Graham Nash and Philadelphia Orchestra headline Vail Valley concerts this weekend

The parking lot at Beaver Creek’s Vilar Performing Arts Center fills up fast on a Friday night. People who commute past these mountains all week slow down for the music.

Graham Nash takes the stage Thursday and Friday, bringing a career that spans decades of rock history. He’s been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice — once with The Hollies, and again with Crosby, Stills & Nash. He’s a Grammy winner. He’s in the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame twice. But sitting in that reserved seat, you’re not just hearing history. You’re hearing a living legend playing songs from his 2023 album, Now, alongside the classics that defined a generation. Doors open at 6 p.m. Show starts at 7. Tickets have limited availability, and there are two VIP seating options if you want to stretch out a bit more.

And that matters because this isn’t just another concert stop on a tour. It’s part of the Love for the Locals series, which means locals get something extra. Attendees walk in with one complimentary drink — a draft Outer Range beer, wine, or non-alcoholic option. The Dusty Boot offers the Love For The Locals Show-Night Special for $30 plus gratuity, covering dinner with a drink and select entrees. Go early. Get the food deal. Grab the ticket at VilarPAC.org before it’s gone.

Over in Vail, the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater hosts a different kind of momentum. The Dallas Symphony Orchestra just wrapped up, and now the Philadelphia Orchestra is here for three shows from Friday through Sunday. This weekend captures so much of what makes Bravo! Vail extraordinary, according to festival officials. They welcome back the magnificent Philadelphia Orchestra under conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin for their 125th anniversary season.

They’re playing Arturo Márquez’s Danzón No. 2. They’re tackling Brahms’ Symphony No. 3. And Marc-André Hamelin takes the piano for Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2 on July 10. It’s high art in an open-air setting, and it draws a crowd that appreciates the acoustics of the valley as much as the notes on the page.

Then there’s Futurebirds, bringing their cosmic Southern rock to the Vilar Center on Saturday night. Rolling Stone called them “the most captivating rock act touring today.” USA Today described their sound as mixing Neil Young & Crazy Horse with My Morning Jacket. The band started with three college friends at the University of Georgia in Athens in the late 2000s. They love evolution. They love expansion. Brian Harding’s courtesy photo shows them mid-performance, but the real story is in the sound, electrified folk, far-out country, rock and roll. It’s hard to pin down a genre when you’re always moving forward. Doors open at 6 p.m. Showtime is 7 p.m.

This weekend in the Vail Valley isn’t just about entertainment. It’s about who gets to experience it and what they get out of the ticket price. The Love for the Locals series tries to bridge that gap, offering value to people who live here year-round. Graham Nash plays to a full house. Futurebirds brings the noise. The Philadelphia Orchestra fills the air with Brahms.

Stand there long enough and you can hear the difference between a tourist crowd and a local one. One group checks their watches before the encore. The other stays until the lights come up, talking about the setlist and the beer they got for free.

The Vilar Center stays lit late into the night, projecting light onto the darkening slopes of Beaver Creek. Cars trickle out onto Snowmass Village Boulevard, headlights cutting through the mountain air.