Town of Vail - Government

Town of Vail - Government Welcome to the official page for the Town of Vail This is the official government page for the Town of Vail vail.gov

Congrats to the 10 incredible local artists who competed in our second annual Vail Art Studio Challenge Aug. 13! We love...
08/29/2026

Congrats to the 10 incredible local artists who competed in our second annual Vail Art Studio Challenge Aug. 13! We loved seeing so many different styles and perspectives on display! And many thanks to our generous sponsors Vicki and Kent Logan with Tye Stockton and Meg Garrido for making this event possible.

Artists included:

Yashmine Anderson – Avon
Robert Burch – Vail
Sarah Early – Vail
Sandy Fuller – Vail
Terrance Greer – Avon
Rebecca Harriet – Avon
Ethan Harrison – Minturn
Jessica Pinto – Avon
Andrew Pranger – Edwards
Kelle Roberts – Vail

Andrew Pranger walked away with first prize with runners up Jessica Pinto and Ethan Harrison.

Our incredible judges were:

Patrick Cassidy – co-owner and vice president of the Vail International Gallery
Mark Kogan – art collector and patron of the Vail Art Studio
Dr. Peter and Sarah Millett – avid collectors of contemporary, wildlife and sporting art
Squire Broel – a Washington-based artist who brings over 30 years of experience as a painter and sculptor and manages his own creative consulting business

Thank you all and we look forward to next year!

Photos by Barry Eckhaus.

The Town of Vail has selected Ryan Ocepek as the new leader of Vail Fire & Emergency Services (VFES)! Ocepek has served ...
08/27/2026

The Town of Vail has selected Ryan Ocepek as the new leader of Vail Fire & Emergency Services (VFES)! Ocepek has served as Vail’s interim fire chief since the retirement of Mark Novak this spring. The appointment is effective immediately.

Ocepek has spent his entire 27-year fire service career with VFES, starting as a student resident firefighter. He advanced through the ranks from professional firefighter, to engineer, to C-shift lieutenant, including a stint as interim battalion chief. Ocepek served as the VFES fire marshal and division chief from 2021 to 2024, then as deputy fire chief from 2024 through May of 2026 just prior to his tenure as the interim fire chief.

He has also taught fire hydraulics and driver/operator coursework at Colorado Mountain College for over a decade. Ocepek holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Management and Leadership and an Associate of Applied Science in Fire Science Technology, both from Colorado Mountain College. He was named the 2025 Colorado Fire Marshal of the Year by the Fire Marshals Association of Colorado and received the 2024 Eagle County Public Safety Council Leadership Award. Ocepek chairs the Mountain Region of the Colorado Fire Marshals Association and serves on several regional boards and committees.

“I am absolutely thrilled to appoint Ryan as our next fire chief. We had some very qualified candidates, and he demonstrated throughout the selection process that he had the leadership and technical skills to head up the department,” said Vail Town Manger Russell Forrest. “Thank you to all the community members who showed up at our meet and greet to give us invaluable feedback.”

Ocepek has led VFES in its entirety since May, including overseeing budget development, operations, personnel, fire prevention and the wildland division.

“I am humbly honored to continue my lifelong career at VFES and to now step into the role of fire chief,” said Ocepek. “I look forward to continuing to serve our community and leading this department with the same dedication and commitment that has guided me throughout my time at the Town of Vail.”

The appointment followed a competitive selection process, with more than 30 applications received for the position. Three highly qualified candidates advanced to the final round of on-site interviews. The search firm Strategic Government Resources facilitated the recruitment process.

08/26/2026

Ride the Vail Bus with Barry of Vail Town Council! We chat with a local bus rider about why he chooses the free Town of Vail bus over driving his car and how service this summer is even better than ever.

The Vail community certainly knows how to have a good time! Thanks to all who came out to to celebrate the Town of Vail'...
08/25/2026

The Vail community certainly knows how to have a good time! Thanks to all who came out to to celebrate the Town of Vail's 60th birthday!!

Photos by Dominique Taylor.

08/23/2026

Today marks 60 years since the incorporation of the Town of Vail!

Pete Seibert and Earl Eaton’s wild idea to start a ski mountain with its base in a quiet sheep pasture high in the Rocky Mountains had taken off since Vail Mountain's opening in 1962, people were showing up and it was apparent that the fledgling community of skiers could no longer just make it up as they went along.

As our town took shape over the following decades, we laid roads, built schools, cleared snow, piped water, held council meetings, formed committees, built bridges, added transit, saw record snow years and spring floods, protected open space, created homes; filling in this narrow island between Forest Service Land from East to West Vail piece by piece.

Now, it’s not quite as freewheeling as those early days, but still, we don’t mind being the first. We’re not afraid to try and learn as we go. As we celebrate the town’s 60th, we have the privilege of carrying that dream forward into a new age.

Here’s to another 60 years of loving these mountains, innovating what it means to be both a resort and a town and, maybe most important, staying true to that indomitable sense of fun and optimism that started it all.

Many thanks to narrator Pete Seibert Jr. and to ART Digital Media for bringing these words to life!

Welcome back to school!!
08/21/2026

Welcome back to school!!

08/18/2026

Watch High Five Access Media's coverage of the Vail Town Council Evening Meeting right here on Facebook Live. The stream will not be monitored for live comments but will be answered within 24 hours. To participate in the virtual meeting, visit vailgov.com/town-council

08/18/2026

Watch High Five Access Media's coverage of the Vail Town Council Afternoon Meeting right here on Facebook Live. The stream will not be monitored for live comments but will be answered within 24 hours. To participate in the virtual meeting, visit vailgov.com/town-council

It's our 60th birthday this Sunday - come help us celebrate at Avanti Food & Beverage at Golden Peak from 4 - 7 p.m.! Li...
08/18/2026

It's our 60th birthday this Sunday - come help us celebrate at Avanti Food & Beverage at Golden Peak from 4 - 7 p.m.! Light refreshments including beer, wine and a custom cocktail will be served, and 1960s-themed attire is encouraged.

While attendees can come for any part of the evening, a community photo will be taken at 5:30 p.m. when officials hope the crowd will be at its largest. The event is open to all ages.

Vail was incorporated on Aug. 23, 1966, four years after the opening of Vail Mountain.

08/17/2026

Kevin Foley with a preview of tomorrow’s Vail Town Council meetings. Full agenda and materials at vail.gov/agendas.

Public input is at 6 p.m. for any item not listed on the agenda. Be there or email input to [email protected].

Just want the highlights? Sign up for a summary that goes out after each town council meeting at vail.gov/vailmail

Address

75 S Frontage W Road
Vail, CO
81657

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+19704792100

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