Vail Ski Swap Moves to Grand Hyatt for 57th Season

Aspen —The 57th annual Vail Ski & Snowboard Swap opens Friday at the Grand Hyatt Vail, a venue shift necessitated by ongoing remodel work at Dobson Arena that won’t conclude until next month.

The event runs through Sunday, with the largest selection of sizes and colors available when doors open Friday at 5 p.m. Saturday hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free, but attendees must reserve tickets through vailskiswap.com.

Inside Alpine Hall at the Grand Hyatt, rows of equipment and racks of outerwear will fill the floor, transforming the space into a temporary sporting goods store. The swap features gently used items alongside brand-new hard goods like skis, snowboards, boots, and bindings. Staff will be on hand to assist with fittings and help select gear appropriate for an individual’s skiing or boarding ability. Proceeds benefit Ski and Snowboard Club Vail, one of the valley’s oldest organizations, supporting its athletes as they pursue their dreams on the slopes.

Also this weekend at the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek, Hermanos Gutiérrez takes the stage Friday night. The duo consists of brothers Alejandro and Estevan Gutiérrez, an Ecuadorian-Swiss pair who began their career in Zurich in 2015. Eleven years and six albums later, they are touring to support their new album, “Los Ojos del Condor” (Eye of the Condor).

The album serves as a tribute to Peruvian culture, landscapes, and landmarks like Machu Picchu. The brothers play nylon guitar, acoustic guitar, slide guitar, and charango, a small 10-string instrument from the Andean regions of Bolivia and Peru. Their sound fuses milonga, an upbeat rhythm that preceded and influenced tango music, with cumbia, a popular genre of Latin American dance music.

The Final Market

The Vail Valley Farmers’ Market holds its last session of the season this weekend. The market operates in the Vail Village area, offering local produce and goods before the winter season fully takes over.

Locals should check their closets now to take inventory of what they need by Vail’s Opening Day on Nov. 13. If children outgrew their gear since last season, the swap offers a chance to stock up on ski pants, helmets, and snow boots. For those who tend to lose goggles or gloves every season, buying an extra pair at a discount during the swap is a practical move.

The air in the Vail Valley shifts as the first cold fronts push through the mountains, signaling that the summer is officially gone. The racks of skis at the swap stand silent and sharp, waiting for snow that hasn’t yet fallen.