Aspen Weekend Agenda: May 18–20, 2018
Volunteers taking a break at last year's Snowmass Town Clean Up Day.
Image: Travis Elliott
If watching the royal nuptials isn't your cup of tea, don't stress! This weekend is full of clean-up and planting projects, with plenty of live music for listening and dancing the night away.
Friday, May 18
Snowmass Town Clean Up Day
9:00 a.m., Daly Lane Depot
The 38th annual community clean up Snowmass happens rain or shine. Volunteers will receive area assignments, bags, gloves, and raffle tickets in the morning. At noon, everyone meets to celebrate with a BBQ lunch provided by the Snowmass Village Rotary. Free, tosv.com
Honky Tonkin’ with Halden Wofford & the Hi*Beams
8:30 p.m. (doors open at 7:30), The Temporary
Dust off your dancin’ boots for an evening of electrifying country music and boot scootin’ fun. $10 in advance/$15 day of, tacaw.org
The Mighty Pines
9:00 p.m., Belly Up Aspen
Start cranking up your spring with this bluegrass quartet and its fresh, heartland sound that melds acoustic soul with rock and roll. No cover, bellyupaspen.com
Saturday, May 19
Aspen Parkrun
8 a.m., Aspen Recreation Center
Every Saturday, the Aspen Recreation department hosts weekly 5K timed runs. The course will follow the High School Trail through the school district to the Marolt Open Space, continue over the Castle Creek foot bridge, and then return. Parkrun is an international movement that encourages communities to sponsor free runs open to all. Free, parkrun.us/aspen
Lower Jen's Trail Reroute Project
8:30 a.m., Carbondale
Come celebrate Colorado Public Lands Day by building more than a mile of new trail in Prince Creek that will provide permanent access to BLM land. Tools, dinner, and drinks are provided; bring your own lunch and sweat equity. Free, rfov.org
Arbor Day Celebration
10 a.m., Paepcke Park
Come celebrate Arbor Day with the City of Aspen’s Parks, Trails, and Open Space Department. Learn about tree planting, care, insect and disease identification, wildfires, and more, while enjoying games, refreshments, bucket truck rides (for kids), and tree giveaways (with proof of Aspen residency). Free, 970-920-512
Natural Beekeeping Workshop
10:00 a.m., Sustainable Settings Ranch
This 101 workshop covers what you need to know to get started with bees and a hive in your yard, including bee basics, different hive styles, and management practices. $100, backyardhive.com
Art Museum Day
10:00 a.m., Aspen Art Museum
Institutions across America will be celebrating #ArtMuseumDay to bring attention to the role art museums play in their communities. Stop by any time during regular museum hours (10 a.m.–6 p.m.) for the best rooftop views in town, and for free, fresh-brewed coffee (until 5 p.m.) in SO Café on Level 3. Thomas Struth (Gallery 1) and Nate Lowman’s Before and After (Galleries 2 & 3) are currently on view. There is also a guided tour at 1 p.m. Free, aspenartmuseum.org
Even if it's a cloudy day, beautiful views await at the top of Arbaney Kittle.
Image: Allison Pattillo
Public Lands Day Celebration Hike and Happy Hour
1 p.m., Arbaney Kittle Trailhead/4 p.m., Capitol Creek Brewery
Wilderness Workshop and Bristlecone Mountain Sports lead this free hike on the Arbaney Kittle Trail to celebrate Colorado Public Lands Day. The post-hike happy hour is at Capitol Creek Brewery (celebrating its first anniversary) with live music, free apps, discounted brews, gear raffles from Bristlecone Mountain Sports, and 10 percent off at Bristlecone for the evening. Hike and happy hour apps are free; beer is discounted; RSVP at bristleconemountainsports.com to take advantage of discounted drinks and discounted merchandise at at the store.
Sonic Showdown
2 p.m., The Temporary
Presented by Jazz Aspen Snowmass and the Jake Foerster Music Arts Fund, this afternoon show features some of the valley's best youth bands, DJs, and rappers. Participants will play for the chance to perform at a future Jazz Aspen event, complimentary recording time at a local studio, and other fun prizes. Free, tacaw.org
Mental Pause
8:00 p.m., The Temporary
Celebrating women of a certain age and all those who love them, this two-women comedy show is just the way to laugh off middle age. $14 in advance/$19 day of, www.tacaw.org
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club with Pete International Airport
9:00 p.m., Belly Up Aspen
The headliner Los Angeles rock and roll band lands in the mountains to share tracks from its 15-year career, including those from its sixth studio album, Specter at the Feast. $35 GA/$55 reserved seating, bellyupaspen.com
Cyclists at the start of the 2017 Ride for the Pass.
Image: Matt Power
Sunday, May 20
Ride for the Pass
10 a.m., Winter Gate
Ride to Independence ghost town before Highway 82 opens for the season. The 24th running of the event includes are both competitive and recreational divisions, and, new this year, a non-competitive e-bike division. The ride benefits the Independence Pass Foundation’s restoration work . $25 to $45 based upon your entry, independencepass.org
Science Sunday with Aspen Science Center
11:00 a.m.–3 p.m., Basalt Middle School
Going to school on Sunday may not be your kiddos' first choice, but the Aspen Science Center promises to make it fun with lots of hands-on demonstrations and experiments for both kids and adults. The admission fee includes lunch. $10 admission payable at the door, no advance tickets required, aspensciencecenter.org
ARTway Planting Party
2:00 p.m., Rio Grande Trail, Carbondale
Join the planting party for the Rio Grande ARTway happening at both DeRail Park (Hwy 133 & Rio Grande Trail) and the Latino Folk Art Garden (8th St & Rio Grande Trail). The two public parks are ready to be planted with perennial flowers and shrubs. Bring gloves and gardening tools; food and drink will be provided. Free/sweat effort, www.carbondalecreativedistrict.com
Rock & Roll Academy Concert
3 p.m., The Temporary
This musical showcase highlights another session of the popular afterschool music education program. Come see what all the noise is about! Free, tacaw.org
Lit Out Loud: Lorrie Moore
3:00 p.m., Pitkin County Library Meeting Room
Come listen to one author’s words in two different voices, with readings by Jane Floyd and Janice Estey. Free, pitcolib.org
Movie Night: Black Panther
7:30 p.m., Belly Up Aspen
Movie night at the Belly Up watching this Marvel Studios superhero film may be even better than movie night at home because you can order off the menu! The sound track, including Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, SZA, and the Weeknd will sound even better on the Belly Up’s sound system. No cover, bellyupaspen.com
