The most up-to-date information for the Roaring Fork Valley

Art exhibition by Ingrid Magidson: Present History. The David Floria Gallery exhibits contemporary art in all media by internationally known and emerging artists.

Tickets: $20; general admission. Aspen's Past to Present is the classic historical walking tour. The 90-minute-long tour weaves through Aspen's historic downtown telling the stories of the people that made Aspen what it is today. Offered Mondays and Thursdays at 1:30 pm. Meet at 1:20 in the box office at the Wheeler. Private tours are also available. www.aspenwalkingtours.com

The Aspen Institute is pleased to welcome the co-founders of FEED Projects Lauren Bush and Ellen Gustafson to speak at a special Fireside Après Ski gathering on Monday, March 15, 2010. The Aspen Institute’s Arts & Ideas Series Director, Ken Adelman, will moderate the discussion. The fee is $10 per person.

George Stranahan & Nicole B. Strait invite you to their book signing & author talk. Phlogs: journey to the heart of the human predicament.

Presented by: Aspen Fashion Week & Douglas Keeve's Venue: The Wheeler Opera House $10, general admission.

No Cover. In Harlem, an overweight, illiterate teen who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that her life can head in a new direction.

This exhibition features the work of Scott Chamberlin, Kim Dickey and Jeanne Quinn, art professors at the University of Colorado at Boulder, who sculpt clay into biomorphic forms that act as explorers and participants in the space creating an alternate environment of pure imagination.

Aspen's collection of real-life characters is the inspiration for this project. This evening will showcase a selection of historical performances, researched and interpreted by local community members. Admission $6, members free.

All Ages, All Skill Levels. If you want to make art but don't have the space or motivation to work in your own home, bring your imagination and your current art project to the Wyly! Join other artists for an evening of co-creation. Artists bring their own project supplies and work independently without instruction. Cost: $95 studio fee for all 6 sessions or pay $22 for an individual "drop-in" session. Fee includes facility and tool use. Call now to register for all 6 open studio sessions or RSVP the day before a "drop-in" session.

Stand-up comedy is back at the Cabaret Room at the Silvertree Hotel! The Silvertree Hotel has teamed up with local outfit Comedy Mercenary Productions for a series of live stand-up comedy shows they're calling "73 minutes of live, local stand-up." $15.00 in advance, $19 at the door. Performance dates are Tuesdays, Dec. 29, Jan. 12 & 26, and Feb. 9, Thursday, Feb. 18, Tuesday, Mar. 2 & 16, and Thursday, April 1.

Presented by: Aspen Fashion Week & Douglas Keeve's Venue: The Wheeler Opera House $10, general admission.

$15.00. Aspen Fashion Week presents an evening with Grammy nominated John Forté best known for his work with the multi-platinum group “The Fugees” to help raise funds for The FEED Foundation’s FEED Haiti fund.

Brown Bag Lunch Lecture Series -in partnership with Aspen Valley Hospital. This event is Free and Open to the Public. Cancer treatment options will be discussed with Dr. Rovira focusing on chemotherapy and complementary methods, AVH general surgeon Bill Rodman addressing surgical care, and Shaw Regional Cancer Center radiation oncologist Patti Hardenbergh presenting information on radiation therapy.

Brown Bag Lunch Lecture Series -in partnership with Aspen Valley Hospital 11:30 AM - 1 PM. “Surviving Cancer: Prevention, Early Detection, and State of the Art Treatment”.

The Aspen Recreation Center is now offering a new way to get in shape this winter with personal training group classes and individual training sessions. Call (970) 544-4100 or visit www.aspenrecreation.com for more information. Lunch Crunch: Intermediate fitness level, high intensity interval weight training. Limit of 6 people. Wednesdays at the Aspen Recreation Center Fitness Studio from 12:00-12:45pm. Admission: Members- $30 per month, Non-Members- $50 per month. Drop In Fee: $15.

The Aspen Recreation Center is now offering a new way to get in shape this winter with personal training group classes and individual training sessions. Call (970) 544-4100 or visit www.aspenrecreation.com for more information. Core Strength on Mat: Functional core strength moves with Pilates base mat work. Teach your body a new strength level! Intermediate to Advance. Limit of 6 people. Wednesdays at the Aspen Recreation Center Fitness Studio from 1:00-1:55pm. Admission: Members- $30 per month, Non-Members- $50 per month. Drop In Fee: $15.

