Friday, February 16

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. The tour meets at Guest Services cabin below the gondola at the top. Free with lift ticket ($94), aspenhistory.org 

Ullr Nights
5–9 p.m., Snowmass

Bundle up and ride the Snowmass gondola ($10) to some family-friendly snow play, including the new Breathtaker mountain coaster and lift-served tubing ($49 for a two-hour activities pass to access both; reserve in advance), free ice skating, free snowshoe tours with a guide from the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (6 and 7:30 p.m.), snowbiking ($72 guided rides for ages 12 and up, free minibikes for younger kids), and climbing and sliding on a massive snow sculpture. Elk Camp restaurant serves dinner with live music, followed by s’mores and hot cocoa by the bonfire. aspensnowmass.com 

Aspen Words 5th Annual Youth Poetry Slam

6:30 p.m., Third Street Center

Roaring Fork Valley middle and high school students show off their written and spoken word talent in this slam poetry performance. The pieces performed Friday night were crafted during their workshops with teaching artists and professional poets, which span over two weeks in February. Free, aspenwords.org

Mountainfilm in Aspen presents: Stories of Nepal

6:30 p.m., Wheeler Opera House

This evening includes screenings of three short films inspired by Nepal. The films include Rinpoche Speaks, Lunag Ri and The Last Honey.  was a winner of the Mountainfilm in Aspen Audience Favorite Awards for a short film in 2017. The creators of The Last Honey, Ben Knight and Julia Van Raalte, will have a Q&A after their film. $15, wheeleroperahouse.com

Washington’s Political Junkie, Ken Rudin, Explores the Future of Trumpism

7 p.m., The Temporary

The former political editor for NPR, Ken Rudin now hosts The Political Junkie, his own weekly program that dives into politics on all levels throughout the country. He’s also a columnist or USA Today and often contributes to radio programs and other publications. Speaking at The Temporary, Rudin will share insight and his outlook on the 2018 election, as well as other aspects of the political terrain in America today. $27, tacaw.org

Library Cinema: The 2018 Academy Award Nominated Shorts

7:30 p.m., Pitkin County Library

This weekend, see all the 2018 Oscar nominees in the three categories for short films. Friday night is the five shorts nominated in the live action category. These are DeKalb Elementary, The Eleven O’Clock, My Nephew Emmett, The Silent Child and Watu Wote/All of Us. Saturday night are the five animated shorts, which are Dear Basketball, Lou, Garden Party, Negative Space and Revolting Rhymes. And, on Sunday night is part one of the screening for the five documentary shorts. The screening for these will finish on Monday night at the same time. The shorts are Heroin(e), Knife Skills, Traffic Stop, Edith + Eddie and Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405. $10 for each night, $15 for both nights of documentary shorts (free popcorn included!), pitcolib.org

Saturday, February 17

Guided Tour
1 p.m., Aspen Art Museum

Drop-in for a spotlight tour of the latest exhibitions led by museum staff. Free, aspenartmuseum.org  

5th Annual Family Hoedown
3–7 p.m., Cozy Point Ranch 

Come on down to Cozy Point for the Aspen and Carbondale Community Schools’ annual fundraiser for its award-winning, innovative K-8 public charter schools. Smoke Modern BBQ provides the feast, along with live music, saloon games, chicken s#!t bingo, pony rides, and more. Park at the Intercept Lot and ride the free Hoedown Stagecoach to the ranch. $25 (adults), $15 (kids), free (kids under 3), familyhoedown.org

Bud Light Hi-Fi Concert Series: Cold War Kids

6 p.m., Aspen Mountain Gondola Plaza

An American indie rock band hailing from California, Cold War Kids is comprised of five members. The band formed in 2004 and has made six albums since. Their latest, L.A. Divine, came out in April, 2017 and is meant to be an ode to the band’s home (Los Angeles). This show will be the second of five in this season’s Bud Light Hi-Fi Concert Series. Free, aspensnowmass.com

Marble Distilling Co. Comedy Night 
6:30 p.m., The Marble Bar Carbondale & 9 p.m., The Marble Bar Aspen

