spen, Colo. (Jan. 2017) – Combining culture, adventure, mountain beauty and the charming town of Aspen, a spring/summer/fall vacation in Aspen is incomparable. Offering activities such as mountain biking, hiking, fly fishing, white water rafting and more, Aspen is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream. Aspen boasts a plethora of cultural events including classical and jazz music, visual and performing arts, intellectual gatherings and writing festivals, and culinary festivals. For more information and a complete calendar of events, visit www.aspenchamber.org or call 800.670.0788 or 970.925.1940

 

AIRLINE NEWS

• United Airlines will extend flights from San Francisco (SFO) and Houston (IAH) through Labor Day, and American Airlines will extend service from Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Los Angeles (LAX) and Dallas-Forth Worth (DFW) through the first week of October.

LODGING NEWS

• NEW! The Dancing Bear Aspen Mountainside building is the second and final phase of the private residence club. The new building features ten three-bedroom residences, a stunning 3,200 sq. ft. penthouse residence, a spa grotto and steam room, new restaurant, and more.
• COMING SOON! The Little Nell’s guest rooms, premium guest rooms, and suites will be refreshed in spring 2017 by Champalimaud Design of New York. The refresh of the rooms is scheduled to be completed by summer 2017.
• COMING SOON! Hotel Jerome plans to renovate and expand with the recent purchase of the Aspen Times Building by adding eight keys by Dec. 2017 as well as new amenities including a revitalized courtyard between the two buildings with a pool deck and patio. (330 E. Main St.)
• COMING SOON! W Aspen and The Sky Residences at W Aspen is slated to open for the 2018 winter ski season. The new hotel and residences will be designed by Nemaworkshop in partnership with local firm Rowland + Broughton Architecture and W’s in-house design team, offering 88 guest rooms and 11 W-branded fractional residences. Conveniently located at the base of Aspen Mountain, the development will also feature a 12,000 sq. ft. rooftop bar and pool with expansive views of Aspen Mountain.

ADVENTURE NEWS

• NEW! The new whitewater park on the Roaring Fork River in Basalt was recently completed in the late spring season and has two features which create a wave effect ideal for kayakers and stand-up paddleboarders. The upper feature is considered more extreme, while the lower feature is a bit easier to manage.

ART, CULTURE AND RETAIL NEWS

• NEW! Venice-based brand Aviator Nation is opening a sixth flagship store, and first location outside of California, in Aspen this June 2017. The Aspen store will provide athleisure clothing for both men and women. (308 S. Mill St.)
• NEW! Marianna Boesky Gallery opened a space in Aspen in March 2017 with a show of new and recent work by Frank Stella and Larry Bell. The new gallery, designed by Selldorf Architects alongside local firm David Johnson Architects will stage various exhibitions during peak seasons and offer a residency program in the shoulder season. (110 S. Spring St.)
• COMING SOON! The Aspen Historical Society’s renovation of their 3,000-square-foot archive building is scheduled for completion in July 2017. The new facility will feature a community gallery space for exhibitions, educational programming, and events, plus increased and safeguarded storage for the town’s artifacts, photographs, and objects. In addition, a newly landscaped courtyard will increase indoor-outdoor event space. Aspen Historical Society will host a free grand opening community-wide celebration on July 14.  (620 W. Bleeker St.)
• The Little Nell opened a new boutique in mid-Dec. inside the hotel with must-have souvenirs and luxe gifts including branded cashmere slippers, preserves from the pastry kitchen, Little Nell pet leashes, and more. (675 E. Durant Ave.)
• Only Nature Pet opened on the Cooper Ave. mall Dec. 2016. The store specializes in nature, organic and eco-friendly supplies and holistic health-care information for dogs and cats. (416 E. Cooper Ave.)
• Valentina Kova, an artisanal brand based in New York, opened a store in Aspen over the winter season offering luxury women’s clothing and knitwear. (208 S. Mill St.)
• Odd Molly, a women’s clothing line from Sweden, opened over the winter season in downtown Aspen. The store is one of three North American flagships in Colorado. (613 E Cooper Ave.)
• Aspen Snowmass opened a new high-end logo store near the gondola plaza with logoed items such as Aspen Highlands Ski Patrol straps, high-end leatherwear, home goods, dog leashes, and a plethora of clothing options. (555 E. Durant Ave.)

