Datebook
Aspen Weekend Agenda: December 8-10, 2017
From Chris Klug Foundation’s Summit for Life to Aspen Santa Fe Ballet's The Nutcracker, Chair 9′s opening at The Little Nell to Lupe Fiasco at Belly Up, Aspen, the season is on.
This weekend's Library Cinema pick is Lost in Paris, which had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016.
Friday, December 8
History Ski Tour
1 p.m., Aspen Mountain
Learn about the amazing mining and ski history lying literally beneath your feet as you tour Aspen Mountain with a long time local historian. Meets at Guest Services cabin below the gondola at the top. Free with lift ticket ($94), aspenhistory.org
Anderson Ranch Artists In Residence Slide Presentation
6 p.m.,The Launchpad, Carbondale
Join Carbondale Arts for an insightful and engaging presentation of artwork from Anderson Ranch Arts Center’s fall Artists-in-Residence. Each resident will share 10-15 slides of his/her artwork in five-minute segments. The public is invited to meet the residents, mingle and ask questions after the presentation. Deck The Walls Holiday Market will also be open for Holiday shopping. Free, carbondalearts.com
12th Annual Summit for Life
6 p.m., Shlomo's
This beloved benefit in support of the Chris Klug Foundation’s mission of raising awareness for organ and tissue donation kicks off with Wine and Dine for Life, a celebratory wine pairing dinner with Olympic snowboarding medalist Klug and friends. $250, summitforlife.org
Library Cinema: Lost in Paris
7:30 p.m., Pitkin County Library
Filmed in Dominique Abel and Fiona Gordon's signature whimsical style, the filmmakers star as a small-town Canadian librarian and a strangely seductive, oddly egotistical vagabond. When Fiona's orderly life is disrupted by a letter of distress from her 88-year-old Aunt Martha who is living in Paris, Fiona hops on the first plane she can and arrives only to discover that Martha has disappeared. Free, pitcolib.org
Constellations
7:30 p.m., Thunder River Theatre Company, Carbondale
TRTC's banner winter-season play, directed by Mike Monroney and featuring Roaring Fork Valley locals Nikki Boxer and Nyle Kenning, follows the spellbinding, romantic story of a beekeeper and a physicist who meet and fall in love. $15 (students), $20 (YP), $30 (adults), thunderrivertheatre.com
Ben Roy
8 pm, The Temporary, Basalt
Often compared to Louis Black or Bill Hicks due to his passionate, ranting approach, Roy has a style that is definitively his own. Ben and fellow Denver comedians Adam Cayton-Holland and Andrew Orvedahl (who collectively perform as The Grawlix) moved to Los Angeles in 2014, where they just wrapped a third season of the hit comedy Those Who Can’t for TruTV. $22 (advance), $27 (door), tacaw.org
Summit for Life racers will climb 3,267 vertical feet geared up with headlamps, mircrospikes, or climbing skins on Saturday night.
