Aspen, Colorado, is delighted to announce its news and key calendar dates for Summer 2017. With The Little Nell's luxury refurbishment, Hotel Jerome's expansion, the launch of the new Marianne Boesky Gallery, the shooting of the new Hunter S. Thompson movie “Freak Power” and a plethora of world class culinary, cultural and sporting events, there are plenty of reasons to put Aspen top of your travel bucket list this summer.

HOTEL NEWS:

• COMING SOON! Aspen's only five star hotel The Little Nell will be refurbishing their guest rooms and unveiling them in June 2017. The renovation will be led by New York's leading luxury hotel interior company Champalimaud Design.
• COMING SOON! The iconic Hotel Jerome plans to renovate and expand with the recent purchase of the Aspen Times Building. A new outdoor pool, garden and patio space is scheduled for spring 2017 and eight keys will be added by December 2017.
• NEW! The Dancing Bear Aspen mountainside building is in the second and final phase of development as a 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.
• WATCH THIS SPACE! 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. Located at the base of Aspen Mountain, the development will offer 88 guestrooms, 11 W-branded fractional residences, and a 12,000 sq. ft. rooftop bar and pool with expansive views of Aspen Mountain.

ART AND CULTURE:

• Established in 1996 in New York City, Marianne Boesky Gallery was set up to support emerging and mid-career international artists of diverse backgrounds and interests. In March 2017, the Gallery will open a new space in Aspen - right down from the Aspen Art Museum - 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 programme in the shoulder season.
• New movie "Freak Power" about gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, a long-term Aspen resident, will be filmed in Summer 2017. Directed by Bobby Kennedy III, the movie will follow the story of Thompson's unsuccessful 1970 campaign to become Sheriff of Pitkin County, Colorado.
• The Aspen Historical Society is renovating their 3,000-square-foot archive building, which is scheduled for completion in July 2017. The new facility will feature a community gallery space for exhibitions, educational programming and events, while a newly landscaped courtyard will increase indoor-outdoor event space. Aspen Historical Society will host a free grand opening community-wide celebration on 14th July 2017.

SUSTAINABILITY:

• NEW! Moving around Aspen has never been easier or greener – and it is free to both locals to visitors! The City of Aspen continues to be committed to sustainability and is sponsoring a fleet of electric, cart-like vehicles from Downtowner to provide a free, eco-friendly and fun way of getting round town. The collaboration aims to ensure a greater mobility for both locals and visitors. The app can be downloaded on Play Store and Apple Store for free.

CULINARY NEWS:

• The St. Regis Aspen's new executive chef Samir Roonwal is revamping the menu at Trecento Quindici Decano to reflect his Indian upbringing and international experience in kitchens from Dubai to Toronto. New dishes will incorporate international flavours such as Vietnamese bao with short ribs and hummus with shredded lamb and pistachio crumbs.
• NEW! Broth-el is a new food truck located on the Hyman pedestrian mall serving up bone broth, ramen, macaroni and cheese, hot beverages such as coffee and hot chocolate and more. Broth-el will source meat as local and organic as possible for all dishes.
• NEW! Shlomo returns to Aspen with the new Shlomo's Bar & Grill serving up American and Mediterranean food. The family friendly restaurant, located adjacent to the Silver Queen Gondola in the Residences at The Little Nell, offers affordable options for breakfast (including a gondola-menu-to-go), brunch, lunch and dinner.
• NEW! Home Team BBQ opened in December 2016 at the base of Buttermilk inside the Inn at Aspen. The casual and family friendly spot serves breakfast, lunch, après, and dinner, with a variety of barbecue favourites, sliders, ribs, wings, locally sourced vegetables and salads.
• COMING SOON! Local resident and restaurateur David Roth plans to open Oakville Grocery Aspen, a new restaurant featuring farm first products serving breakfast and lunch. Oakville Grocery will also offer specialty items for purchase including locally made breads, meats, cheese and more.

2017 SUMMER CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS:

Aspen hosts an array of events and festivals all summer long, many of these gaining national and international prominence as the king makers and game-changers in their respective fields. Highlights of Aspen's Summer 2017 line-up, covering the major cultural, intellectual and sporting events, include:

Food and Wine Classic in Aspen, 16-18 June
• One of the world's premier culinary events 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 daily grand tastings.

Aspen Summer Words, 18-23 June
• 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, 22 June-1 July
• The 13th annual Aspen Ideas Festival is divided into three sessions over ten days. Spotlight Health returns to the festival as the opening segment 22-25 June, followed by Festival 1 (25-28 June) and Festival 2 (28 June-1 July). A variety of additional programmes, tutorials, seminars and discussions confront guests with stimulating issues throughout the festival.

Jazz Aspen Snowmass June Festival, 23 June-1 July
• 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, 5 August
• This unique mountain bike race combines single and double track trails across the four ski areas of Aspen Snowmass into one challenging course. Participants now have the option of racing a shorter course that covers only Snowmass and Buttermilk.

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

Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Festival, 1-3 September
• The Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Festival will take place in the Snowmass Town Park. Acts include Maroon 5, Keith Urban, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, with more names to be announced soon.

Grand Traverse Mountain Run & Bike, 2-3 September
• 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 3-8 October
• Aspen Film's 39th annual Filmfest is a six-day festival with a focus on documentaries. Filmfest audiences are among the first in the country to see award-worthy and acclaimed independent films.

For further information, please visit www.aspenchamber.org 

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ABOUT ASPEN
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. Enjoy a day on the ski mountains in the winter or a bike ride along the Rio Grande Trail in the summer, fantastic food, incredible environment, but most of all great people.

GETTING TO ASPEN
Getting to Aspen & Snowmass has never been easier. There are one-stop connections between London Heathrow and Aspen-Pitkin County Airport (ASE) on both American and United Airlines through hubs including Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago-O'Hare, Los Angles International, Houston, and San Francisco International. During the summer months, American Airlines offers nonstop flights from Manchester to Chicago, while United Airlines offers nonstop flights from Edinburgh to Chicago, both of which easily connect to or from ASE. Aspen is located 3 miles and Snowmass is located 6.5 miles from Aspen-Pitkin County Airport; most hotels offer complimentary airport transfers.