The Shins take to Ford Park stage as Snow Daze celebration kicks into higher gear

The lineup of live entertainment and events at Vail Snow Daze, the annual festival to celebrate the start of winter, ramps up on Thursday, Dec. 13 with a live concert from The Shins with special guest Divine Fits in Ford Park.

Vail Snow Daze also includes concerts from Michael Franti & Spearhead on Friday, Dec. 14 and Wilco on Saturday, Dec. 15, as well as events to celebrate Vail's 50th Anniversary.

Grammy-nominated indie rockers The Shins take the stage Thursday night in Ford Park to kick off the Vail Snow Daze concert lineup. Well known for their songs “New Slang” and their current hit single “Simple Song,” The Shins have a melodic sound that is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

Opening for The Shins is rock powerhouse Divine Fits. The band, made up of Spoon's Britt Daniel, Wolf Parade's Dan Boeckner, Sam Brown of New Bomb Turks and Alex Fischel of Papa, has been together as a band for less than a year. Though young, Divine Fits has received critical acclaim that pays homage to the band’s top-notch rock pedigree.

The concert venue at Ford Park opens at 6 p.m. and music will begin at 6:30 p.m.

The Shins

General Admission tickets for all Vail Snow Daze concerts are on sale ranging from $39.50 to $49.50. General Admission Three-Concert Passes, which give holders access to the general admission area at all three shows, are on sale for just $129.50. Single concert Private Reserve Passes for The Shins on Thursday are available for $135. A very limited number of single-concert Private Reserve passes for Michael Franti & Spearhead on Friday and Wilco on Saturday have been released and are now available for $150. Only a few Private Reserve Three-Concert Passes remain, which are on sale for $349. Private Reserve passes give holders access to preferred viewing of the stage in Ford Park, complimentary food and complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Prices do not include applicable service fees.

Tickets for Vail Snow Daze concerts can be purchased at the following locations:

Online at www.vail.com/snowdaze.

At the Vail Village Information Center on top of the Vail Village parking structure from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Saturday. Call 970-476-4790 for more information.

At the Vail Snow Daze tent at the base of Vail’s new gondola, One, on Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon and Friday-Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

At the Ford Park concert venue beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Note that no parking is available at Ford Park due to the Vail Snow Daze concerts

In addition to the concert, Thursday’s schedule of events includes tunes from DJ Carve at the base of Vail’s new gondola, One, from 9 a.m. to noon and the Bud Light Après Party at Vendettas from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Attendees of the Bud Light Après Party can expect great specials on Bud Light and of swag giveaways.

Vail Snow Daze is the winter kick-off festival in Vail that includes a week of headliner concerts, nightly parties and more. Taking place this year Dec. 10-16, the lineup of entertainment for Vail Snow Daze includes headliner concerts from Wilco, Michael Franti & Spearhead and The Shins with special guest Divine Fits. As part of Vail’s 50th Anniversary,

Vail Snow Daze boasts the biggest lineup of entertainment in the event’s multi-year history including 50th Anniversary events like the premiere of a film documenting Vail’s first 50 years on Friday and Vail’s 50th Birthday Party on Saturday. More details on Vail’s 50th Anniversary events can be found at www.vail.com/snowdaze.

Vail Snow Daze is presented by Vail Mountain, Bud Light, Sprint, Pepsi and Town of Vail and sponsored in part by GoPro, Helly Hansen, Maui Jim, Liberty Skis, CAO, Colorado Mountain Express, Lonestar Security & Safety Services, Vail Daily and KZYR.