Aspen plays host to many world-class events each year. Immerse your group in the Aspen experience by attending one of our special events that take place throughout the year or pick a quieter day to create your own special event. From large gatherings to intimate performances, you are sure to find an event that will make your group's time in Aspen truly memorable. It is never too early to start planning as many of these events sell out early and accommodations become limited during busier periods of the year. So, take a look at our top annual events and Defy Ordinary on your next Aspen trip.
Aspen Gay Ski Week
- When: Mid January
- Aspen Gay Ski Week (AGSW) is the oldest annual, week-long gay ski event in the nation. A model for other gay ski weeks, AGSW offers a unique vacation experience in the scenic and historic mountain town of Aspen, Colorado. AGSW visitors enjoy four mountains of varied skiing and snowboarding terrain, as well as cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and winter hiking trails in the Elk Mountains of Colorado.
Winter X Games
- When: Late January
- Winter X Games are held annually at Buttermilk in Aspen Colorado. X Games Aspen showcases some of the biggest names in skiing and snowboarding and is considered the world’s best action sports event. With sporting competitions during the day, including Men’s and Women’s Ski and Snowboard SuperPipe, Slopestyle, Big Air, and concerts each night featuring a range of live performances, X Games Aspen will be sure to give everyone in your group something to enjoy.
JAS Aspen Snowmass June Experience
- When: Late June
- JAS Aspen Snowmass June Experience was first held in June 1991. Over the years the format of the experience has changed from a 4 day festival at the Michael Klein Music Tent to the June Experience that we know today. With music across multiple venues within downtown Aspen and the option to view as many as eleven acts in one night, we are sure everyone in your group will find a performance to enjoy.
Aspen Music Festival & School
- When: Late June - Late August
- The Aspen Music Festival and School (AMFS) began in 1949, and today it is regarded as one of the top classical music festivals in the United States. The AMFS is known for both its robust summer schedule of programming, which includes more than 400 classical music events each summer, and the musical training that it provides to the young adult music students who attend. With the summer season lasting approximately eight weeks, you have the availability to witness concerts by five orchestras, solo and chamber music performances, fully staged opera productions, master classes, lectures, and children’s programming. Take a look at the AMFS calendar of events when planning your next trip to Aspen.
Theatre Aspen Summer Series
- When: Mid June - Mid August
- Join a Theatre Aspen performance during your next trip to Aspen. Theatre Aspen productions take place at the Hurst Theatre located in the heart of Rio Grande Park right next to the Roaring Fork River. Theatre Aspen creates a unique experience of professional theatre under a tent for a small audience, providing an unparalleled experience. Theatre Aspen’s professional productions feature the best of Broadway talent as well as local performers. Throughout their season Theatre Aspen offers musicals, plays, and family-friendly shows.
The Annual FOOD & WINE CLASSIC in Aspen
- When: Mid June
- Each year, the world’s most accomplished winemakers, celebrity chefs, and culinary luminaries come together in one breathtaking setting at The Annual FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen. This premier culinary event consists of three incredible days of cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, and panel discussions led by world-class chefs and wine experts. The festival’s unique setting beneath Aspen Mountain sets the stage, kicking off Aspen’s summer season.
Aspen Ideas Festival
- When: Late June
- The Aspen Ideas Festival brings together public officials, artists, scientists, authors, business executives, scholars, economists, foreign policy specialists, entrepreneurs, and leaders of all kinds to the Aspen Institute for a week of lectures, debates, interviews, and conversations. Aspen Ideas: Health opens the Aspen Ideas Festival by exploring new ways to approach better health for all, featuring visionary thinkers and doers in health, medicine, and science. Both the Aspen Ideas Festival and Aspen Ideas: Health allow attendees the opportunity to interact with these leaders and thought makers on footpaths, over lunch, at the espresso bar, in auditoriums, and in small seminar rooms. Creating an environment for intimate conversations of discussion and discovery is what makes the Aspen Ideas Festival and Aspen Ideas: Health a unique experience for all who attend.
Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Experience
- When: Labor Day Weekend
- The Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Experience is a 3-day outdoor music festival held at Snowmass Town Park every year on Labor Day Weekend. Artists of all genres of music come to perform throughout the weekend including popular R&B, rock, funk, blues, world, and soul music. The Labor Day Experience is a celebration of the end of the summer season with dancing, singing, and a legendary lineup. Learn more about booking a hospitality suite for your group during the concerts here.
Wintersköl™
- When: Mid December
- Wintersköl is considered Aspen’s “toast to winter”. An annual event that dates back to a quiet January in 1951 when locals decided to celebrate Aspen’s unique alpine lifestyle with an eclectic weekend of festivities. We continue the festivities today as the four-day celebration features on-mountain activities, snow sculptures, a torchlight descent down Aspen Mountain, fireworks, and more!
There is always something to do in Aspen! Check out our events calendar for more festivals and events happening in Aspen that you can plan your next group or incentive trip around. Now is the time to step off the mountain into Aspen’s world-class experiences. Keep up on all the most recent events and meeting planner tips by signing up for our quarterly e-newsletter here.
