Aspen, Colorado boasts a never-ending schedule of events and festivals throughout the summer and fall, with classical and jazz performances, new art exhibits, intellectual gatherings, literary presentations and more. Modern Aspen was founded on the basis of arts and culture, and they are an integral part of the dynamic mountain community, which makes Aspen a haven for nurturing mind, body, and spirit. Following is a sample of Aspen's elevated cultural offerings for summer 2018:

ARTS, LITERATURE, & INTELLECTUAL

• Aspen Summer Words, June 17-22 – 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 Peter Ho Davies, Tom Perrotta, J. Courtney Sullivan, Heather Harpham, Margot Lee Shetterly, Tina Change, and more. New this year, Aspen Words will offer a juried narrative nonfiction workshop as well as a beginning writing workshop.

• Aspen Institute Aspen Ideas Festival June 21- June 30 – The 14th annual Aspen Ideas Festival is divided into three sessions over ten days. Spotlight Health returns to the festival as the opening segment June 21-24, followed by festival 1 June 24-June 27 and festival 2 June 27-June 30, with Program Tracks including “The Sexes”, “The Genius of Animals,” “Globalization Revisited,” and “Leadership in a Time of Change.”  Here is a sneak peak of the notable speakers confirmed for Spotlight Health, the premier health conference, including Larry Merlo, President and CEO of CVS health; Atul Gawande, surgeon, author, and public health researcher; Vanessa Mason, co-founder of P2Health Ventures, the first public health tech venture; and Seema Verma, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Topic tracks for this premier health conference include the Cutting Edge of Medicine and Science, Disrupting Health Systems, Healthy Communities, and Our Planet, Our Earth. 

• Aspen Art Museum is a “kunsthalle,” a non-collecting institution home to contemporary exhibitions and aimed at the promotion of free art with complimentary admission. The exhibitions coming to the museum this summer include: Nina Katchadourian: Twitches and Cheaters (June 1- May 26, 2019), Larry Bell (June 1- Dec. 16), Yto Barrada: Klaatu Barrada Nikto (June 1- Nov. 25), Cheryl Donegan: GRLZ + VEILS (June 29- Dec. 16), Jay DeFeo: The Ripple Effect, (June 29- Oct. 28). 

• 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. This year's Summer Series: Featured Artists & Conversations, scheduled for July 12-Aug. 9, features acclaimed artists Ai Weiwei, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Tara Donovan, Robert Longo and Vik Muniz. The series will present these artists in conversation with top art world professionals from across the country including Nora Burnett Abrams, Alexandra Munroe, Naomi Beckwith, and Renaud Proch. The Summer Series will also feature Service to the Arts Award Honorees Bunny and Charles Burson in conversation with Edward Felsenthal, Editor in Chief of TIME Magazine. In addition, L.A.-based multi-media artist Alex Israel will be the featured speaker for the 2018 National Council Summer Celebration on July 27.

MUSIC

• Jazz Aspen Snowmass June Festival June 22-June 30– 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. The lineup for the June Festival includes including Lyle Lovett & the Large, Band, Lizz Wright, Leslie Odom, and a tribute to Ray Charles. 

• Aspen Music Festival and School June 28- Aug. 19 – Aspen Music Festival and School, regarded as one of the top classical music festivals in the United States, will celebrate its 70th anniversary this summer, as well as a school with more than 600 classical music students from around the country and the world. The eight-week summer season includes more than 400 classical music events spanning eight weeks from late June to early August -  including concerts by orchestras, solo and chamber music performances, master classes, lectures, and children's programming. Aspen Music Festival and School's 2018 season will be a summer of celebration focused around Paris, City of Light. Concerts throughout the season will allow patrons to delve into works by Parisian composers and inspired by the French capital. This season also marks the 25th anniversary of Harris Concert Hall. Renowned musicians for the 2018 season include Renee Fleming, Bobbie McDuffie, Sarah Chang, Eugene Drucker, Philip Setzer, among many others. 

• Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Festival Aug. 31- Sept.2 – The Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Festival will take place in the Snowmass Town Park. Acts for this year's festival include Zac Brown Band, Jack Johnson, Lionel Richie, Michael Franti, and more. 

• The lineups at Belly Up Aspen, an intimate 450-person music club, and the Wheeler Opera House, Aspen's historic theater and stage, are ever-changing but always entertaining. Belly Up's summer calendar includes performances from The Flaming Lips, Thievery Corporation, Ziggy Marley, Boz Scaggs, and many more to be announced soon. The Wheeler Opera House presents its own festivals, live music, stand-up comedy, and other performances. 

PERFORMING ARTS

• Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, July 7-Aug. 11 –  Aspen Santa Fe Ballet has become nationally recognized for its repertoire of contemporary-meets-classical choreography. The 2018 summer season includes performances such as Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Pilobolus, and a special performance in collaboration with the Aspen Music Festival & School featuring pianist Joyce Yang. The company performs in Aspen, in Santa Fe, and on national and international tours. 

• Theatre Aspen, June 23-Aug. 18 –  Theatre Aspen has received national acclaim and performs a rotating schedule of productions for both adults and families. The summer stock theater performs under a tent in Rio Grande Park. Theatre Aspen is celebrating its 35th anniversary this summer with Ragtime, Godspell and Our Town. 

FILM

• Aspen Filmfest Oct. 2018 – Aspen Film's 40th 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 more information about Aspen or to book a trip to Aspen, visit www.aspenchamber.org

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ABOUT ASPEN, COLORADO

Aspen, Colorado is a world-class destination with outdoor adventures from skiing to biking, with a flair for arts and culture, all year round. Aspen truly is a unique diamond nestled in the rough of the Rocky Mountains that has a knack for bringing big city features to international guests in a way that defies ordinary. The town has embodied Mind, Body and Spirit, which together is called today "The Aspen Idea". This idea drives the internal energy of Aspen.