What’s New for Summer 2025 in Aspen

With new and returning summer events, arts and culture celebrations and offerings, and elevated hospitality and dining experiences, Aspen is the place to be this summer. For more information on all the ways to eat, play, and stay in Aspen, visit aspenchamber.org.

ACRA News

ACRA recently relocated its main Visitor Center and administrative offices to the Armory in downtown Aspen. This move aims to enhance accessibility and connect visitors to the heart of Aspen. The new location will offer improved access to businesses and experiences for visitors and the community. Visit the ACRA team at 130 South Galena Street and read more about the new location.

Summer Event News

The FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen (June 20-22, 2025) is the ‘unofficial kick-off to the summer’, a spectacular weekend of premier epicurean adventures. This leading culinary event which has been a must-visit experience for four decades consists of three incredible days of cooking demonstrations, wine & spirit tastings, and panel discussions led by world-class chefs and beverage experts. As a first-time presenter, Aspen’s own Mawa McQueen will team up with returning presenter, Shota Nakajima, for A Breakfast Sandwich Showdown. Tickets are available at classic.foodandwine.com.

From June 25 - July 1, 2025, the Aspen Ideas Festival will welcome inspiring leaders, brilliant thinkers and curious seekers to the Aspen Institute’s 40-acre campus. From dawn to dark, attendees will stretch their minds, feed their imaginations and explore the ideas that are shaping our collective future.

Art is integral to the Aspen Community, and the city plays host to a number of Art Fairs and events during Aspen Art Week and throughout the summertime.

• The 22nd Annual Downtown Aspen Art Festival will take place in Paepcke Park, July 11-13.
• From July 29th- August 2nd, the Aspen Art Fair will be presented in partnership with 74tharts in the historic Hotel Jerome. It will kick off Aspen Art Week and feature between 30 and 40 dealers in addition to Aspen’s world-class cultural institutions, stretching across the Hotel Jerome. It will include traditional art fair booths, hotel room installations, and unexpected art activations across the property. Additionally, there will be exclusive home tours, expert talks, partnerships with local non-profits, cocktail receptions, dinner opportunities, even guided hikes to take advantage of Aspen’s natural beauty.
• Aspen ArtWeek returns to the Aspen Art Museum with a robust series of newly commissioned performances and unexpected conversations in late July. The expansive programming for this year’s ArtWeek celebrates 45 years since the museum’s founding by artists, emphasizing dialogue and collaborative approaches. ArtCrush will take place on Aug. 1, and the gala will celebrate artist Glenn Ligon, recipient of the 2025 Lewis Family Art Award at the Aspen Art Museum.
• Intersect Aspen (July 29-Aug. 3) offers an intimate, curated setting for visitors to encounter modern and contemporary art and design presented by galleries from around the world. This boutique fair is timed during Aspen’s peak art season, attracting top collectors to the region for one of the art world’s most influential weekends of the year.

NEW | Aspen Fashion Week (Aug. 7 – 10, 2025) is a vibrant celebration of creativity, innovation and the rich tapestry of the fashion industry. This inaugural event will bring together the fashion elite, designers, influencers and enthusiasts alike, all eager to witness the unveiling of groundbreaking designs that reflect contemporary trends and the unique style of Aspen. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in a variety of activities including captivating runway shows that showcase the latest collections, exclusive pop-up shops featuring emerging designers and curated workshops designed to foster creativity and collaboration.

NEW | Up In The Sky Festival 2025 (Aug. 8-9, 2025) will take place at Panda Peak at the base of Buttermilk Mountain. Headliners include Rufus Du Sol on Friday and Kacey Musgraves on Saturday, with additional acts such as Glass Animals, Glass Beams, and Suki Waterhouse.

NEW | Aspen Words, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025, will welcome more than 40 nationally recognized, regional and local authors to downtown Aspen, CO for engaging conversations, book signings and other literary activities during the Aspen Words Literary Festival (Sept. 26-28, 2025). Open to the public, the festival, presented in partnership with Book of the Month, will include an onsite bookstore, art activations, food trucks, parties and other public programming for adults and families alike.

