The shear number of summertime events in America's western mountain towns is staggering, but the quality and sophistication of the events is perhaps more surprising. To match the summertime surge of visitors—greater than winter's skiing visitors in many towns—organizers have upped the amount and diversified the quality of events beyond the John Denver sing-alongs of yore. The world-class talent they recruit to the Rockies and the Sierra wants to enjoy the same rivers, mountain trails, and hot days and cool nights as the audience.
Any local will tell you that winter brought them to the mountains, but the summers made them stay, and now a new wave of entertainers, chefs, artists, musicians, and intellectuals are spicing up the summer fun.
Aspen, Colorado
When Independence Pass opens around Memorial Day, the floodgates open, and the summertime road trippers descend on this former silver-mining town-turned cultural and sporting mecca.
Snowmass Chili Pepper & Brew Fest
June 6–8
The International Chili Society holds its fifth-annual chili competitions and tasting in Snowmass Village, where more than 30 microbrewers will also face off in an exquisite ale competition. The grassy knoll of Fanny Hill rocks with hot tunes all weekend.
Food & Wine Classic in Aspen
June 13–15
The 26th-Anniversary Food & Wine Classic is hosted by Food & Wine magazine and offers a sinful weekend full of gourmet cooking demonstrations, food sampling, and wine tasting. No guilt necessary, though, as Food & Wine donates two percent of ticket sales towards funding awareness for its Grow for Good campaign, a nation-wide initiative that supports local farms and encourages sustainable agriculture.
Aspen Music Festival & School
June 19–August 17
This season the AMFS explores music that intertwines folklore, legend, mythology, and fairytale. "Once Upon a Time..." features renowned artists Joshua Bell, Emanuel Ax, and Jane Eaglen, to name a few.
JAS Jazz Aspen Snowmass
June 19–22 & August 28–September1
The varied bouquet of musical offerings is what makes the Jazz Aspen Snowmass summer festivals so special. JAS presents solo performances by jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves, Cuban salsa- and timba-singer Issac Delgado, and the Blues Brothers during the first of two large JASummerNights Gala concerts, which support JAS music education programs. The second, over Labor Day weekend, will include five days and nights of eclectic music from southern jam band Widespread Panic and Yonder Mountain String Band, among others.
Aspen Summer Words
June 22–27
The 32nd season of Aspen Writers' Foundation's Aspen Summer Words is five intimate days spent with some of the world's most talented writers. Author readings and lectures, interviews and Q&A sessions, writing workshops, literature appreciation classes, publishing industry panel discussions, private consultations, and social gatherings unite readers and writers in a vortex of words.
Aspen Institute's Aspen Ideas Festival
June 30–July 6
The fourth-annual Aspen Ideas Festival invites leading scientists, philanthropists, artists, educators, politicians, philosophers, and other key contemporary thinkers to contemplate, explore, and discuss timely and critical issues. His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be the symposium's keynote speaker this year, introducing the Institute's typically open-minded yet rigorous approach to broad and colorful spectrum of topics from arts and sciences to technology and culture to religion and philosophy to economics and politics.
Aspen Dance Festival
July 17–19
Founded in 1990, the Aspen/Santa Fe Ballet is a professional dance company nationally recognized for its productions, performances, tours, and presentations of world-renowned dance companies. This Aspen Dance Festival's season lineup features the Ballet Boyz, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Noche Flamenca, Dance Brazil, and the Dance Festival for Kids.
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