Doc Eason, Academy of Magical Arts 2008 Closeup Magician of the Year, performs every Wednesday in the Conservatory, an intimate après-ski lounge in the Silvertree Hotel. Ski in from Fanny Hill and prepare to be amazed by Doc's amazing feats of prestidigitation!

Tickets: $20; (17 and under $5); reserved seating

Life model studio sessions with artist/instructor Liz Frazier, facilitating and teaching as students study and draw the human figure from a nude model. Bring charcoal, large newsprint pad, pink pearl eraser. Easels provided. "All problems and solutions in art can be found in drawing the human figure." Cost: $130 for 5 classes (live model fee included). Tuition assistance available. All Ages, All Skill Levels.

$26.00 / $30.00 day of showw/ Opening Act TBA. A 2 Tone ska revival band founded in England in 1978 whose songs fuse ska, pop, soul, reggae and punk rock. They have a string of international hits including “Mirror in the Bathroom”, “Too Nice To Talk To”, “Can’t Get Used To Losing You”, “Hands off She’s Mine” and “All Out To Get You”.

$15.00 / $17.00 day of showw/ Opening Act TBA. The Sublime tribute band, that was once nominated for “Best Tribute Band” at San Diego’s Music Awards, is back after playing a sold-out show! This is the band to see for any true Sublime fan.

Celebrating those who have excelled in promoting the arts in the Roaring Fork Valley. Honoring: Charmaine Locke and James Surls. 6 pm Cocktails - 7 pm Dinner. Keynote Speaker: David Floria. $225 per person. Please RSVP by March 12, 2010. Reserved Seating Available

Step Back in Time at the Hotel Jerome. Explore the “Grandest Hotel in the West” Built in 1889, the Hotel Jerome has been the corner stone of Aspen life for over 130 years. Tour this grand Victorian hotel with historian, Larry Fredrick. Thursdays March 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th. Meet at 1:30pm in the lobby of the Hotel Jerome Free and open to the public! For more information call, (970) 925-3721 ext 104

Tickets: $20; general admission. Aspen's Past to Present is the classic historical walking tour. The 90-minute-long tour weaves through Aspen's historic downtown telling the stories of the people that made Aspen what it is today. Offered Mondays and Thursdays at 1:30 pm. Meet at 1:20 in the box office at the Wheeler. Private tours are also available. www.aspenwalkingtours.com

Presented by: Aspen Fashion Week & Douglas Keeve's Venue: The Wheeler Opera House $10, general admission

Interested in your genealogy? Join the Society and Pitkin County Library along with Proquest representative Brad Roth for this FREE program to learn more about developing your own family tree. At the Pitkin County Library, Thursday, March 18th from 5:30 to 6:30 pm.

$10.00w/ Short Film presented by Aspen Fashion Week Feat. Douglas Keeve's Spiked Heels: Supermodels Battle the Forces of Evil. Douglas Keeve is a renowned photographer and director of films and commercials. His work has appeared in GQ, Italian Vogue, Esquire, Glamour, American Vogue and Interview. Clients have included Armani, DeBeers, Seagrams, Tommy Hilfiger, Victoria’s Secret, Carolina Herrera, Vogue, and L’Oreal.

KickAspen Big Air showcases the best regional ski and snowboard athletes competing under the lights at the base of Aspen Mountain. Prize giveaways, a beer garden and a DJ will round out the action!

The 10th annual Bud Light Spring Jam, the premier spring festival in the Rocky Mountains, continues like never before with two weekends - March 19-21 and March 26-28, of new-school competitions, downtown concerts and parties.

This popular eight-week series is entering its seventh year at the largest of the four area mountains, Snowmass. It has become a mainstay and weekly favorite for the best snowboarders and skiers in the state of Colorado. Each week they gather to perform the latest tricks for a chance at a weekly prize purse and series points on the busy Fanny Hill/Snowmass Mall intersection. Judges will choose four skiers and four snowboarders from the jam session to continue on to the finals. The finalists will have one jump and then be placed according to best trick. Registration 12:30 - 1:45pm on Fanny Hill next to the jump. $20 entry fee; All minors must bring a signed waiver; Practice 1:00-1:45pm; Competition 2-3pm. Live music, cash prizes and giveaways, and evening fireworks.

