VAIL, Colo. – June 5, 2019 – Vail Mountain will open for summer scenic gondola rides, Epic Discovery and mountaintop food & beverage options this Friday, June 7, 2019. Openings will include daily mountain access via Eagle Bahn Gondola (#19) out of Lionshead Village, the Epic Discovery Forest Flyer Mountain Coaster, Simonton Observation Deck and dining at the top of Eagle’s Nest. Operations will expand to additional restaurants on June 21, and to daily mountain access via Gondola One in Vail Village on Friday, June 28.
Epic Discovery, the #1 summer activity in Vail, will open for its fourth summer at Vail Mountain on Friday, June 7. With lingering on-mountain snow from Vail’s outstanding winter season, activities will open on a rolling basis throughout June, as conditions permit. The Kids Ride Free Program, which provides kids ages 12 and younger free access up the gondola with the purchase of an adult ticket, will return this summer. Visitors can get unlimited all-day access to Epic Discovery with the Adventure Pass, the best value for adults and kids to experience all mountaintop activities.
A wide array of exciting events, festivals and games take place in Vail throughout the summer. From world-class live music and athletic competitions to farmers markets, food and craft beer events, there is something for everyone to enjoy at Vail. Explore a sampling of notable summer events below, and find more events and details at vail.com/events.
2019 Summer Operating Dates & Hours
Gondolas:
- Eagle Bahn Gondola (#19)*
- June 7 – September 2, 9:30am - 5:00pm**
- September 6 – September 29, 9:30am – 5:00pm, Friday – Sunday
- Gondola One (#1)*
- June 28 – September 2, 9:30am – 4:00pm
- September 6 – September 29, 9:30am – 4:00pm, Friday – Sunday
*No snowboards, skis or sleds will be allowed up the gondola. Bikes will be permitted on the gondola as soon as mountain conditions allow
**Open for dinner service until 9:00pm, each Thursday – Saturday, June 21 – August 31
Activities:
- Epic Discovery Activities
- June 7 – September 2, 10:00am – 5:00pm***
- September 6 – September 29, 10:00am – 5:00pm, Friday – Sunday
*** All Epic Discovery offerings will be opened on a rolling basis, pending weather conditions. Visit the Epic Discovery page for more details on specific activities.
Restaurants:
- Game Creek
- Dinner: June 20 – August 31, 5:30pm – 8:30pm, Thursday – Saturday
- Brunch: June 16 – September 1, 11:00am – 2:00pm, Sunday
- The 10th
- June 28 - September 8, 11:00 am-3:00 pm, Friday – Sunday
- Bistro Fourteen
- Lunch: June 14 - September 2, 11:00 am - 3:00pm
- Dinner: June 21 - August 31, 5:30 pm – 9:00pm, Friday – Saturday
- Talon’s Deck Outdoor Grill
- June 7 – September 2, 11:00am – 3:00pm
- Sarge’s BBQ Deck
- June 28 – September 2, 9:30am – 4:00pm
- September 6 – September 29, 9:30am – 4:00pm, Friday – Sunday
A Sampling of Summer 2019 Events
GoPro Mountain Games: June 6-9. The GoPro Mountain Games are the country's largest celebration of adventure sports, art and music, and serves as the kick-off to summer at Vail. The Games will feature countless mountain sports (biking, kayaking, SUP, climbing, slacklining and more), as well as three nights of free concerts from headlining acts such as Citizen Cope, Langhorne Slim, Rapidgrass and Melvin Seals.
Vail Farmers Market and Art Show: Sundays, June 16-October 6. Entering its 18th year, the Vail Farmers Market features more than 135 tents with food vendors, local arts and entertainment and more. Located on East Meadow Drive in Vail Village from 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Vail Craft Beer Classic: June 21-23. Pairing beer with adventure, the Vail Craft Beer Classic is Colorado’s highest altitude beer tasting with three days of events – from paired beer dinners, to mountain biking with a brewer, and hundreds of craft beers to sample right in Vail Village.
Bravo! Vail, Whistle Pig Vail, and Hot Summer Nights: June- September. The Vail Valley Foundation hosts an array of summer events at the outdoor Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, including these three incredible concert series. From internationally-acclaimed symphony performances to free bluegrass concerts and everything in between, locals and visitors alike can enjoy a broad spectrum of music in a beautiful Rocky Mountain setting.
Vail America Days: July 4. A classic celebration of Independence Day and summer featuring a parade from Golden Peak to Lionshead Village. The 2019 parade theme is A Tribute to the 10th Mountain Division, to honor Vail’s connection with those who served the nation in the 10th Mountain Division of the army and later founded Vail Mountain. The Dallas Symphony Orchestra will also be performing a patriotic concert at Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater as part of the Bravo! Vail chamber orchestra music series.
Vail Dance Festival: July 26-August 10. A two-week celebration of exceptional culture and artistry that over the years has established the Vail Valley as one of the top summer dance destinations in the world. The Vail Dance Festival is also a project of the Vail Valley Foundation.
Vail Kids Adventure Games: August 7-11. Designed exclusively for kids ages 6-14, the Kids Adventure Games is a multi-discipline obstacle adventure race, where teams will compete on bikes, in water and on foot. The weekend will also feature the KEEN Family Mud Run on Saturday, August 10.
Vail Film Festival: August 15-18. Entering its 16th year, the Vail Film Festival is presented by the Colorado Film Institute to foster independent film. The 2019 festival will have a special focus on work by female filmmakers. Submissions for films are now open here.
Gourmet on the Gore: August 30-September 1. This unique culinary festival offers an open-air tasting with world-class wine, beer, and spirits paired with culinary delights from Vail’s top culinary experts. Gourmet on Gore presented by Audi offers free admission and a variety of additional pairing events including Gourmet, Let’s Go!, and Food Trucks Al Fresco on Friday, August 30.
For more information about Vail Mountain, call the Mountain Information Center at (970) SKI-VAIL (754-8245) or visit www.vail.com.
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About Vail Mountain
Under blue skies more than 300 days each year, Vail is an extraordinary mountain resort destination. The vacation experience is exceptional, from the awe-inspiring terrain and natural beauty of the surrounding Gore and Sawatch Ranges to world-class events, activities and festivals, shops and spas, and the abundant culinary experiences and luxurious accommodations that line the pedestrian-friendly streets of Vail Village and Lionshead. Vail is where outdoor pursuits meet village sophistication. Offering more than 5,200 acres of developed ski and snowboard terrain including seven legendary Back Bowls in winter, and flourishing with new summer activities with the debut of Epic Discovery in 2016, the options for year-round adventure are endless. Coupled with the vision inherent in the spirit of Vail’s founders, and a modern day commitment to excellence in all aspects of guest service and operations, Vail is a mountain resort like nothing on earth.
Media Contact
Sally Gunter, (970) 754-3001, sgunter@vailresorts.com
Hannah Dixon, (970) 754-4528, hldixon@vailresorts.com
About Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN)
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading global mountain resort operator. Vail Resorts’ subsidiaries operate 15 world-class mountain resorts and three urban ski areas, including Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Crested Butte in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada; Perisher in Australia; Stowe and Okemo in Vermont; Mt. Sunapee in New Hampshire; Stevens Pass in Washington; Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin; Afton Alps in Minnesota and Mt. Brighton in Michigan. Vail Resorts 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.
Contact(s)
Hannah Dixon
Senior Communications Specialist
Email: HLDixon@vailresorts.com
Sally Gunter
Senior Communications Manager
Email: sgunter@vailresorts.com
Phone: 9707543001