JUNE, JULY & AUGUST: BEAVER CREEK MUSIC FESTIVAL As of print time, Beaver Creek hadn’t secured the bands that’ll rev up the four free outdoor summer shows, but Coughran says early plans indicate a mix of high-quality regional bands, with a build-up toward one big national band. JULY: XTERRA This competition draws about 500 elite athletes. The Trail Run, scheduled the following day, is open to a variety of abilities. Overall, Beaver Creek’s Trail Running Series features three winter snowshoe races and four summer races (a 10K and half-marathon). The series allows Beaver Creek to “get back to its athletic and racing heritage,” Coughran says.
IT’S FUN TO GET DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN OUR KITCHEN, AND IT’S FUN FOR OUR GUESTS TO SEE (CELEBRITY) CHEFS IN THEIR OWN BACKYARD.
AUGUST: WINE AND SPIRITS FESTIVAL Attention turns to wine and spirits with this festival. While the winter culinary festival centers more on food, this one’s all about the spirits — though it “still celebrates the chefs of Beaver Creek,” Coughran says. Seminars focus on winemaking and various spirits; last year, seminars like the bootleg history of spirits were popular picks.
— DAVID WALFORD, SPLENDIDO
BEST FOR LAST
The event always includes the Grand Tasting, a showcase of all the chefs as they come together to host an evening of food, wine, spirits, music and mingling. “The Beaver Creek FOOD & WINE Weekend is for locals and guests alike,” Coughran says, “whether you make a whole weekend of it, or just choose to attend a few highlighted events, especially the Grand Tasting.” The festival culminates with the Celebrity Chef Ski Race & Brunch, with local and celebrity chef teams racing to raise money for their favorite charities. A brunch completes the festivities. “It’s a chance to get out and have a good time with these guys, and with everybody involved it will be a lot of fun,” Weems says.
The chefs will have plenty of time for prerace preparation, but there’s no doubt that they will be prepping plates instead of waxing skies. “This is just a really great weekend,” Weems says. “I’ve been doing this for many years, and it’s always a fun event and a wonderful time to be in Beaver Creek and to try some of the best food in the nation.” Walford says this is something that he and his team at Splendido look forward to every year. “I’m a big supporter of this event, and I thank Beaver Creek Resort Company and FOOD & WINE for putting it on — without them, we couldn’t do it,” says the chef. “It’s a great weekend that we all look forward to.” Gutowski echoes the sentiment. “It’s a totally unique expereince, in the greatest ski town in Colorado,” Gutowski says. “Everyone puts 110 percent into this and it really shows. It’s just a really great time and you can see it on the faces of everyone there.”
SEPTEMBER: OKTOBERFEST This Labor Day weekend celebration is one of the most authentic, as Beaver Creek partners with its sister city, Lech, Austria. This year, Who’s Bad headlines the festival, with full Michael Jackson flair. SEPTEMBER: BEAVER CREEK LUXURY LIFESTYLE FESTIVAL In early fall, Beaver Creek celebrates the best of culture and design in this unique festival. While last year’s car show featured the new 2012 Audi line and a 1959 Mercedes, worth $5 million, Coughran promises even bigger and better this year. The fashion show, sponsored by Frank Hall of Mistral and Avalon, features local merchants’ fall collections.