FREE Aspen Mountain Historic Tours are conducted every Friday at 11 am and 1 pm and from Monday, March 8 through Friday, March 12 we will be conducting these FREE tours DAILY at 1 pm. Meet at the top of Aspen Mountain at the information kiosk.

Enjoy a one hour historical ski tour with Aspen Historical Society's History Coach, Michael Monroney. This FREE tour features a look at Aspen's history using the mountain as the canvas on which that history is laid out from the mining era to the present day international resort. Meet at the Top of Aspen Mountain at the Guest Information Kiosk. Tours offered at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm.

Heart of the Rockies performs Rocky Mountain favorites during après ski in the Conservatory, in the Silvertree Hotel.

Tickets: $9, general admission. This story of an ex-Marine who finds himself thrust into hostilities on an alien planet filled with exotic life forms reaffirms director James Cameron's singular gift for imaginative, absorbing filmmaking. Incorporating new intuitive CGI technologies, he transports the audience into a fantasy world rich with imaginative vistas, creatures and characters. Nominated for 8 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Director, Cinematography - and Visual Effects!

$18.00 / $22.00 day of show. Rolling Stones Tribute Band. Nobody does the Stones quite like these boys from Hollywood! The same five piece line-up has worked closely together for over a dozen years at hundreds of gigs taking hardcore Rolling Stones fans by storm!

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park will kick off its spring hours on Thurs., Mar. 11. The Adventure Park will be open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The best value for enjoying the Adventure Park right now is with the Winter Fun Pass, which is available through April 30.

The Inaugural Fallen Friends Memorial is a fundraising event that unites skiers and snowboarders from all disciplines to celebrate the mountain lifestyle that binds all of us in honor and remembrance of our fallen friends. The event was a huge success as a free flowing, fun, goofy atmostphere where participants and spectators get out and enjoy the mountain and to raise money in support of AVSC scholarships. There was over $4,000 raised this year!

The Terrain Park Boot Camp is an entry level terrain park that will be set up at Snowmass. Coaches will teach beginners (ages 13 and up) how to safely slide a rail, hit a box and throw a trick. This is open to anyone interested in learning the ropes of the terrain park. It will be open from 12-3 p.m. on March 20-21 & 27-28.

Ceramics by Ralph Scala. This class will concentrate on making monotypes on clay slabs. This simple process can yield amazing results using clay, plaster, rolling pins and underglazes. We'll also introduce basic stencil and silk screen techniques to give the surfaces more depth. Participants will leave their work to be fired and make arrangements to pick it up once it's out of the kiln.

Woodturning by Jason Schneider. On day one we will let the chips fly as we explore spindle turning with kiln-dried wood! Then we'll switch to the bowl gouge and focus on open bowl forms. Take home three to five practice projects and a solid understanding of basic woodturning techniques.

Painting & Drawing by Elizabeth Ferrill. The still life is an inventive and versatile subject matter can be so much more than flowers and draped cloth. This one-day workshop will offer instruction in approaches to drawing a still life, using drawing implements of all kinds and collage materials. The class will work collaboratively to construct a still life together before setting to work to find interesting ways to translate it into a work of art.

Photography by Andrea Wallace. Students will gain understanding of basic of digital image capture and visual concepts related to the making of pictures. The class will explore aesthetics and technical aspects as a basis for creating a photographic image.

A benefit for the Carbondale Council on Arts and Humanities (CCAH), the Green is the New Black Fashion Extravaganza is now seeking designs for its second annual fashion event taking place on the vernal equinox, March 20th, 2010, at the Carbondale Recreation Center. The event theme focuses on “The Rites of Spring” and showcases original clothing design made from sustainable and/or recycled materials. Designs must be wearable, but not necessarily wearable for everyday. Deadline for completion is March 5, 2010.

Sunlight is hosting Crystal River Spas Spring Thing March 20th and 21st. Crystal River Spas will have a hot tub set up on the snow, so guests are invited to bring their swimsuits. There will be pro-snowboarders riding our rainbow rail over the tub in front of the sundeck. Sunlight will also host a dual slalom mountain bike race on Saturday. Racers should be at Sunlight by noon for registration and are allowed to take practice runs beginning at 10AM.

