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Archive for December, 2009

After a day on the slopes, you may be
wondering what there is to do for the rest of the
evening. Well, don’t use up all of your energy,
and leave the slopes early enough to get in a
short nap ? you will need all of the energy you
can muster for the Aspen nightlife. No matter
how much skiing you get in or how many of
the runs you have mastered, you have not truly
experienced Aspen until you venture out after
dark!

Aspen has three basic areas: downtown, the
West end, and the East end. The town is
remarkably small, considering how many
people venture here each season ? but
surprisingly, everyone and everything just fits.
The town is actually small enough to leave
your car parked at your lodge or hotel and walk
anywhere that you want to go. In fact, this is
recommended.

Not everyone pays heed to this advice, which
can make driving around and parking very
difficult. You can also take a free shuttle from
one mountain to another, take the Roaring Fork
Transit Authority Bus, or go to the Rubey Park
Transportation Center to get a ride anywhere in
the valley.

Don’t worry about getting lost. The town is well
laid out. Starting on the West end, you will find
a quiet Victorian neighborhood. While this is a
residential district, where locals live, you will
also find many hotels and condos on the West
end, particularly on Main Street. You will also
find the Aspen Meadows Conference Center
and Hotel. This is a 40-acre area where you
will also find the Aspen Institute, the Music Tent,
the Harris Concert Hall, the Paepcke Auditorium,
the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies,
the Hallam Lake Nature Preserve, and the
Aspen Center for Physics.

In the East end of Aspen you will find another
residential area, as well as the Roaring Fork
River and the Aspen Club and Spa. The East
end features more forests than the West end,
which has been developed a great deal more.
Between the West End and the East End, you
will find downtown Aspen. Downtown is where
most of the action is. Featuring old Victorian
buildings, downtown Aspen boasts pubs,
restaurants, shops, and everything else you
could ever possibly need ? all housed in
beautiful historical landmark buildings.

Down the valley a ways, you will find Snowmass
Village. To the west, you will also find Roaring
Fork Valley. These two villages are
compliments of Aspen, and you should take
the time to visit them as well.

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There is always something of interest going on
in Aspen, and September is no different. During
the month of September, every year, JAS
comes to Snowmass. JAS, or Jazz Aspen
Snowmass, began in 1991 to honor the art of
Jazz in the Roaring Fork Valley. It has now
become a music attraction that lasts all
summer long, with the biggest celebration
coinciding with Labor Day weekend.

While this is a Jazz celebration, for all intents
and purposes, all types of music are
celebrated, including reggae and rock-n-roll.
Famous musicians and singers from around
the world attend the four day Music in the
Mountains celebration.

All events take place in the breathtaking
Snowmass Town Park, located on Brush
Creek Road in Snowmass. Snowmass
Village is one of the most beautiful places in
the United States, and this festival is extremely
popular. It is vital that you purchase your tickets
well in advance, and arrange lodging well in
advance also. Snowmass advises that if you
do not have a ticket, to not show up for the
festival ? it will be sold out.

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There is always something going on in Aspen,
Colorado and the Aspen nightlife is very active.
You can find a wide variety of things to do ? but
if you want a little culture, you should definitely
find out what events are planned at the Harris
Concert Hall.

At the Harris Concert Hall, you will find
everything from Piano Recitals to Rock-n-Roll
Concerts. Events are planned well in advance,
so you should be able to find out what concerts
and events are scheduled to coincide with your
Aspen vacation.

The Harris Concert Hall is located in the West
end of Aspen, in a quaint residential
neighborhood. Due to parking and traffic
problems, you should strongly consider
walking to the concert hall. It is a short ten
minute walk from the downtown area. Other
transportation options include biking or taking
the bus. When there are events at the concert,
it is very difficult to find parking.

The Aspen Music Festival and School were
founded in 1949 by Walter and Elizabeth
Paepcke from Chicago. Many music
professionals train here and all of the school
and festival performances take place in the
Harris Concert Hall, which seats over 2000
people.

You should definitely try to visit Aspen during
the Music Festival. This takes place over a nine
week period in the summer, and there are
usually more than 200 planned events. People
from all over the world come to the Aspen
Music Festival, so be sure that you make your
plans and reservations early!

Another exciting event that takes place at the
Harris Concert Hall is the Aspen Film Festival.
This festival takes place three times each year.
The Aspen Shortsfest is held in the Spring. The
Aspen Filmfest is held during the Fall, and the
Aspen Academy Screenings are held during the
Winter. Again, people come from all over the
world for these events, so make your plans
early.

The Harris Concert Hall is full of history, even
though the newest section of it wasn’t built
until recently. This is a major part of Aspen’s
history and culture, and you should try to attend
at least one event at the Harris Concert Hall
while you are in Aspen. Most events take place
in the evening; however there are also events
that take place during the day. You can check
with your lodge or hotel to find out what events
are planned at the Concert Hall each day. Also
inquire about the need to purchase advance
tickets for specific events.

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The Club Chelsea is a fashionable club that is
a traditional part of the Aspen nightlife social
scene. Featuring a piano bar, a dining area, a
dance floor, and a private smoking room, this
is high-toned entertainment at its very best.

The Club Chelsea bar offers single malts,
cognacs, martinis, and ports, and in the
smoking room, you will find Havana and A.
Fuente cigars. The club is open from 8pm to
2am daily, and is located on East Hyman
Avenue. A light menu is offered, featuring
gourmet dishes such as pastas, tenderloins,
and tamales. Everything about Club Chelsea
screams elegance.

The chances are good that you will not run into
the college crowd here. The majority of the
patrons seem to be older ? starting with the 30
and 40 year old crowds, with some seniors
thrown in for good measure. This is elegant
‘grown up’ entertainment, where you won’t find
a lot of noise or people who have had too much
to drink.

So, if you are past the college drinking contests
and wet T-shirt competition age, you will find
Club Chelsea a delightful and elegant place
where you can while away the evening with
great food, fabulous drinks, wonderful piano
music, and outstanding cigars.

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If you can visit Aspen in March, make sure that you
catch the US Comedy Arts Festival that is held in
various venues throughout Aspen. This is one of the
major events for comedians all over the country ?
and it is some of the best entertainment you will
ever experience.

The US Comedy Arts Festival features every type of
comedy you can imagine, including Stand-up
comedy, film shorts, alternative comedy, and sketch
comedy. Tribute is given to some of the greatest
comedians from the past, such as Rodney
Dangerfield, Monty Python, and George Carlin. You
will also have the opportunity to enjoy many of
today’s famous comedians, and hear some unknown
or up and coming comedians as well.

Make sure that you don’t miss this festival ? and
make sure that you make your plans and reservations
very early. The lodges and hotels will fill up fast for
this festival, and according to locals, this is the
hardest time of the year to find lodging in Aspen ?
which is a good indication of how good the
entertainment is!

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