Bud Light Hot Summer Nights free concert series gets under way at Vail's Ford Amphitheater

“Tuesday nights during the summer are pretty much a given for the locals,” explained Ceil Folz, president of the Vail Valley Foundation. “It's get off work, get home, get changed and get to the Amphitheater for Bud Light Hot Summer Nights. What started out as a weekly gathering of locals has turned into a major summer attraction for both residents and guests, and we now have people driving over from Summit County and sometimes from Denver for shows and a tremendous anticipation of the announcement of the bands every spring.”

Known as “Latin-funk masters,” the Grammy Award-winning 10-piece Grupo Fantasma is the funkiest and finest Latin orchestra to come out of the United States in the last decade. The band weaves salsa, old-school funk and Reggae together to create a sound all its own, which blasts off in funkified, genre-breaking directions.

Grupo Fantasma kicks off free Bud Light Hot Summer Nights concert series on Tuesday.

Additional Bud Light Hot Summer Nights shows in June include the ever popular Neil Diamond tribute band, Super Diamond on June 21 and the soulful roots-rock of Shannon McNally & Hot Sauce on June 28.

Bud Light Hot Summer Nights will take the first of two short breaks on July 5 as Darius Rucker graces the Ford Amphitheater stage for a special concert to benefit the Steadman Philippon Research Institute. The second Hot Summer Nights hiatus will come August 2 and 9 during the Vail International Dance Festival.

The free series resumes on July 12 with Celtic rock of Great Big Sea, while other shows that month include String Cheese Incident's keyboardist Kyle Hollingsworth and his band on July 19 and the annual Bud Light Hot Summer Nights on Dance on July 26, featuring Vail International Dance Festival favorites Buckets & Tap Shoes.

Once the Dance Festival comes to a close, Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band will inject some southern funk into the Ford Amphitheater on August 16, while August also showcases the rockin' blues talents of Carolyn Wonderland on August 23. Bud Light Hot Summer Nights finishes off the summer free music scene with alt-rock icons, Cracker on August 30.

The Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater is located east of Golden Peak at Ford Park in Vail. Concert attendees are asked to park at the main Vail Village parking structure, with overflow parking at the Lionshead parking structure. For added convenience, the free Town of Vail shuttles will run extended routes past Golden Peak from 5:30-9:30pm, with a drop off at the soccer field near the Ford Amphitheater. Additionally, a special Village-to-Village express bus will run from 4-9:30pm with stops at the east entrance of the Lionshead parking structure, in front of the Vail Village Information Center and at Ford Park.

Once inside the concert venue, picnics with commercially-sealed non-alcoholic beverages are permitted, as are legless lawn chairs, blankets and umbrellas. Bikes, skateboards and dogs are prohibited at the Ford Amphitheater. A concession area with a full grill and bar service is available.

The Bud Light Hot Summer Nights free concert series and the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater are both projects of the Vail Valley Foundation. For more information on Bud Light Hot Summer Nights, visit www.hotsummernightsconcerts.com and follow Vail Free Concerts on Facebook.

2011 BUD LIGHT HOT SUMMER NIGHTS SCHEDULE

Tuesday, June 14 Grupo Fantasma (Latin Funk)

Tuesday, June 21 Super Diamond (Neil Diamond Tribute)

Tuesday, June 28 Shannon McNally & Hot Sauce (Roots Rock)

Tuesday, July 12 Great Big Sea (Celtic Rock)

Tuesday, July 19 Kyle Hollingsworth Band (String Cheese Incident Keyboardist)

Tuesday, July 26 Buckets & Tap Shoes (Hot Summer Nights of Dance)

Tuesday, August 16 Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band (Southern Funk)

Tuesday, August 23 Carolyn Wonderland (Rockin' Blues)

Tuesday, August 30 Cracker (Alternative)