Anniversaries | Arts & Culture

This summer, Aspen will celebrate anniversaries across a number of Arts and Culture organizations, including the Toklat Center at ACES (75 years), Aspen Institute (75 years), Aspen Santa Fe Ballet (35 years), Aspen Words (50 years), and Belly Up will celebrate its 20th anniversary.

The Aspen Institute will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2025. To celebrate, they will host a 75th Anniversary Community Celebration on the Aspen Meadows campus on July 26 — a day of gratitude, commemoration, and connection. This free, public event will celebrate 75 years of impact, bringing people together for engaging panel discussions, guided campus tours, a special exhibition at the Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies, and more.

Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) is home to three sites between Aspen, Ashcroft, and Basalt, and offers a robust summer schedule across each property. ACES offers events throughout the summer, including the annual members’ Picnic on the Preserve at Hallam Lake, Farm to Table Dinners featuring ACES’ Rock Bottom Ranch produce, Raptor Fair, Summer Welcome Party at the recently restored Catto Center at Toklat, and more. ACES' mission, educating for environmental responsibility, is woven throughout each summer activity, ensuring a dynamic, enriching experience for visitors and locals alike.

NEW | Organized in conjunction with the 75th anniversary of the Aspen Institute, the new Sculpting the Environment: The Three-Dimensional Art of Herbert Bayer exhibition provides the most comprehensive investigation to date of Bayer’s thinking about “the total environment,” or, as he put it in 1970, “the extension of my work into many areas of space.” Focusing on his site-specific outdoor sculptures and land art, this exhibition brings together more than one hundred works by Bayer, including drawings, paintings, photographs, models, and maquettes—many on display for the first time. Exhibition dates are June 10, 2025-April 18, 2026.

NEW | This summer, Aspen Art Museum will host the inaugural edition of AIR, a pioneering initiative by the Aspen Art Museum dedicated to bridging the gap between artists and decision-makers. Designed as a platform for creative exchange and collaboration, AIR brings together artists, cultural leaders, policymakers, and influencers in a space where artistic perspectives are valued in shaping solutions to societal challenges. The ambitious yearly event takes the form of a global summit and invitation-only retreat, convening a broad and interdisciplinary community of artists, scientists, technologists, and change-makers, dedicated to new ways of seeing and understanding. AIR’s expansive programming includes major public commissions, talks, performances, hands-on workshops and freeform excursions. Throughout the summer, Aspen Art Museum will also have exhibitions on view featuring Sherrie Levine, Carol Rama, Solange Pessoa and Anthea Hamilton.

NEW | This summer, Buckhorn Public Arts (BPA) will debut a major public art installation by internationally acclaimed artist Sanford Biggers in Aspen's Paepcke Park. Titled “Unsui (Mirror),” the artwork was co-commissioned in partnership with Desert X, this installation marks Desert X’s first project in Colorado, and the Aspen presentation is being installed in partnership with Aspen Public Art. The monumental work will anchoring Aspen's cultural season with one of the largest-scale public art installations the city has hosted downtown. The work features two mirrored cloud sculptures—standing 28 and 23 feet tall—on view from June 4 through September 2025. The work evokes themes of freedom, interconnection, and transcendence, drawing on Biggers’ study of Buddhism and the Japanese concept of unsui (“clouds and water”).

• Public artist talk: June 29 at 3:30 PM in Paepcke Park
• Site activation: Special performance by DanceAspen at Paepcke Park, July 30

NEW | Aspen Historical Society’s visiting exhibit, Ute Knowledge: Colorado’s Original Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (July 15-Oct. 15) will be on display in the Archives Building Community Gallery. This special pop-up exhibit from History Colorado and the National Science Foundation tells the story of how Ute Indians have used science, technology, engineering, and math to survive and thrive in the Rocky Mountains through interactives, short films, maps, images, and stories from Ute elders and youth. The exhibit was created as a part of the Ute STEM Project, a collaboration between History Colorado, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, archaeologists, and ethnobotanists. In addition to the exhibit, AHS Educator and Ute tribe member Skyler Lomahaftewa will offer weekly programs to celebrate Ute history and culture.

