Vail, Colo., May 14, 2020 — The Vail Valley Foundation’s Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater today announced that it will host a shortened season in 2020, welcoming limited-attendance and livestreaming events during the “black diamond” phase of Eagle County’s Public Health Order. If Eagle County continues a successful progression to the black diamond phase, the Ford Amphitheater would host its first public events of 250-500 people in July, and continue with events into early September.
“This venue is at the heart of our community both culturally and geographically, and we very much have a role to play to bring together the people that we can, in any way we can, and to hopefully bring light and life to everyone we are fortunate enough to welcome to our venue this summer,” said Amphitheater Director Tom Boyd.
“We will remain as agile as possible to opportunities that open up in late summer or early September,” Boyd said.
The Ford Amphitheater hosts a wide array of events each year, from graduations and community events, to art classes in the evenings, as well as weddings and concerts.
It has also played host to the Bravo! Vail Music Festival, Vail Dance Festival, and Hot Summer Nights free concert series for more than thirty years. More recently it has hosted headliner concerts and performing arts events in partnership with AEG Presents.
Bravo! Vail has canceled its regular programming but is exploring opportunities to still fulfill its mission by offering musical experiences that could include both smaller live performances and concerts delivered online throughout the summer (learn more at bravovail.org). The Vail Dance Festival and all concerts in partnership with AEG Presents have been postponed or canceled. The annual Fourth of July Patriotic Concert, held in partnership with Bravo! Vail, has also been canceled.
Boyd said the VVF is exploring ways to keep Hot Summer Nights concerts on the calendar during the late Summer.
“Even if we solely focus on our local music community and bring people together in smaller groups to enjoy local and regional bands, we very much want to continue to be active and give our community some form of live music,” he said.
Hot Summer Nights performance dates and artists are yet to be determined, and Boyd said that he and the staff of the Ford Amphitheater are building a social distancing plan that would stay in keeping with public health guidance.
“We are doing everything we can, within guidelines, to bring as much joy as possible in a time where frankly it’s needed most,” Boyd said.
The venue is also exploring the idea of hosting “Movie Night at The Amp” by playing classic movies and documentaries on its big screen, and is working to expand partnerships with local businesses to utilize the venue in creative ways for yoga, fitness, art and music classes throughout the summer. The venue will also be available to rent for events that are able to fit within public health guidelines.
For more about the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater or for questions about tickets to an event there, visit grfavail.com.
ShowDown Town
The Vail Valley Foundation is also exploring a modified version of the ShowDown Town free summer concerts in Eagle.
The organization hopes that Eagle County can achieve the Black Diamond phase of the public health order by early July when the first concert is currently planned. Organizers would then limit the number of live attendees and enact guidelines to meet all public health orders in the Eagle Town Park venue.
Plans for an event of this type will be determined by the success of the Public Health Order.
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About the Vail Valley Foundation
The Vail Valley Foundation is a 501c3 Colorado nonprofit with a mission to enhance the quality of life in the Vail Valley through arts, athletics and education. The organization’s work in education is through YouthPower365, which operates as its own 501c3 with a mission to provide year-round extended learning that empowers and educates the youth and families of Eagle County from cradle-to-career readiness. The Vail Valley Foundation also provides the Vail Valley with several of its most treasured annual events, such as the GoPro Mountain Games, the Xfinity Birds of Prey Audi FIS Ski World Cup races, the Vail Dance Festival, Hot Summer Nights and ShowDown Town free concert series’, and more. The Vail Valley Foundation also manages and operates the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek Village and the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail, providing more than 100 Broadway, dance, classical, rock, pop, jazz and family events per year.
Vail Valley Foundation activities and events are made possible by cornerstone partners: the Town of Vail, Vail Resorts, GMC, and TIAA Bank. Visit www.vvf.org to learn more.