A&E Agenda: Aug. 8 to 14

Aspen’s first-ever 2025 Fashion Week underway

The first-ever high-altitude, high-style Aspen Fashion Week has arrived. The runway shows kick off with The Local Show, featuring Aspen-based wear, from 4 to 8 p.m., Aug. 8. The Global Show is slated from 5 to 9 p.m., Aug. 9. Two additional runway shows will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m., Aug. 10. Runway shows are at Aspen Meadows Walter Paepcke Memorial Building’s East Lawn, located at 1000 N. 3rd St. For tickets and more information, go to aspenfashionweek.com.

Jazz Aspen Snowmass Café Summer Series events, Aug. 8 to 10

The Jazz Aspen Snowmass Café Summer Series continues Aug. 8 to 10, with the eclectic contemporary sounds of Afrobeats, Jamaican, and Cuban music at the Aspen Art Museum. 

The weekend begins with New York’s Kaleta & Super Yampa band at 6:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 8. Bandleader Afrobeat and Juju veteran Leon Ligan-Majec, known as “Kaleta,” was born in the Republic of Benin and then was a teenager in Lagos, Nigeria, the home of Afrobeats. For tickets, go to TicketsYambaband. 

Next up, Monty Alexander’s Harlem Kingston Express will perform at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 9. The Grammy-nominated Jamaican pianist moved to the United States a decade ago and is known for his “effervescent grooves.” For tickets, go to TicketsMontyAlexander. 

Following that performance, Cimafunk will play Cuban music at 6:30 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 10. The artist is a medical student turned funk artist, whose music is a tribute to the Cimarrons, who were Cubans of African descent that resisted slavery. For tickets, go to TicketsCimafunk. The Aspen Art Museum is located at 637 E. Hyman Ave. 

For more information, go to jazzaspensnowmass.org/series/jas-cafe-summer-series/.

Inaugural Up in the Sky Music Festival, Aug. 8 to 10

Music hits the hills with Aspen’s latest music festival “Up in the Sky,” launching this weekend from 2:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday, Aug. 8, to Saturday, Aug. 9, at the base of Buttermilk Mountain. The lineup features Rüfüs du Sol, SG Lewis, Suki Waterhouse, Glass Beams, Kacey Musgraves, Glass Animals, Role Model, Nessa Barrett, and Jensen McCrae. The event is co-produced by Belly Up Aspen and C3, with charitable partners Jake Foerster Music Arts Fund and Lucky Day Animal Rescue of Colorado hosting giving stations on site. Tickets are available at upintheskyfestival.com.

Annual Aspen Historical Society Ice Cream Social, Aug. 9

A longstanding tradition of community ice cream in Aspen will take place 2 to 4 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 9, at the Wheeler/Stallard House, located at 620 W. Bleeker St. The all-ages free event features complimentary ice cream bowls, toppings, and $5 alcohol-inspired milkshakes called “Aspen Crud,” along with a 45-minute theatrical presentation called “A Briefly Complete History of Aspen.” Parking is limited. For more information, go to aspenhistory.org/activity/annual-ice-cream-social.

Theatre Aspen’s summer series finale ‘Million Dollar Quartet,’ Aug. 8-23

Theatre Aspen’s summer production of the Tony Award-winning “Million Dollar Quartet” begins on Friday, Aug. 8, at the Hurst Theatre in Rio Grande Park, with a special opening night on Monday, Aug. 11. The musical focuses on a single evening, Dec. 4, 1956, when future music icons Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and Carl Perkins came together for an impromptu jam session at Sun Records in Memphis, along with music producer Sam Phillips, who orchestrated it. There are both evening and matinee performances through Aug. 23. The box office is located at 110 E. Hallam St., Ste. 102. For tickets, visit MillionDollarQuartetTickets.

Pop-up Le Picnic by Veuve Clicquot with WE ARE ONA, Aug. 10

Veuve Clicquot with WE ARE ONA will host a brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Aspen Town Center’s Gondola Plaza. A picnic-style menu crafted by Matthew Yee, perfectly complemented by Veuve Clicquot’s cuvées. The pick-up time for the Aspen shuttle is 10:30 a.m., with brunch from noon to 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $400 with champagne or a non-alcoholic pairing. The booking link is exploretock.com/we-are-ona-aspen.

Aspen Chapel’s 2025 English Garden Party, Aug. 12

The social custom of afternoon tea, delicious bites, and an elegant atmosphere is coming to Roaring Fork Valley. An English Garden Party will take place from 3 to 6 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 12, at Aspen Chapel. Along with traditional English cakes and sandwiches, there’s a wine tasting with sommelier Louisa Goldsmith. There will be a best hat competition, face painting, and a string trio featuring the Aspen Music Festival. Aspen Chapel is located at 77 Meadowood Drive. Tickets for the fundraiser to support Aspen Chapel programs begin at $75 for adults, and children are free. For more information, go to aspenchapel.org.

A recital by Sharon Isbin ‘guitar,’ Aug. 13

Sharon Isbin will perform “A recital by Sharon Isbin guitar” at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 13, at Harris Hall. Not only does Isbin direct the Aspen Music Festival and School, but she is also a multiple Grammy Award-winning guitarist. In 2023, she was inducted into the Guitar Foundation of America’s Hall of Fame, and she has performed with over 200 orchestras. During the recital, Elizabeth Schultz will conduct, along with Jonathan Haas, Christian Santos, Carlos Alvarez, and Cameron Marqez on percussion. For more information, visit aspenmusicfestival.com/events/calendar/sharon-isbin.