2:30 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Following the electrifying sounds of the harmonica on Saturday, Blues Hall of Famer John Mayall takes the stage at 4:30 p.m. Known as the “Godfather of British Blues,” Mayall’s blues rock infuses keyboard and harmonica with classic blues guitar. In a career spanning over fifty years, Mayall founded John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, featuring the early sounds of legends Eric Clapton, Peter Green, and Mick Fleetwood. Sunday’s festivities close out at 4:30 p.m. with the high-energy, soulful stylings of Tommy Castro & the Painkillers. Captivating audiences for over 40 years, Tommy Castro & the Painkillers bring soulful grit and dynamic guitar licks to contemporary blues rock.
“Learn to Play the Blues Harmonica Instantly”
Have you ever wanted to master the art of the harmonica? Now is your chance! Join us on Saturday and Sunday at 12 p.m. in the Beaver Creek Village for Gary Allegretto's "Learn to Play the Blues Harmonica Instantly" clinic and take home your very own Hohner Harmonica.
Microbrew Festival
Experience one of the largest exclusively Colorado Microbrewery Beer Tastings in the state from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 28. The Microbrew Festival features more than 80 carefully crafted concoctions from over 30 Colorado-based breweries. Guests can purchase advance tickets online at www.beavercreek.com/bbb for $40 per person, plus processing fee, or at the door for $50 per person; participants receive a commemorative tasting glass and unlimited beer tastings are included. The event will be held outdoors at Centennial Park, located at the base of the Buckaroo Express Gondola. The event’s nonprofit beneficiary, Vail Veterans Foundation, will receive a portion of the proceeds from every ticket sold.
Amateur BBQ Competition
Sunday’s Big Green Egg Backyard BBQ Amateur Competition returns for its fourth year, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Teams made up of one to three amateur chefs will receive a mystery grilling meat and side dish items to design and prepare in three hours using a Big Green Egg. A panel of professional judges will determine the winner. The event takes place at the Beaver Creek Covered Bridge. The winning team will receive their very own high quality, ceramic, Big Green Egg valued at $1,049. Registration for the amateur competition is $85 per team and teams can sign up online at www.beavercreek.com/bbb.
Come for the Music; Stay for the Golf
Take advantage of the mountain luxury at the Beaver Creek Golf Club for your weekend getaway and save 25% off green fees and 20% off clothing in the golf shop. To book your tee time, please visit golfbeavercreek.com and use promo code BBQ (valid through May 30). Beaver Creek Golf Club, designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., is one of the longest established golf experiences in the Vail Valley and is famously known for its narrow and challenging fairways, as well as unrivaled scenic beauty and direct views of Beaver Creek Resort. Fly to Denver and then direct to Eagle Airport (EGE) and start your vacation just 30 minutes after landing! Visit www.FlyVail.com for flight schedules into Eagle Airport.
For more information about Blues, Brews & BBQ and to see additional events at Beaver Creek this summer, visit www.beavercreek.com.
For photos of Blues Brews & BBQ: Event Photos
Starting on Saturday, May 28, top Colorado barbecue chefs reach for their top-shelf ingredients, recipes and techniques to barbecue, smoke and roast succulent Colorado meats, poultry and summer vegetables to pair with cold, thirst-quenching craft brews. All barbecue vendors will be competing for bragging rights and $1,750 in cash prizes. Attendees will have the chance to vote on Saturday and Sunday to determine the People’s Choice winner for Best Barbecue Vendor. Selected winners will be crowned on Sunday at 4:10 p.m. on the main stage in Beaver Creek Plaza.
A free Kids’ Zone will be open from 12 to 4 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday providing activities and arts & crafts designed for kids 12 and under. Also available for kids is a chance to test their endurance on the mechanical bull or jump around in the bounce house.
Live Blues
Both days’ musical lineups will open with the passionate and bold performance of Shari Puorto, a blues rock band from California. Her energetic performance will kick off the festival from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. each day. A true master of the harmonica, Gary Allegretto will then take the stage at 2:30 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Following the electrifying sounds of the harmonica on Saturday, Blues Hall of Famer John Mayall takes the stage at 4:30 p.m. Known as the “Godfather of British Blues,” Mayall’s blues rock infuses keyboard and harmonica with classic blues guitar. In a career spanning over fifty years, Mayall founded John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, featuring the early sounds of legends Eric Clapton, Peter Green, and Mick Fleetwood. Sunday’s festivities close out at 4:30 p.m. with the high-energy, soulful stylings of Tommy Castro & the Painkillers. Captivating audiences for over 40 years, Tommy Castro & the Painkillers bring soulful grit and dynamic guitar licks to contemporary blues rock.
“Learn to Play the Blues Harmonica Instantly”
Have you ever wanted to master the art of the harmonica? Now is your chance! Join us on Saturday and Sunday at 12 p.m. in the Beaver Creek Village for Gary Allegretto's "Learn to Play the Blues Harmonica Instantly" clinic and take home your very own Hohner Harmonica.
Microbrew Festival
Experience one of the largest exclusively Colorado Microbrewery Beer Tastings in the state from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 28. The Microbrew Festival features more than 80 carefully crafted concoctions from over 30 Colorado-based breweries. Guests can purchase advance tickets online at www.beavercreek.com/bbb for $40 per person, plus processing fee, or at the door for $50 per person; participants receive a commemorative tasting glass and unlimited beer tastings are included. The event will be held outdoors at Centennial Park, located at the base of the Buckaroo Express Gondola. The event’s nonprofit beneficiary, Vail Veterans Foundation, will receive a portion of the proceeds from every ticket sold.
Amateur BBQ Competition
Sunday’s Big Green Egg Backyard BBQ Amateur Competition returns for its fourth year, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Teams made up of one to three amateur chefs will receive a mystery grilling meat and side dish items to design and prepare in three hours using a Big Green Egg. A panel of professional judges will determine the winner. The event takes place at the Beaver Creek Covered Bridge. The winning team will receive their very own high quality, ceramic, Big Green Egg valued at $1,049. Registration for the amateur competition is $85 per team and teams can sign up online at www.beavercreek.com/bbb.
Come for the Music; Stay for the Golf
Take advantage of the mountain luxury at the Beaver Creek Golf Club for your weekend getaway and save 25% off green fees and 20% off clothing in the golf shop. To book your tee time, please visit golfbeavercreek.com and use promo code BBQ (valid through May 30). Beaver Creek Golf Club, designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., is one of the longest established golf experiences in the Vail Valley and is famously known for its narrow and challenging fairways, as well as unrivaled scenic beauty and direct views of Beaver Creek Resort. Fly to Denver and then direct to Eagle Airport (EGE) and start your vacation just 30 minutes after landing! Visit www.FlyVail.com for flight schedules into Eagle Airport.
For more information about Blues, Brews & BBQ and to see additional events at Beaver Creek this summer, visit www.beavercreek.com.
For photos of Blues Brews & BBQ: Event Photos
About Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN)
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading global mountain resort operator. The Company’s subsidiaries operate nine world-class mountain resorts and three urban ski areas, including Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; Perisher in Australia; Afton Alps in Minnesota, Mt. Brighton in Michigan and Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin. The Company owns and/or manages a collection of casually elegant hotels under the RockResorts brand, as well as the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyo. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning and development subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is www.vailresorts.com and consumer website is www.snow.com.