Saturday, December 9
Buttermilk Opening Day
9 a.m., Aspen Highlands & Buttermilk
Brush up on your tricks and head straight for Buttermilk’s terrain parks and warm up for the season on top-notch beginner and intermediate runs. $94 (early season one-day lift ticket), aspensnowmass.com
Family Workshop
10 a.m., Aspen Art Museum
This month’s theme for the drop-in workshop is color improvisation. The session begins in the Education Workshop, giving families choices for self-guided or educator-led activities and art-making stations. Be sure to exit through the gift shop for its "Locals Love" sale (50–70 percent off). Free, aspenartumuseum.org
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet’s The Nutcracker
2 & 7:30 p.m., Aspen District Theatre
For this favorite holiday tradition, company dancers and guest artists join with the ballet school’s students to present Tchaikovsky’s beloved classic. The performance combines classical ballet with flamenco, aerial acrobatics, and circus artists for a truly magical experience. From $36, aspensantafeballet.com
Chair 9 Opening Party
4–7 p.m.., The Little Nell
After a day on the slopes, ski into Aspen's aprés HQ at the base of Ajax sporting your most stylish 90’s throwback threads for the official opening party. Dance to the beats of DJ Mayfly and vie for prizes in a retro costume contest (6 p.m.). Free, thelittlenell.com
12th Annual Summit for Life
5:30 p.m., Aspen Mountain
It’s straight to the top of Aspen Mountain as quickly as possible. Once you trek the 2.5 miles uphill to the Sundeck, feast on a post-race lasagna dinner with live music and the awards ceremony. Silver Queen Gondola access—a.k.a. Ride for Life—is available for those who didn’t race but want to celebrate. Registration: $75, plus minimum $100 raised; Ride for Life tickets $70 adult, $35 children, summitforlife.org
Constellations
7:30 p.m., Thunder River Theatre Company, Carbondale
TRTC's banner winter-season play, directed by Mike Monroney and featuring Roaring Fork Valley locals Nikki Boxer and Nyle Kenning, follows the spellbinding, romantic story of a beekeeper and a physicist who meet and fall in love. $15 (students), $20 (YP), $30 (adults), thunderrivertheatre.com
Library Cinema: Lost in Paris
7:30 p.m., Pitkin County Library
Filmed in Dominique Abel and Fiona Gordon's signature whimsical style, the filmmakers star as a small-town Canadian librarian and a strangely seductive, oddly egotistical vagabond. When Fiona's orderly life is disrupted by a letter of distress from her 88-year-old Aunt Martha who is living in Paris, Fiona hops on the first plane she can and arrives only to discover that Martha has disappeared. Free, pitcolib.org
Tacos & Salsa
8 p.m., The Temporary, Basalt
Back by popular demand: a celebration of the season with fresh made tacos by Nacho, drink specials, and dance music spun by DJ RAZZA. Salsa lessons start at 8 p.m. and open dancing kicks-off at 9 p.m. $4 (advance), $5 (door), tacaw.org
Lupe Fiasco
9:30 p.m., Belly Up Aspen
Get down with the Grammy-winning Windy City rapper behind hits “Battle Scars” and “Superstar” with The Boy Illinois and RXMN. $60, bellyupaspen.com
Get into the Christmas spirit at The Little Nell on Sunday's annual tree lighting ceremony.
Image: Jeremy Swanson
Sunday, December 10
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet’s The Nutcracker
1 & 5 p.m., Aspen District Theatre
For this favorite holiday tradition, company dancers and guest artists join with the ballet school’s students to present Tchaikovsky’s beloved classic. The performance combines classical ballet with flamenco, aerial acrobatics, and circus artists for a truly magical experience. From $36, aspensantafeballet.com
Constellations
2 p.m., Thunder River Theatre Company, Carbondale
TRTC's banner winter-season play, directed by Mike Monroney and featuring Roaring Fork Valley locals Nikki Boxer and Nyle Kenning, follows the spellbinding, romantic story of a beekeeper and a physicist who meet and fall in love. $15 (students), $20 (YP), $30 (adults), thunderrivertheatre.com
Sugar Plum Tea Party
3 p.m., Hotel Jerome
Can’t get enough of The Nutcracker? Join characters from the ballet for selfies while satisfying your sweet tooth with chocolates and other nibbles, and tea, of course. Also on the menu: surprise entertainment. $30.
aspensantafeballet.com
5th Annual Tree Lighting
5 p.m., The Little Nell
This festive, family-friendly event is held in the courtyard. We’ll count down together to the exciting tree lighting as you sing along with carolers, enjoy complimentary cookies and hot cocoa, pose for photo ops with Santa Claus and play with The Aspen Animal Shelter’s “reindeer” pups. Free, thelittlenell.com
Library Cinema: Lost in Paris
7:30 p.m., Pitkin County Library
Filmed in Dominique Abel and Fiona Gordon's signature whimsical style, the filmmakers star as a small-town Canadian librarian and a strangely seductive, oddly egotistical vagabond. When Fiona's orderly life is disrupted by a letter of distress from her 88-year-old Aunt Martha who is living in Paris, Fiona hops on the first plane she can and arrives only to discover that Martha has disappeared. Free, pitcolib.org
