Calendar of Events

Snowmass Chili Pepper & Brew Fest Date(s): 06/06/08 - 06/08/08 Details: The Aspen/Snowmass summer season kicks off in 2008 with the 5th annual Snowmass Chili Pepper & Brew Fest June 6-8, 2008. Sponsored by the Boulder Hot Sauce Company, this hot & spicy weekend extravaganza draws over 7,000 people to Snowmass and promises to melt any remaining snow off the peaks with its jalapeno hot music including Dr. John, the Neville Brothers, Stephen Marley, Lyrics Born, The Wildbirds, and more. Tickets, ranging in price from $15 to a weekend pass of only $50, are now available for purchase online. “From reggae to rock & roll to blues and funk, this music line-up is the perfect way to celebrate the event’s fifth year,” says Town of Snowmass Village Marketing Director Susan Hamley. “Add in the chili and microbrew components and it’s easy to see why the festival has become such a popular way to kick off the summer in Aspen/Snowmass.” This unique festival combines three spicy elements into one fiery weekend of music, microbrews, and chili tastings. International Chili Society cooks vie to enter the world championships while offering samplings to the public, and over 80 microbrews are available to tasters as well. Sunday is a free local’s chili and homebrew competition, and children twelve and under are absolutely free all weekend long. FESTIVAL SCHEDULE: FRIDAY CHILI: The International Chili Society’s Front Range District Chili Cook-Off. ICS cooks square off in this sanctioned district level competition in the categories of Chili Red, Chili Verde and Chili Salsa followed by public tastings. Friday’s winners in Verde & Salsa win a spot in the World’s Championships. The Red Chili winner goes on to a “Last Chance” competition. MICROBREWS: Over 40 elite national microbreweries compete in the professionally judged Best Summer Ale Brew Fest 2008 competition. Party Pass holders are invited to the following Seasonal Brews Sampling with over 60 microbrews on tap to sample. MUSIC: Musicians hit the stage starting at 3 p.m. DJ Harry SCI Fidelity recording artist DJ Harry has toured throughout the U.S. and Canada since 1993, DJing solo and with artists such as James Brown, Moby, String Cheese Incident, and Keller Williams. His music appears on over 15 major and independent labels and he has been featured on CNN Radio and NPR in addition to scoring multiple independent films. Lyrics Born From his debut in San Francisco in 1992, Lyrics Born has become one of the most critically acclaimed and best-selling independent hip-hop artists of this era, selling more than a million records as one of the most licensed rap artists with reggae and funk roots in the world. Founding member of the seminal independent record label Quannum Projects, Lyrics Born has released seven records and averages over 150 sold-out shows a year. Stephen Marley The second son of Reggae legend Bob Marley, Stephen Marley is a legend in his own right. A member of the celebrated Marley sibling group The Melody Makers since age seven, the award winning producer, singer, songwriter, and multi instrumentalist has won six Grammys-- more than any other Marley family member or reggae artist in history. SATURDAY CHILI: The International Chili Society’s Sizzling Snowmass Regional Cook-off. ICS cooks square off in this sanctioned regional level competition in the categories of Chili Red, Chili Verde and Chili Salsa followed by public tastings. All Saturday’s champions win a spot in the World Championships. MICROBREWS: Party Pass holders are invited to the Grand Beer Tasting to taste over 80 microbrews from some of the nation’s most prestigious breweries. MUSIC: Musicians hit the stage starting at 3 p.m. Henry Butler Butler, who just released his first-ever live solo album (produced by George Winston), is an eight-time W.C. Handy “Best Blues Instrumentalist” award nominee and has been called “the finest all-around pianist in New Orleans” (Jazz Times), “a piano genius" (All Music Guide) and “the greatest living proponent of the classic New Orleans piano tradition” (CMJ New Music Report Issue). Butler plays a rich amalgam of jazz, Caribbean, classical, pop, blues and R&B influences. The Neville Brothers Considered New Orlean’s First Family of Funk, the Neville Brothers’ individual recording history spans over 40 years. The brothers, Art, Charles, Aaron, and Cyril, have become renowned for their passionate funk and blues-soaked deep pocket grooves. Since their initial album in 1978, the Neville Brothers have released fifteen additional albums and continue to provoke, excite, and entertain audiences around the world with their unique blend of R&B, pop, jazz and funk. Dr. John Dr. John, is an American icon who began his musical career in New Orleans in the 1950s as a session musician. His 1968 debut album Gris Gris was considered one of Rolling Stone’s Greatest Albums of All Time. Dr. John has played with the Rolling Stones, Carly Simon, James Taylor, Van Morrison and Willy DeVille among others and has extensive movie and television credits to his name. This American icon’s music spans the globe and often combines blues, boogie woogie, and rock and roll. He was inducted into the Louisiana Hall of Fame in 2008. SUNDAY (Free!) CHILI: Local aficionados get their chance to heat up the Mall during the popular People’s Choice Chili competition. MICROBREWS: Snowmass is homebrew heaven during the Locals’ Homebrew Competition. MUSIC: TBA GENERAL INFORMATION: Book a lodging and ticket package at the Silvertree Hotel and save! Click here! Festival Pass: only $15 on Friday or $20 on Saturday. Includes access to the outdoor concerts on Fanny Hill and food, beer, and wine concessionaires. Party Pass (for ages 21 & up): $25 on Friday and $30 on Saturday. Includes unlimited access to the microbrew tastings and to sampling five different types of chili each day. Weekend Party Pass (the best value): This $50 weekend Party Pass allows unlimited access to microbrews and five chili samplings. Children 12 and under are admitted free.  Contacts: For more information, email vanessa.adam@comcast.net or call 970.925.1663.