FOOD & WINE NEWS

• NEW! Shlomo returns to Aspen with the new Shlomo’s Bar & Grill serving up American and Mediterranean food. The family friendly restaurant offers affordable options for breakfast (including a gondola-menu-to-go), brunch, lunch, and dinner. Shlomo’s Bar & Grill is located adjacent to the Silver Queen Gondola in the Residences at The Little Nell. (501 E. Dean St.)
• NEW! Home Team BBQ opened Dec. 2016 at the base of Buttermilk inside the Inn at Aspen. The casual and family-friendly spot serves up breakfast, lunch, après, and dinner, with a variety of barbecue favorites, sliders, ribs, wings, locally sourced vegetables and salads.  (38750 HWY 82)
• COMING SOON! Local resident and restaurateur David Roth plans to open Oakville Grocery Aspen, a new restaurant featuring farm first products serving up breakfast and lunch. Oakville Grocery will also offer specialty items for purchase including locally made bread, meats, cheese and more.  (201 E. Main St.)
• The St. Regis Aspen’s Trecento Quindici Decano new executive chef Samir Roonwal is revamping the restaurant’s menu to reflect his Indian upbringing and international experience in kitchens from Dubai to Toronto. New dishes will incorporate international flavors with dishes such as Vietnamese bao with short ribs and hummus with shredded lamb and pistachio crumbs. (315 E. Dean St.)

2017 SUMMER CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS

Aspen boosts an array of events and festivals all summer long with musical performances around town, culinary and art festivals, sporting events and more. Following are some highlights of Aspen’s summer 2017:

Food and Wine Classic in Aspen, June 16-18

• The nation’s premier culinary event returns to Aspen with world-renowned celebrity chefs and wine experts. The three-day weekend includes tasting events, cooking classes, cooking demos, wine and interactive seminars, and the daily grand tastings.

Aspen Summer Words, June 18-23

• Aspen Summer Words welcomes visitors and locals alike to celebrate writing and writers in Aspen for a week in June. Various workshops will be held with renowned authors and teachers including Ben Fountain, Hannah Tinti, Jess Walter, Dani Shapiro, Said Sayrafiezadeh, Jericho Brown, George Hodgman and more.

Aspen Institute Aspen Ideas Festival June 22-July 1

• The 13^th annual Aspen Ideas Festival is divided into three sessions over ten days. Spotlight Health returns to the festival as the opening segment June 22-25, followed by festival 1 June 25-June 28 and festival 2 June 28-July 1. A variety of additional programs, tutorials, seminars, and discussions confront guests with stimulating issues throughout the festival.

Jazz Aspen Snowmass June Festival June 23-July 1

• The Jazz Aspen Snowmass June Festival includes four nights of headline concerts from world-class musicians at the Benedict Music Tent, an expanded JAS Café Downstairs at The Little Nell Series, and a free nightly lawn party on the music festival grounds.

Power of Four Mountain Bike Race, Aug. 5

• This unique mountain bike race combines single and double track trails across the four ski areas of Aspen Snowmass into one challenging course. New for 2015, participants will have the option of racing a shorter course that covers only Snowmass and Buttermilk.

Power of Four Trail 50K, 22K & Vertical K Race, Aug. 5-6

• The Power of Four Trail Race Series offers three different races in Aspen Snowmass including the 50K race, 22K race, and the event’s signature race, the challenging 50K Ultra that covers the four Aspen Snowmass mountains.

Motherlode Volleyball Classic Sept. 2017

• Nearly 700 teams from all over the country come to Aspen to compete in the annual Motherlode Volleyball Classic, one of North America’s largest and most popular beach volleyball events.

Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Festival Sept. 1-3

• The Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Festival will take place at the Snowmass Town Park. Acts for this year’s festival include Maroon 5, Keith Urban, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, and more to be announced soon.

Grand Traverse Mountain Run & Bike, Sept. 2-3

• The fourth annual Grand Traverse Mountain Run & Bike will take place on a fully supported trail from Crested Butte to Aspen, a 40-mile course. Participants may choose to do the race solo or as a team of two. The races will start in downtown Crested Butte on Elk Avenue and finish at the base of Aspen Mountain.

Aspen Filmfest Oct. 3-8

• Aspen Film’s 39^th annual FilmFest is a six-day-long festival with a focus on documentaries. Filmfest audiences are among the first in the country to see award-worthy and acclaimed independent films.

 

For media information and images, contact Promo Communications:

Maureen Poschman maureen@promocommunications.com

Melissa Wisenbaker melissa@promocommunications.com

970.925.8480

For visitor information, visit www.aspenchamber.org, or call 1.888.290.1324 or 970.925.1940.