The Marble Bar is welcoming back an all-time favorite – Ben Kronberg. This comedian's unique style blends clever one-liners and witty observations with catchy songs that he performs while playing instruments like the guitar, casio-keyboard, and loop-pedal. Since his breakout performance in Aspen, Kronberg has performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live and Last Call with Carson Daly. He currently resides in New York City where he creates original content for the web and is starring in a stand-up comedy based pilot that is currently in production. Feature comic is Dan Jones. $10 cover, marbledistilling.com 

Multitudes: An Evening with Walt Whitman

7 p.m., The Temporary

This one-man show portrays the life story of famed poet Walt Whitman. Creators Valerie Haugen Nuzzo and Kim Nuzzo (who also plays Whitman in the performance) have toured across the Western Slope, and to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, with this hourlong play. It returns to the valley this Saturday at The Temporary. $13, tacaw.org

5Point Night

7:30 p.m., Bristlecone Mountain Sports

5Point Films is honoring the life of Carbondale local Hayden Kennedy with an encore performance of the favorite films from 5Point’s Aspen show in January. Ticket sales will be donated to the Hayden Kennedy Public Lands Defense Fund. $20, haydenfund.org, 5pointfilm.org

An Evening with Bruce Cockburn

7:30 p.m., Wheeler Opera House

Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist Bruce Cockburn brings his wide-ranging musical styles and songs, which he’s mastered over a 40-year career, to the Wheeler Opera House on Saturday night. $45, wheeleroperahouse.com

Library Cinema: The 2018 Academy Award Nominated Shorts

7:30 p.m., Pitkin County Library

This weekend, see all the 2018 Oscar nominees in the three categories for short films. Friday night is the five shorts nominated in the live action category. These are DeKalb Elementary, The Eleven O’Clock, My Nephew Emmett, The Silent Child and Watu Wote/All of Us. Saturday night are the five animated shorts, which are Dear Basketball, Lou, Garden Party, Negative Space and Revolting Rhymes. And, on Sunday night is part one of the screening for the five documentary shorts. The screening for these will finish on Monday night at the same time. The shorts are Heroin(e), Knife Skills, Traffic Stop, Edith + Eddie and Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405. $10 for each night, $15 for both nights of documentary shorts (free popcorn included!), pitcolib.org 

Sunday, February 18

Ski for the Pass

10 a.m., Independence Pass winter closure gate

Help raise funds for the Independence Pass Foundation at this 7K race/tour that begins at the pass's winter closure gate east of Aspen – it's the only time this stretch is groomed for Nordic kick and glide. $30 (family), $15 (adult), $7 (under 18), utemountaineer.com

The Magic of Bill Blagg

4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Wheeler Opera House

Blagg can teleport across theaters, pass through the blades of a fan, and squeeze himself into improbably small spaces. He brings his blend of mesmerizing illusions, which include plenty of audience participation, for a pair of shows in Aspen. $17.50 child, $35 adult, wheeleroperahouse.com

Library Cinema: The 2018 Academy Award Nominated Shorts

7:30 p.m., Pitkin County Library

This weekend, see all the 2018 Oscar nominees in the three categories for short films. Friday night is the five shorts nominated in the live action category. These are DeKalb Elementary, The Eleven O’Clock, My Nephew Emmett, The Silent Child and Watu Wote/All of Us. Saturday night are the five animated shorts, which are Dear Basketball, Lou, Garden Party, Negative Space and Revolting Rhymes. And, on Sunday night is part one of the screening for the five documentary shorts. The screening for these will finish on Monday night at the same time. The shorts are Heroin(e), Knife Skills, Traffic Stop, Edith + Eddie and Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405. $10 for each night, $15 for both nights of documentary shorts (free popcorn included!), pitcolib.org

Live Music with The Deltaz

9 p.m., Justice Snow’s

The Los Angeles-based blues and country band The Deltaz takes over Justice Snow’s Sunday night. Free, justicesnows.com

Cold War Kids with Slow Caves

9:15 p.m., Belly Up Aspen

An American indie rock band hailing from California, Cold War Kids is comprised of five members. The band formed in 2004 and has made six albums. Their latest, L.A. Divine, came out in April, 2017 and is meant to be an ode to the band’s home (Los Angeles). After an outdoor show on Saturday, the band will bring their tunes to the Belly Up Sunday night. $60, bellyupaspen.com