Portugal. The Man, Trampled by Turtles and The Greyboy Allstars to play Spring Back to Vail

Springtime at Vail Mountain not only brings warmer temperatures, long sunny days and spectacular spring skiing and snowboarding, but it also brings the resort’s annual end-of-season celebration, Spring Back to Vail, April 17-19.

This year’s event will feature free live concerts from Portugal. The Man, Trampled by Turtles, and The Greyboy Allstars, and of course the annual World Pond Skimming Championships on closing day, Sunday, April 19.

“Spring continues to be one of the best times to visit Vail,” said Jim Kellen, director of marketing for Vail Mountain. “In addition to the fantastic weather and snow conditions that we typically see at Vail in the springtime, there are also great deals to be found on lodging and lift tickets, and exciting free live music to enjoy as a part of Spring Back To Vail.”

On Friday, April 17, Pepsi presents the Portland, Ore.-based band, Portugal. The Man to kick off Vail’s closing weekend and Spring Back to Vail celebration at Solaris in Vail Village, which will open at 5 p.m. Founded in 2000, Portugal. The Man has embodied all dimensions of the rock genre throughout its career. The band has created six full albums in six years, toured nonstop including a stint with The Black Keys, and made festival stops across the country at Coachella, Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza.

Trampled by Turtles takes the Spring Back to Vail stage at Solaris on Saturday, April 18, presented by Bud Light, with the venue opening at 5 p.m. The alternative folk/bluegrass band hails from Duluth, Minn., and was initially formed as a side project in 2003. Taking inspiration from rock and roll, the group dropped its amplification and carved out an original, fast and frenetic sound and released its first record in 2004. More than ten years and seven studio albums later, the band has seen success on the Billboard charts and played live shows across the country, including stints at major festivals like Coachella, Stagecoach and Lollapalooza.

On closing day Sunday, April 19, jazz/funk band The Greyboy Allstars will cap off the 2014-2015 ski and snowboard season with a free live performance at Solaris in Vail Village following the World Pond Skimming Championships. The venue opens at 4 p.m. First formed nearly two decades ago, The Greyboy Allstars have influenced an entire generation of bands playing improvisational music in a funk format and honing their on-stage performance. Over the years the band has worked together and refined the essence of their collaboration, attracting thousands to their legendary live shows across the country. Their performance at Spring Back to Vail this year will be sure to please audiences of all ages.

All Spring Back to Vail concerts are free of charge and will take place at Solaris on East Meadow Drive and Willow Bridge Road in Vail Village. Visit www.SpringBackToVail.com for more details.

The schedule of activities for Spring Back to Vail 2015 will also include the return of the sponsor expo village at the base of Gondola One, April 18, and at the base of Golden Peak, April 19, as well as après and after-dark parties in the Town of Vail throughout the week.

The closing day tradition of donning costumes and skimming across icy water holds strong as 75 participants will careen themselves off a snow jump in the hopes of coming out on the other side in the 13^th annual World Pond Skimming Championships Sunday, April 19. The top male and female in the contest will each be awarded the grand prize of at 2015-2016 Vail Resorts Epic Pass and a pair of Liberty skis. The spectacle defies the laws of physics and common sense as a panel of highly-skilled judges scores each competitor on distance, style, creativity and water resistance. The contest gets underway at 3 p.m. and the Golden Peak venue opens at 1:30 p.m. for sponsor expos and giveaways. Registration details coming soon!

Spring Back to Vail is presented by Vail Mountain, Pepsi, Bud Light, Audi, Smith and Town of Vail, and brought to you in part by Helly Hansen, Liberty Skis, Vail Resorts Retail and Colorado Mountain Express.

To learn more about Vail Mountain visit www.vail.com, stop by the Mountain Information Center, or call (970) SKI-VAIL (754-8245).