Get into the mountains for plenty of arts and parties

By the Thirst Team

Get Out of Town is our weekly roundup of recommended events across Colorado, mostly focusing outside of Denver, to help everyone enjoy the entire state. For more happenings, check out our events calendar.

Gay Ski Week

Aspen Gay Ski Week kicks off Sunday, bringing a week of parties on and off the mountain. A hospitality suite is open all week at the Limelight Hotel, with swag, detailed event programs and more.

Highlights include drag queen bingo on Sunday at the Little Nell and the Collective; dinner and late-night dancing on Monday at the Snow Lodge; storytellers and a winemaker dinner on Tuesday; entertainer Cheyenne Jackson and a queer comedy showcase on Wednesday; a Thursday panel on LGBTQ+ rights presented by the Aspen Ideas Festival; a Friday costume contest, and more. Click here for details on all the events.

Winterfest in Vail

Friday brings the grand opening of the Night Owls ice carving exhibit as part of the 18th Annual Vail Winterfest, hosted by the Town of Vail’s Art in Public Places program.

The Gore Creek Promenade in Vail Village is lined with owl-themed ice sculptures. The art walk officially opens at 5 p.m., but there also will be a live DJ and free warm treats from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Plenty of music in Beaver Creek

A little further west, the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek gets rocking for 2025 with a week of great music. The VPAC has a solid lineup all year, but this week’s schedule is particularly notable.

Grammy-winning jamgrass quintet the Infamous Stringdusters headline on Thursday and Friday. Then Old Dominion and Edwin McCain take over the mainstage on Tuesday. Grammy-winning jazz bass virtuoso plays the more intimate May Gallery on Sunday, followed by the acclaimed classical players in Trio Bohémo next Wednesday.

The Infamous Stringdusters also have shows tonight in Crested Butte and on Saturday in Denver. They also come back in February for shows in Aspen, Telluride and Grand Junction. Click here for details and tickets.

Snowshoe and fondue

Aspen Peak Cellars in Bailey hosts a unique tasting event through the winter. Tickets are now on sale for the snowshoe and fondue series, running through March 16. Tickets include snowshoes and poles, guided snowshoeing, appetizers, wine tasting, authentic Swiss cheese fondue, live music and more.

The event is 21+, and no pets are allowed on the trails or at the winery. Tickets are limited and typically sell out.

Kokopelli anniversary

Finally, we have to shout out our neighborhood brewery. Kokopelli Beer Co. is right in our Westminster neighborhood and still going strong after 11 years. Toast their anniversary on Saturday with new tappings and specialty drinks, live music, trivia, casino tables and more.

As always, please send us your events and announcements. We’re happy to share them. If they don’t fit in the Get Out of Town column, we will add them to our events calendar.