Twenty-five years is a long run for anything, especially a one-day party that mixes craft beer, jazz, funk, and a benefit for the local Humane Society into one Village afternoon. Brews, Jazz & Funk has become one of those August fixtures locals plan their whole weekend around, and this year's anniversary edition brings more stages, more bands, and more reasons to stick around Olympic Valley past sundown. Festival Saturday is just the biggest day on a calendar that barely quiets down all summer, so here's the rest of what's keeping The Village busy.

Brews, Jazz & Funk

Twenty-five years in, this one still runs on the same formula: local and regional breweries pouring across The Village, three stages of live music from noon to seven, and a crowd that treats it like the unofficial kickoff to the back half of summer. This year's lineup spreads Rambo Party, Elemental and Pressing Strings across the Events Plaza Main Stage, Peter Joseph Burtt & The King Tide and Tim Snider & Wolfgang Timber on the Brews Stage, and Jonny Wild, The Get Rich Quick and Duo Dinamico with Special Guests on the First Street Stage, so there's always a set worth wandering toward.

Every ticket, advance or at the door, includes music admission, one beer or nonalcoholic drink, and a festival koozie, with fees already built into the price. All proceeds benefit the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe.

Where: The Village at Palisades Tahoe, 1960 Olympic Valley Road, Olympic Valley, CA 96146.
When: Saturday, August 8, 2026, 12 PM to 7 PM.
Cost: Adults 13 and up, $25 in advance, $35 at the door. Ages 12 and under free. Check Palisades Tahoe for current ticket availability.

SunSets Live Music Series

Guitarist performing live outdoors in The Village at Palisades Tahoe. — SunSets keeps Friday evenings moving with free live music in The Village. Photo courtesy of Palisades Tahoe.

Free music and mountain air give Friday night a little more range in Olympic Valley. Photo courtesy of Palisades Tahoe.

The Village's Friday night series keeps rolling through most of August, with a rotating lineup of Sierra musicians taking over a different Village stage each week. Dark Horse plays First Street Stage to open the stretch, Jeff Jones takes Mid Village the following Friday, and The Wreckords close it out at the Events Plaza. It's free, lower-key than festival weekend, and an easy way to let Friday evening find its own rhythm in The Village.

Where: The Village at Palisades Tahoe, Olympic Valley, CA. Stage location rotates weekly.
When: Fridays, August 7, 14, and 21, 2026, 5:30 to 7:30 PM.
Cost: Free. Check Palisades Tahoe for the current lineup.

Bluesdays Free Concert Series

Tuesdays belong to the blues here, and the summer-long series keeps a different national or regional act on stage nearly every week. Blackcat Zydeco featuring Dwight Carrier opens the stretch, Eden Brent follows the next Tuesday, and Coco Montoya closes it out. Grab dinner from a Village restaurant, settle into a low-back chair near the outdoor Blues Bar, presented with support from Auld Dubliner, and let the guitar do the rest.

Where: The Village at Palisades Tahoe, Olympic Valley, CA.
When: Tuesdays, August 11, 18, and 25, 2026, 6 to 8:30 PM.
Cost: Free. Check Palisades Tahoe for the current lineup.

High Camp, Aerial Tram, and Tahoe Via Ferrata

Two very different ways to gain elevation live in the same corner of The Village, and they're run by two different companies. The Aerial Tram, operated by Palisades Tahoe, is a 10-minute panoramic ride over Tram Face to High Camp at 8,200 feet, where the Olympic Museum, roller rink and disc golf course wait at the top. Riders age 4 and under and 80 and up ride free, and dogs on leash are welcome. The Tahoe Via Ferrata is a separate experience entirely: a guided climb up the actual Tram Face on steel rungs and suspension bridges, run by Alpenglow Expeditions, no prior climbing experience required. Two-, three-, and four-hour tours are available, and all safety equipment is included.

Where: Aerial Tram, 1990 Shirley Canyon Road, Olympic Valley, CA. Tahoe Via Ferrata check-in is at the Tram Plaza booth in The Village.
When: Aerial Tram operates daily, 10 AM to 4:20 PM, last download 5 PM, weather and conditions permitting. Tahoe Via Ferrata tours run daily by reservation. Cost: Aerial Tram sightseeing and Tahoe Via Ferrata tours are priced separately. Check Palisades Tahoe for current Tram pricing and Tahoe Via Ferrata for current tour rates and availability. Group tours currently begin at $199 per person for a two-hour weekday tour.‍ ‍

Practical Notes

Brews, Jazz & Funk runs across several Village stages, so comfortable shoes and a flexible plan will serve you better than trying to claim one spot all afternoon. August temperatures can run warm, and Palisades Tahoe specifically advises planning around pets' comfort on the Village's hard surfaces. Bring water, check the weather, and confirm current Tram operations before heading to High Camp. Via Ferrata guests should follow Alpenglow Expeditions' check-in and preparation instructions separately.

What a Village Weekend Says About Olympic Valley Living

Olympic Valley runs on this kind of energy all summer: festival Saturdays, free Friday and Tuesday nights, a mountain that never really closes even without snow. That year-round pull is part of why The Village has become its own kind of Tahoe neighborhood, walkable, social, and genuinely different from the quieter lake towns twenty minutes away. If you're weighing a slope-side condo against something more removed, the difference usually comes down to how much of this you actually want at your doorstep. Worth talking through before you decide which version of Tahoe fits you.

Talk Olympic Valley With Kenny

Kenny Rutledge
Broker Associate at COMPASS Realty
CA & NV Tahoe Specialist
Direct line: (530) 906-3880
Kenny@KennyKnowsTahoe.com
KennyKnowsTahoe.com

Brews, Jazz & Funk Turns 25 in The Village at Palisades Tahoe