The Aspen Santa Fe Ballet will celebrate its 35th anniversary in 2025. Aspen Santa Fe Ballet is a multi-faceted arts organization that nurtures and manifests the love of dance across a spectrum of programs for the cultural enrichment of Aspen, Colorado, and Santa Fe, New Mexico — and beyond.

The upcoming summer season of Theatre Aspen features productions of Driving Miss Daisy (June 12-28), Mamma Mia! (July 5-Aug. 2, 2025), Million Dollar Quartet (Aug. 8-23, 2025), the return of the annual Solo Flights Festival (Sept. 2025), and the Summer Cabaret Series at Hotel Jerome (June 29, July 20, Aug. 10). Visit theatreaspen.org for more details.

Back for its 34th season, Jazz Aspen Snowmass has announced an exciting summer program with its June Experience, Café Summer Series, and the JAS Labor Day Experience. Visit jazzaspensnowmass.org to learn more and purchase tickets.

• The JAS June Experience (June 26-29) consists of multiple staggered shows daily, taking place at twelve different venues, allowing attendees the opportunity to stroll around town and enjoy a full night of diverse music genres and settings.
• JAS will return to the rooftop of the Aspen Art Museum this summer for the JAS Café Summer Series (July 18-Aug. 10) with a line-up featuring musicians from across the globe.
• The internationally recognized open-air festival, the JAS Labor Day Experience, takes place at Snowmass Town Park with the spectacular Elk Mountain Range as a backdrop. This year’s artists include Imagine Dragons, Lenny Kravitz, Luke Combs, Cannons, Lawrence, Marcus King Band, Max McNown, and Grace Bowers & The Hodge Podge. The weekend will also include a special moment for the 34-year-old non-profit organization and its leader when Jazz Aspen Snowmass and Jim Horowitz are inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame (CMHOF).

The Aspen Music Festival and School (July 2-Aug. 24) is a world-renowned classical music festival held annually in Aspen, Colorado, attracting some of the world's most talented musicians to perform and teach over an eight-week summer season. Titled “Concerning the Spiritual in Art,” the 2025 Festival explores this theme through works including Siddhartha, She—an AMFS co-commission from Christopher Theofanidis and Melissa Studdard; this immersive new music drama receives its world premiere under the baton of Music Director Robert Spano. Read more about this summer season and view the full summer calendar at aspenmusicfestival.com.

Anderson Ranch Arts Center is a nonprofit, year-round organization serving the personal and professional development of amateur and professional artists through workshops, artist residencies, exhibitions, tours, lectures, and community outreach programs for artists of all skill levels. The annual Summer Series: Featured Artists and Conversations program includes some of the most influential artists of our time, explores the work of world-renowned creators and curators, and hosts conversations with today’s most significant critics and collectors in both lecture and Q&A formats.

Celebrating 30 years of service this year, Challenge Aspen provides year-round adaptive recreation and social opportunities for local adults, teens, and youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Winter activities include skiing and Nordic skiing, and summer activities include paddle boarding, biking, hiking, and rafting. With highly subsidized rates and available scholarships, Challenge Aspen ensures accessibility for all participants. The program has seen nearly double participation in the last two years, reflecting the growing demand for adaptive recreation. This initiative promotes physical health, social interaction, and community engagement, creating opportunities for individuals to connect and thrive.

DanceAspen, led by Laurel Winton, focuses on making dance accessible and integrated into the community. With only two different seasonal weekends of performances at the Wheeler Opera House, the company expands its reach into the community by participating in nonprofit fundraising events, engaging students in schools, and performing in smaller venues across the Roaring Fork Valley. Summer performances are scheduled for Aug. 28 and 29 at the Wheeler Opera House.

Each fall, Aspen Filmfest (Sept. 16-21) attracts engaging and thought-provoking films from across the globe. Whether it be documentary, arthouse, foreign-language, or comedy, Filmfest is curated to highlight unique stories told through diverse lenses that explore the human condition. In its 46th year, Filmfest has provided a consistent platform for the best in independent, documentary, foreign-language, and art house cinema.

Sustainability Initiatives and Recognition

In Aug. 2024, Aspen announced their Mountain IDEAL certification as a sustainable destination. Following a years-long certification process, Aspen was officially third-party certified to the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)-Recognized Mountain IDEAL Standard by the GSTC-Accredited Green Destinations Certification Body in July 2024.

