Celebrate Your passions in Aspen, Colorado
If it’s Worth Eating, Watching, Playing, Reading, or Listening to, Chances are Aspen has an Exciting Special Event that Celebrates It
Some might say that Aspen is one big ongoing celebration of life. But even in Aspen, some aspects of the good life deserve to be singled out. Hence the myriad special events that punctuate Aspen’s spring, summer, and fall, fêting everything from food and wine to fine writing to independent film—even rugby. And when Aspen decides to celebrate something, it’s no ordinary occurrence. Count on each and every one of Aspen’s special events to include the absolute best in its genre—be it food, fiction, film or Fourth of July festivities.
· Every year in January, the Aspen Chamber Resort Association hosts the annual Wintersköl celebration, emphasizing epic fun and winter sports. Downtown Aspen and Aspen’s four ski mountains—Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Snowmass, and Buttermilk—are the venues for this grand party, which features on-mountain activities, a parade, a canine fashion show, ski-splash, Wintersculpt, a World’s Fair, fireworks extravaganza, and more. (www.aspenchamber.org; 970.925.1940)
· Every year in June, Aspen fills with the wonderful tastes and vibrant personalities surrounding this renowned festival—the premiere event of the culinary world, in which industry experts, food-world celebrities (frequent presenters include Jacques Pepin, Mario Batali, Bobby Flay, Daniel Bould, Patricia Wells, and Danny Meyer) and those who are passionate about cooking and eating gather in the splendor of summer in Aspen for seminars, panel discussions, demonstrations, and more than a few delicious parties. (www.foodandwine.com; 970.925.1940)
· June Festival. Jazz only begins to describe the venerable guests at this fest, which takes place beneath a tent over three evenings in late June each year. Recent talent has included Diana Krall, Earth, Wind & Fire, Dr. John, and B.B. King.
· Labor Day Festival. This annual four-day extravaganza brings thousands of fans to town each year to celebrate an amazingly wide spectrum of music, with impressive headliners and the best American and internationally acclaimed musicians. Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Phil Lesh and Friends, Angelique Kidjo, and Bonnie Raitt are just a few of the stars who have recently graced this fest with their sweet sounds. (www.jazzaspen.com; 970.920.4996)
· For the Fourth of July, Aspen shows its heart and soul as an old-fashioned small town. Festivities include a traditional 6 a.m. cannon blast; a small-town-style parade, complete with a march by local veterans and the deafening roar of hundreds of Harley Davidsons; homegrown floats; a fighter-jet flyover; a “Dancing in the Streets” community party; and fireworks with Aspen Mountain as their spectacular backdrop. (www.aspenchamber.org; 970.925.1940)
· This literary festival and writing retreat takes place in late June, courtesy of the Aspen Writers’ Foundation, a nonprofit literary center that has been bringing readers and writers together since 1976. Previously featured writers have included authors Pam Houston, Larry Watson, Harold Kushner, and Ted Conover, and anyone who loves the written word or has literary aspirations of their own is invited. (www.aspenwriters.org; 970.925.3122)
· For more than half a century, this unique conference has brought together an international roster of design professionals from every discipline—industrial and product, architecture and landscape architecture, electronic and multimedia, graphic and fashion—as well as interested amateurs to discuss design in the context of current issues and current issues in the context of design. (www.idca.org; 970.925.2257)
· Each Labor Day weekend, Aspenites of average height suddenly feel a little shorter, thanks to the influx of a uniformly tall, statuesque breed—top volleyball players from around the country. They gather here to compete in this annual spike-fest, one of the most exciting and competitive volleyball events of the year, and the largest doubles’ volleyball event in North America. (www.motherlodevolleyball.com; 970.925.1940)
· For five days in late September, when Aspen’s skies are at their bluest, the fall foliage at the height of its drama, the weather at its crispest, the air is filled with rowdy cheers and the sound of bone-crunching tackles. This is when Ruggerfest, America’s premiere rugby tournament (motto: Intensity, Passion, Survival) takes over the town, hosted by the Gentlemen of Aspen Rugby Club, one of America’s top teams, which has been bruising the competition since 1968. The Gentleman of Aspen compete regularly from spring to fall. (www.aspenrugby.com; 970.947.5198)
· This respected film festival has none of the pretension or hype of comparable events elsewhere, but it manages to draw top films and filmmakers to Aspen for the last weekend of September each year nonetheless. With “Independent By Nature” as its motto and mission, Filmfest involves feature films, documentaries, retrospectives, and other special events, from those honoring established actors and directors to those heralding exciting new talent. (www.aspenfilm.org; 970.925.6882)
New Events
· Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to be part of the first ever Elk Mountain Adventure Race held in Aspen, to be held on June 21, 2003. This 10-16 hour race will include over 60 miles of multi-sport events, including a 12-mile whitewater paddle, a 24-mile trek/run, and a 26-mile mountain bike/rappel.
· The first annual Aspen Cocktail Classic, held October 2002, was a great success, with more than 900 attendees casting their vote for their favorite Aspen cocktail. Hosted by the Aspen Chamber Resort Association, this annual event features more than 20 local bartenders from area restaurant and bars competing to create the official Aspen cocktail. Participants place their votes by sampling the different concoctions, and the winning cocktail is announced at the evening’s end. Currently, the “Aspen Face Shot” is the king of Aspen cocktails.
Plans are underway for even more events in Aspen. Two new events in the works include an Aspen Art Festival in early August and a Decorative Arts and Antiques Show in late September. Look for up-dated information and more events on www.aspenchamber.org, in the events calendar section.