Knit for the Cure gathers on the third Saturday of each month at the Pitkin County Library between 1 and 4 pm. Items are donated and all proceeds benefit Komen Aspen. Instruction and materials are available. We would love to have you join us!

You are cordially invited to meet DAVID SCHLUSS and view an exclusive collection oforiginal paintings During a special open house weekend. Saturday March 20, 2-6pm Collector's preview, 6-9 cocktail reception. March 21, Sunday 2-6 pm exhibition.

Time - 4.30 pm and 7.30 pm. Tickets: $9, general admission. This story of an ex-Marine who finds himself thrust into hostilities on an alien planet filled with exotic life forms reaffirms director James Cameron's singular gift for imaginative, absorbing filmmaking. Incorporating new intuitive CGI technologies, he transports the audience into a fantasy world rich with imaginative vistas, creatures and characters. Nominated for 8 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Director, Cinematography - and Visual Effects!

The best downtown block party of the year - Core Party! This is held in downtown Aspen under the stars on March 20th this year. This event is free and open to the public and takes place on the corner of Galena Street and Cooper Avenue. Vampire Weekend, Colombia University grads turned indie rockers comprised of Ezra Koenig, Chris Baio, Rostam Batmanglij and Chris Tomson, recently released their second album and are known for their infectious hit songs "A-Punk" and "Cousins."

$10.00 / $12.00 day of show. A tribute band that is bringing Colorado the music and spirit of the Grateful Dead! They will be performing the album Europe ’72 in its entirety. They have played with and opened for artists such as Hot Tuna and the J.G.B. Band and have also performed with former members of the Grateful Dead.

Photography by Emily Fannon. This one day course is designed to ensure you harness the potential of Lightroom to dramatically improve the way you manage digital images, from raw capture to creative processing, and output.

Heart of the Rockies performs Rocky Mountain favorites during après ski in the Conservatory, in the Silvertree Hotel.

The Bud Light Hi-Fi Concert Series hosted by Aspen/Snowmass debuts in November and continues through March with a series of free outdoor concerts held during key events and peak weekends throughout the season.

Aspen's Darkside is a guided walk through Aspen's darker history. The one-hour evening stroll through Aspen's historic downtown uncovers the ghosts, murders, and mayhem of this silver mining town's tarnished past. Offered Sunday nights at 6:30 pm; meet in the Wheeler Opera House box office at 6:20. Private tours are also available. For more information: www.aspenwalkingtours.com

Tickets: $10; general admission. The Wheeler Opera House has been chosen by the producers of the new documentary film on rock legends The Doors for a pre-release screening at the venue. "When You're Strange," narrated by Johnny Depp and nominated for the grand jury prize at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, features newly-discovered footage of singer Jim Morrison and his bandmates Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, and John Densmore, and charts the band's history from its roots in Los Angeles beach culture through the untimely demise of Morrison in Paris in 1971.

$10.00w/ Heavyweight Dub Champion. Fort Knox Five is a DJ collective who’s style ranges from eclectic downbeat & hip hop, to upbeat funk and breaks. They have DJed in Russia, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand and Thailand.

Tickets: $20; general admission. Aspen's Past to Present is the classic historical walking tour. The 90-minute-long tour weaves through Aspen's historic downtown telling the stories of the people that made Aspen what it is today. Offered Mondays and Thursdays at 1:30 pm. Meet at 1:20 in the box office at the Wheeler. Private tours are also available. www.aspenwalkingtours.com

Tickets: $9, general admission. This one picked up lots of major awards and may well win the Best Picture Oscar. In the rubble-strewn wreckage of Iraq, an EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) team plies their dangerous daily trade. And they do it against a backdrop of hostility, aggression, and a constant threat of instant death from the IEDs (Improvised Explosive Device) they are attempting to defuse. Strange Days and Point Break director Kathryn Bigelow gets the audience down into the dust and dirt, in the path of bomb fragments and sniper fire, for an unforgettable trawl through the Middle Eastern quagmire. This one needs to be seen on the Big Screen!

No Cover.Nominated for 2 Oscars. The story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All American football player and first round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her family.