Fun & Free: Week of September 5
Oktoberfest rolls into Vail with Lionshead hosting this classic German festival of Fall from September 9-11 and Vail Village becoming home to the celebration the next weekend, September 16-18.
If you missed Oktoberfest at Beaver Creek last weekend, don’t despair. Another fun and free celebration of fall and good beer returns to the Vail Valley this Friday (Sep. 9) for two weekends. The first installment will be in Lionshead from Sep. 9-1, followed by a final weekend of festivities in Vail Village from Sep. 16- 18. With bratwurst eating contests, keg bowling, Bavarian music, dancing, yodeling, alpenhorn blowing and more it’s a great way to celebrate fall while catching the last warm rays of the summer sun on those lederhosen bare legs.
If you need proof that the old west is still very much alive, you'll find it at the 7th Annual Roaring Fork Ranch Roping event which runs both Saturday and Sunday.
On Saturday and Sunday (Sep. 10 & 11), cowboy culture comes into focus at the 7th Annual Roaring Fork Ranch Roping contest in nearby Carbondale. The highlight: a roping contest sanctioned by the Rocky Mountain Ranch Roping & Stockhorse Association, attracting cowboys from all across the Rocky Mountain west. Focusing on the quiet handling of cattle to mimic pasture roping and doctoring, competitors in 3-person teams compete in open and novice divisions along with a youth individual competition. It’s a true taste of the living west and well worth a road trip, just as our aspens start to glow. Learn more here.
Finally, on Sunday (Sep. 11), indulge in your taste for classic steel as vintage and rare autos invade Vail Village as part of the Wings and Wheels Vail Automotive Classic. Cars featured at the Wheels & Wings Festival at the Vail Valley Jet Center the day before will be parked throughout Vail Village, and you’ll have the chance to vote for your favorite classic for the People’s Choice Award.