The City of Aspen, in partnership with the Aspen Chamber Resort Association (ACRA) and with the support of the state of Colorado, announced the launch of the Colorado Green Business Network of Aspen (CGBN of Aspen) in August 2024. This free program empowers local businesses to adopt sustainable practices, reduce their environmental impact, and contribute to a greener future for Aspen.

Aspen won a place among the 2024 Green Destinations Top 100 Stories. Aspen was recognized for their commitment to addressing climate change via policies, programs, and initiatives that holistically address the community’s sources of greenhouse gas emissions (energy, buildings, transportation, and waste).

Lodging & Hospitality

NEW | White Elephant Aspen (opening Fall 2025): With luxury hotels along Nantucket Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean, White Elephant Resorts has an established reputation for service excellence, boutique accommodations and awarding winning hospitality. The highly anticipated expansion west to Aspen, a destination with timeless allure and refined charm, is the ultimate compliment to the luxury hotel portfolio. White Elephant Resorts will bring its own inimitable mix of service, style and hospitality to the Rocky Mountain region. Debuting in 2025, the new boutique hotel is a project by Boston-based New England Development.

Following summer renovations, Hotel Jerome’s rooms will debut a refreshed look this fall. The overall design will stay true to the western and historic spirit the Jerome is known and loved for while adding some new elements. New custom lighting, thoughtful and versatile seating, luxe textiles, richly patterned wallpaper, updated carpeting, and an all-original art program add a layered, cultured, and cozy feel. The bathroom gets a significant shift and a bigger role in placemaking by with the addition of richly patterned wallpaper and a deep paint color, creating a sense of immersion as well as connecting more strongly to the bedroom. The Garden Room will be redesigned to become an extension of the Hotel living room and Prospect dining room. Located by the Hotel Jerome pool, this space will become an immersive cozy space inspired by the hotel’s layered interiors, Victorian sunrooms, and the lush mountain foliage. This will be a magical and memorable space to enjoy breakfast, drinks, and more all summer long.

This summer, embrace the ultimate wellness escape at The Little Nell, where luxury meets holistic rejuvenation. Nestled in the heart of Aspen, the resort offers breathtaking mountain views, renowned dining, and spacious accommodations, complemented by a newly renovated spa focused on wellness inspired by the ‘Aspen Idea.’ Rooted in the integration of mind, body, and spirit, The Little Nell’s offerings range from customized in-room wellness amenities and fitness adventures to farm-to-table dining and a curated boutique retail experience. Guests can explore the great outdoors with guided hikes, bike rides, and even yoga at the top of the mountain – all curated by The Little Nell's dedicated Adventure Concierge.

At MOLLIE Aspen, guests can dive into a dynamic lineup of warm-weather experiences that celebrate Aspen’s adventurous spirit and vibrant culture. Explore the area sustainably with MOLLIE’s complimentary modes of transportation for guests including exclusive Bluejay Premiere Edition e-bikes, or venture even further with Rivian-powered Excursions—complete with curated itineraries and gourmet picnic add-ons. This off-season, the MOLLIE invites both locals and guests each weekend to unwind on the hotel’s roof terrace, an amenity rare to downtown Aspen, to soak in the spa pool, enjoy mountain views, and take advantage of beer, wine, and hard seltzer buckets available for purchase. Also taking place on the roof terrace are MOLLIE’s Sunset Sounds, a live music series hosted at least once a month, featuring emerging artists and golden hour backdrops. Summer also brings the return of the MOLLIE Standard Cocktail Competition on June 15, where Aspen’s top mixologists face off for coveted prizes.

Newly renovated Aspen Meadows Resort has added barrel saunas with lovely views of the surrounding mountains. The resort is also in the process of creating a dedicated wellness space with programs and rental workout equipment kits, available beginning this summer. The Aspen Meadows Cafe will offer summer picnics, complete with a portable and functional picnic basket, blanket, wine glasses, and other sophisticated dishware to make picnicking at the nearby Aspen Music Festival's listening lawn a breeze (or turning any adventure in Aspen's mountains an elevated affair). Look for a series of new wine dinners at the resort's West End Social restaurant, as well as Aperol Flights on the resort's stunning terrace where guests choose from prosecco, cava, or Champagne and a full tray of fresh garnishes to accompany (many grown in the resort's garden).

