The good reggae vibes of previous Marley in the Mountains events will also include some Irish "swagger" this year as well as a unique mountain race. Mountain Niceness Productions will present the 2011 Marley in the Mountains Festival in Ketchum on Saturday, Feb. 19, and Sunday, Feb. 20. The weekend of events will celebrate music, mountain niceness culture, yoga and nature.
"This is the third year," said event organizer Danny Walton. "We are adding the Up Down-Get Down. We are a mountain town and this is a great commemorative tour to honor our ski history returning to the site of the Harriman Cup."
The Up Down-Get Down will kick off the weekend's activities on Saturday, Feb. 19, at 9 a.m. at Durrance Mountain in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. The race will honor the heritage of the original Harriman Cup course and will raise funds for Sun Valley Adaptive Sports and the Sawtooth Avalanche Center. The 5B Ski Club will provide the manpower support and Sun Valley Trekking and the local avalanche forecasters will be the hill support and safety. Pre-register for the race at the 5B Ski Club in Ketchum on Friday, Feb. 18, from 5-9 p.m. Only 75 people can participate in the 2,800-foot climb. On Saturday, Feb. 19, an Adaptive Sports shuttle will leave the upper River Run parking lot in Ketchum at 7:30 and 7:45 a.m. A $20 donation is suggested for participants. It is mandatory to take the shuttle.
"This is a one-of-a-kind event," Walton said. "I love the name."
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Following the race, the Marley in the Mountains concert, Shamrocks and Dreadlocks, will take place at 4 p.m. on the Simplot lot, future home of the Sun Valley Center for the Arts, across from the Ketchum Post Office. Tickets are $10, available at the concert and at all Atkinsons' Markets.
The live music concert will feature Ethan Tucker and the Grass Roots All-Stars from 5-6:15 p.m., Carlos Jones and the Plus Band from 6:30-8:15 p.m. and Swagger, an Irish rock band, from 8:30-10 p.m. Bonfires, concessions and raffles will be included throughout the concert.
"Swagger is as close as you can get to bands like Flogging Molly," Walton said. "These are classically trained and schooled musicians. They are professionals."
Swagger will also perform on Friday, Feb. 18, at the Sun Valley Brewery in Hailey at 9 p.m. Tickets are $5.
On Sunday, Feb. 20, at 10 a.m., a Snow Salutations yoga event will take place at the Hemingway Elementary School gym in Ketchum. This past fall's Snow Salutations had over 80 people participate in a free yoga class in the Ketchum Town Square.
"We need snow," Walton said. "Bring mats and give salutations for snow."
The Marley in the Mountains experience continues through Sunday, with a Sunday Night Reggae Hall at the Roosevelt Grille in Ketchum at 10 p.m. The free evening of music will feature Lions Den Sounds International Sound System with DJ Vision.
The weekend promises good music and mountain events for all ages. Pre-sale tickets will include a raffle ticket and Mountain Niceness CD mix. Raffle items include a Payette River Trip and amazing ski gear. For details, visit www. marleyinthemountains.com.
Sabina Dana Plasse: splasse@mtexpress.com
Courtesy photo
Carlos Jones returns for live reggae music on the Simplot lot, future home to The Sun Valley Center for the Arts, across from the Ketchum Post Office.
