Grace Potter and the Nocturnals kick off Spring Back to Vail with free Ford Park concert

The lineup of live entertainment and events at Spring Back to Vail, the annual festival that celebrates the close of the winter season, will ramp up on Thursday, April 12 with a free concert in Ford Park from Grace Potter and the Nocturnals.

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, who played Spring Back to Vail 2011 to rave reviews, will play a free show in Ford Park on Thursday, April 12, 2012. Named one of the “Best New Bands of 2010” by Rolling Stone and one of VH1's “Artists You Oughta Know,” the band is nearing completion of their fourth studio album, The Lion The Beast The Beat.

The band will be playing in Vail just before their first ever performance at Coachella, and it has been rumored that the band will play songs from their new album at Thursday's show.

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals.

Following Coachella, the band will embark on a summer stadium tour with co-headliners Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw, a pairing inspired by Grace's duet with Chesney on their CMA Award-winning single and video “You and Tequila,” which was nominated for multiple Grammy and ACM awards and was recently certified platinum for sales of over one million downloads.

There is no opener scheduled for this concert. The venue at Ford Park will open at 7 p.m, and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals will take the stage at 8 p.m.

In addition to the free concert, Thursday's schedule of events includes après and after-dark parties presented by Bud Light where guests can expect to find great specials on Bud Light and tons of fun giveaways:

· 4:30-6 p.m. – Bud Light Après Party at Vendetta's, Vail Village

· 10 p.m.-midnight – Bud Light Post Concert Party at The George, Vail Village

Spring Back to Vail is the annual spring bash in Vail, Colo. celebrating the close of the skiing and riding season with a jam-packed schedule of events that includes free headliner concerts, nightly bar parties, the Spring Back to Vail Expo Village and the wet ‘n' wild World Pond Skimming Championships presented by Rockstar.

For more information on Spring Back to Vail, including the full event schedule and registration for the Pond Skimming World Championships presented by Rockstar, visit www.vail.com/springback.

Spring Back to Vail is presented by Vail Mountain, Bud Light, Cadillac, SoBe Lifewater,Sprint, Town of Vail and Skiing Magazine and is brought to you in part by Helly Hansen, Maui Jim, MATADOR® Beef Jerky, Macanudo, Liberty Skis, UrgentRx, Ski Bumper, Vail Daily and KZYR-The Zephyr.