This summer, The Gant Aspen debuts Rolling Canvas – Art in Motion, a mobile artist-in-residence program turning its iconic vans into moving works of art. Four local artists were commissioned to reflect on the Roaring Fork Valley’s greatest gift, adding a dynamic new layer to Aspen’s cultural and community landscape. Additionally, Gant Crafted Experiences spotlight the region’s natural beauty and artistic spirit through thoughtfully curated offerings from trusted local partners. Designed to immerse guests in the nature and culture of the Roaring Fork Valley, offerings include fly fishing, painting with local artists, candle making, stargazing, glassblowing, sunrise paddle boarding, guided hikes, jeep tours, ATV excursions, wine tasting in nearby Paonia, the famed Aspen-to-Crested Butte trek and more.

Dining and Entertainment

NEW | Sant Ambroeus, offering elegant Milanese style cuisine as influenced by and built from the bounty of surrounding fresh Rocky Mountain rivers and farms, is located in one of downtown's most historic buildings dating back to 1889. Next door in a new wooden cabin that complements the area's Victorian structures, the intimate furnishings of ll Baretto's bar and lounge wrap around a stone hearth topped by a green steel flue.

NEW Offering | Tinis and Tins at Hotel Jerome featuring martinis and caviar—the kind of pairing that never goes out of style. Settle into the Garden Room at Hotel Jerome with a personal tableside bar cart, bringing expertly crafted martinis and a curated tasting of the finest caviar. Will be offered daily from 2-6pm in the redesigned Garden Room.

Coming Soon | AM7, a private membership club, is nestled above Belly Up Aspen and Yuki restaurant. Centrally located and perfectly situated, the site offers both unbeatable views of the mountains and a never-before seen collaboration of dining, comfort, and entertainment all in one.

Coming Soon | Yuki Aspen, a new concept by Chef Matsuhisa Nobu, will open this winter in Aspen and offer a global fusion of flavors set against a sleek, modern dining room design.

Coming Soon | Hai Si, an underground Izakaya by Chef Yoshi Okai, New Waterloo, and Infinite Hospitality, is scheduled to open this summer.

Retail News

LoveShackFancy, a global fashion, beauty, home and lifestyle brand, is now open on the Cooper Street walking mall.

Arc’teryx will open its doors at the new US mountain store in Aspen, Colorado, in Fall 2025. The store will be a hub for the local community, hosting events, sharing local knowledge and stoke for the mountains.

Oliver Smith Jeweler will produce the second annual Watch Week Aspen, Aug. 7-10. Watch Week Aspen is an event designed to promote collaboration and camaraderie among watch enthusiasts while emphasizing the importance of expanding knowledge and fostering connections.

MICHELIN Guide News

The inaugural MICHELIN Guide to Colorado was launched in September 2023. In 2024 it was announced that Bosq Aspen retained its one star; Element 47, Mawa's Kitchen, and Prospect, are recommended restaurants in the guide; and Chris Dunaway of Element 47 was awarded MICHELIN Guide Colorado 2024 Sommelier of the Year.

Prospect, a Michelin-recommended restaurant, will debut a new summer menu highlighting Colorado fare and transitioning to an a la carte format that highlights local produce. Menu and details to be confirmed.

The MICHELIN Keys, recognize exceptional hospitality experiences. Recognized hotels in Aspen include Hotel Jerome, The Little Nell, and MOLLIE Aspen. The three hotels all received One MICHELIN Key.

###

Media Contact:

Jessie Vandenhouten

jessie.vandenhouten@backbone.media

About ACRA:

Aspen Chamber Resort Association (ACRA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting Aspen’s business community and enhancing the visitor experience. ACRA is a unique blend of a traditional chamber of commerce and a visitors' and convention bureau made up of approximately 750+ local businesses, a strong, diverse board of directors, and a dedicated staff. ACRA’s four departments which support the Aspen business community are Destination Marketing and Group Sales, Membership, Special Events, and Visitor Services. For more information visit www.aspenchamber.org or call 970-925-1940.