What's on in Vail, United States through the year

Peak crowds — Christmas and New Year, Winter / Christmas break in United States

Nothing new starts in January.

Still on: Ski season (13 Nov – 18 Apr (usually)), I-70 and Vail Pass closures (15 Nov – 31 Mar (usually)), Christmas and New Year (20 Dec – 3 Jan)

Peak crowds — travelers describe it as peak season, Presidents' Day and spring break

• Holiday

  Presidents' Day and spring break

  12 Feb – 25 Mar · usuallySchool holidaysCrowdedBook early

  American school breaks stack through late February and March and land on the deepest base of the winter. Lift queues and lodging rates both peak; the snow at least justifies half of it. Source ↗

Still on: Ski season (13 Nov – 18 Apr (usually)), I-70 and Vail Pass closures (15 Nov – 31 Mar (usually))

Peak crowds — Presidents' Day and spring break, Spring break in United States

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Presidents' Day and spring break (12 Feb – 25 Mar (usually)), Ski season (13 Nov – 18 Apr (usually)), I-70 and Vail Pass closures (15 Nov – 31 Mar (usually))

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

• Closure

  Mud season

  20 Apr – 25 May · usually

  Between the lifts closing and the trails drying, half the village shuts and the rest cuts its hours. Rooms are at their cheapest and there is very little to do with them. Source ↗

Still on: Ski season (13 Nov – 18 Apr (usually))

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in May.

Still on: Mud season (20 Apr – 25 May (usually))

Peak crowds — GoPro Mountain Games, Summer break in United States

• Festival

  GoPro Mountain Games

  1–15 Jun · usuallyMajor festivalCrowdedBook early

  Four days of kayaking, bouldering, trail running and dog jumping through Gore Creek and the village, on the first or second weekend of June. It is the weekend the valley reopens after mud season. Source ↗

• Festival

  Bravo! Vail

  25 Jun – 6 Aug · usuallyMajor festivalBook early

  Six weeks of orchestral concerts at the Ford Amphitheater, with three American orchestras in residence in turn. Lawn tickets are the cheap seats and the afternoon thunderstorms are part of the deal. Source ↗

Busy — Summer break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Nature

  Alpine wildflowers

  1 Jul – 10 Aug · usuallyWildflowers & blooms

  Columbine and paintbrush come up on Shrine Pass and above the gondola from early July, a couple of weeks later the higher you go. The gardens at Betty Ford peak at the same time. Source ↗

• Festival

  Vail Dance Festival

  25 Jul – 12 Aug · usuallyMajor festivalBook early

  A fortnight of company and guest-artist programmes at the amphitheater at the turn of July into August, with the outdoor evenings selling out well ahead. Source ↗

Still on: Bravo! Vail (25 Jun – 6 Aug (usually))

Busy — Summer break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Bravo! Vail (25 Jun – 6 Aug (usually)), Alpine wildflowers (1 Jul – 10 Aug (usually)), Vail Dance Festival (25 Jul – 12 Aug (usually))

Busy — Summer break in United States

• Nature

  Aspens turning

  15 Sep – 5 Oct · usuallyAutumn colour

  The stands above the village and along Shrine Pass and Piney Lake road go gold in the second half of September. It is short: a hard wind takes the leaves off in a day.

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

• Closure

  Autumn shoulder shutdown

  5 Oct – 10 Nov

  The second mud season: the gondola drops to weekends or stops, restaurants take their annual break and the village runs on locals until the snow comes. Rooms are at their cheapest of the year. Source ↗

Still on: Aspens turning (15 Sep – 5 Oct (usually))

Busy — Thanksgiving break in United States

• Season

  Ski season

  13 Nov – 18 Apr · usuallyBook early

  Vail Mountain targets mid-November and runs to mid-April. The Back Bowls need a real base and rarely open in full before Christmas, so December skiing is front-side skiing. Source ↗

• Hazard

  I-70 and Vail Pass closures

  15 Nov – 31 Mar · usuallyAvalanche seasonClosures

  The pass and the Eisenhower tunnel shut for storms, spun trucks and avalanche control several times a winter, and the traction law applies from the first snow. Build a spare day around a Saturday drive from Denver. Source ↗

Still on: Autumn shoulder shutdown (5 Oct – 10 Nov)

Peak crowds — Christmas and New Year, Winter / Christmas break in United States

• Holiday

  Christmas and New Year

  20 Dec – 3 JanChristmas & New YearCrowdedBook early

  The dearest fortnight of the year, with lift lines that do not match the snow depth. Locals wait for January, when the village empties and the storms are more reliable. Source ↗

Still on: Ski season (13 Nov – 18 Apr (usually)), I-70 and Vail Pass closures (15 Nov – 31 Mar (usually))