VALLEY HAPPENINGS

National Brotherhood of Skiers 50th Anniversary

AS VAIL MOUNTAIN celebrates its 60th anniversary this winter season, the National Brotherhood of Skiers (NBS) will come to town for its 50th Golden Anniversary Summit.

The NBS Summit is an annual fundraiser that brings together more than 50 member clubs and thousands of supporters from around the world. During a week of winter sports fun from February 4-11, 2023, NBS will raise funds to support their mission — increasing participation in winter sports while developing and supporting athletes of color with the potential to win international competitions. +

Vail Mountain is honored to host the NBS Summit and is committed to creating more equity, inclusion and diversity at the resort and in the industry.

JOHN PLACK senior communications manager for Vail and Beaver Creek

Chef + owner, Chris Schmidt

Craftsman Is Moving on Up (Across the Street) in Edwards

By Kaitlin Emig

THE NEW LOCATION of Craftsman is only a stone’s throw from their previous spot in Edwards, but it has expanded and renovated to match its growing business. Craftsman took over the old Gore Range Brewery in November 2021 and opened its new doors this past October. Through this change, it will offer an elevated experience to its customers from new menu items, brews on tap and a lively atmosphere where everyone knows your name.

Chef and owner Chris Schmidt shares his insights on the new space and what it took to finally open. “There are some similarities to the old Craftsman,” he says. “We definitely updated the interior by adding tons of maple, concrete, steel and lots of black and grey features.” The team maintained and built upon the open kitchen concept with a large “chef’s counter,” showcasing a wood-fired oven. To brighten up the space, they are adding lots of plants, as well.

Schmidt acknowledges how Craftsman is expanding in multiple areas, but ultimately, they are trying to maintain their identity and what made them so popular. The menu changes will scale back the sandwiches to make way for more small plates, salads, sharables, etc. Look for more large-format items to share at the table, as well. “We don’t want to make the menu very large and are more focused on quality and execution … no Cheesecake Factory here,” he jokes.

Schmidt is excited about the massive bar program for bartenders to prepare craft cocktails, pour some great wines and of course beer. The tap system will feature 16 rotating brews — at least half of which are produced on-site.

Craftsman plans on hosting live music on the patio and hopes to outfit a stage at some point. “The ambiance will be Craftsman elevated,” Schmidt explains. “We are striving for the same sense of community and lively atmosphere with awesome tunes, a bumping kitchen and lots of friends!”

Like many renovations, the team putting together the new space came across some speed bumps but held their vision for the redesign. Schmidt believes that, despite the headaches, they had some really amazing contractors, subs and designers that pulled through to help them get to the finish line. He shares, “There have been a ton of hiccups, but I feel there are always during these projects.”

Design flaws, equipment delays, value engineering debates and misses from all angles are the usual setbacks with undergoing a project this big. “I’ve had many restless nights debating my life choices, and at the end of the day, it’s very hard to build and open restaurants, but I love it. Craftsman is going to be absolutely amazing,” he adds.

Schmidt finds that cooking and operating restaurants is what he and his team love to do. “It’s what we are good at, and I’m ready to start hosting our community at our new space.” +

Chasing Rabbits Opens in Vail Village

ENTERTAINMENT IN THE Valley is getting a bounce in its step thanks to Vail-based Solaris Group and international design firm Rockwell Group. The project has transformed one of Solaris Plaza’s largest venues into Chasing Rabbits — an experiential dining and entertainment space created to delight and intrigue a new generation of Vail’s guests and residents.

Similar to how Alice experienced Wonderland, Chasing Rabbits guests will be intrigued by the venue's unexpected twists and turns. In fact, chasing rabbits means “doing something totally irrelevant or being distracted from what you intend to do.”

The unique entertainment venue in the heart of Vail Village is about 12,000 square-feet and has something for everyone — families, adults, locals and tourists alike. The playful space will offer five individualized experiences under one roof, including Chasing Rabbits restaurant, serving modern Mediterranean cuisine, along with Film House cinema, The Library cocktail lounge, Moon Rabbit speakeasy and Rabbit Hole arcade.

The spaces can be used to host all events from social to corporate, in a unique, interactive setting. Chasing Rabbits will offer a new center for art and culture, including live music shows, comedy and film.

When the lifts are down, the lights are on at Chasing Rabbits. +

Reservations for Chasing Rabbits restaurant and The Library can be made by visiting chasingrabbitsvail.com.

Moon Rabbit and Rabbit Hole operate on a first-come, first-served basis with a waitlist as it reaches capacity.

Follow @chasingrabbitsvail to keep up to date with current programming and events.