A&E Agenda: Labor Day Weekend
Chef Shorne x Mawa’s Kitchen, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Friday, Mawa’s Kitchen
Discover bold Caribbean flavors from NYC-based chef Shorne Benjamin of Fat Fowl at his collaborative multi-course meal with Mawa’s Kitchen chef Mawa McQueen.
Benjamin, owner and founder of Fat Fowl, a popular new age Caribbean restaurant located in the heart of downtown Brooklyn, New York, discovered his love for cooking in his grandmother’s kitchen growing up in St. Lucia. His grandmother also owned a popular eatery on the island. Recently featured in national media outlets such as the Today Show, The New York Times, Tamron Hall Show, Ebony Magazine, and NBC New York, his cuisine signifies traditional Caribbean food with the use of accustomed spices with a “new age” twist. One of his signature creations, the Oxtail Grilled Cheese sandwich, has gone viral on social media, attracting many from across the globe to try it at his eatery in the DeKalb Market in downtown Brooklyn. His cuisine reflects Caribbean food infused with global flavors and classic culinary techniques.
Tickets at $120 per person.
More information: mawaskitchen.com
Exhibition opening and reception, 5 -7 p.m. on Friday, The Art Base Basalt
The Art Base announced exhibitions opening on Aug. 30. From 5-7 p.m., join for an opening reception celebrating Jenny Welden’s “Everyday Saints” and Jessie Chaney’s “Choose Your Own Direction” — a compelling pairing of photographic and textile artistry that explores themes of memory, transformation, and connection.
Jenny Welden: “Everyday Saints,” Aug. 30-Sept. 27
Welden’s “Everyday Saints” offers a monumental exploration of the sacred and the passage of time through a collection of 12 interconnected artworks in 22 components, including a 32-foot modular altarpiece entitled “FEAR NOT.”
Animating her 14-foot longarm sewing machine with flowing motions of her body, she combines intuitive drawing, abstract painting, improvisational quilting, and somatic meditation to form monumental multimedia networks.
Her free-motion stitchwork arrives at this show bolder than ever, with her signature strong use of color and expressive linework now emblazoned in iridescent silk dupioni, torn into narrow strips. She describes this new material as “an offering.”
This body of work, created especially for The Art Base over the past two years, processes the forces of creation-destruction, loss-renewal, and personal sacrifice toward higher good.
“The season of creation was full of trials and tectonic shifts in my life: unexpected pregnancy, nearly dying while giving birth, our household move, life with a precious new baby, and the passing of a beloved mother figure and friend,” she said in a press release.
Jessie Chaney: “Choose Your Own Direction,” Aug. 30-Sept. 27
In “Choose Your Own Direction,” Chaney captures the delicate balance between absence and presence within abandoned spaces. Her series delves into environments once vibrant with life, now empty yet resonant with the echoes of their past inhabitants. Her photographs reveal the beauty amidst decay, celebrating the remnants of progress and change left behind in deserted buildings.
Her photographs also capture the delicate interplay between absence and presence in environments once bustling with life but now left to the passage of time. Through her lens, she reveals the subtle narratives embedded in the ruins — places where the vestiges of former inhabitants linger as quiet witnesses to change and progress. Her work evokes an air of nostalgia, not for the sake of mere reminiscence, but as a reflection on the rapid shifts of modern life. By highlighting these forgotten spaces, she invites viewers to see the lingering light and beauty in what remains.
JAS Labor Day Weekend Experience, Friday through Sunday
The JAS Labor Day Experience includes three days of live music in Snowmass Town Park with a spectacular Elk Mountain backdrop.
Day 1: Friday — 6 p.m. | Doors open: 4 p.m.
Brandi Carlile and Lukas Nelson
Day 2: Saturday — 3 p.m. | Doors open: 1 p.m.
Sting, OneRepublic, and Michael Marcagi
Day 3: Sunday — 3 p.m. | Doors Open: 1 p.m.
Dierks Bentley, The Black Crowes, and The War and Treaty
Ages: All ages to enter, 21 & over to drink
Information and tickets: jazzaspensnowmass.org
Aspen Historical Society Independence Ghost Town Tour, 10:30 a.m.-noon on Saturday
A guided walking tour exploring the Independence Ghost Town where, legend has it, prospectors struck gold on July 4, 1879, making the area the first mining site in the Roaring Fork Valley. Today, Independence is an archaeological preserve located just below the continental divide and a “don’t-miss stop” on Independence Pass along the Top of the Rockies’ Scenic Byway.
Meets at the Independence Ghost Town upper parking lot (16 miles east of Aspen on Highway 82)
This hiking tour takes place on rugged terrain and uneven trails at high altitudes.
To register: aspenhistory.org/activity/independence-tour
Labor Day Pool Party, 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, W Hotel Rooftop
Celebrate Labor Day weekend at W Aspen’s Rooftop Pool Party on Sunday, Sept. 1, starting at 2:30 p.m. Join the W Aspen for an afternoon poolside, surrounded by 360-degree mountain views.
Immerse yourself in a vibrant atmosphere with live beats from local DJs, sip on a complimentary drink included with your $20 ticket, and enjoy a selection of specialty cocktails.
Must be 21+ to attend. RSVP does not guarantee entry if maximum capacity is reached. Tickets are non-refundable.
For tickets: eventbrite.com/e/w-aspens-labor-day-pool-party-tickets-994060490687
Sarah Girgis is the Arts and Entertainment Editor for The Aspen Times. She can be reached at 970-429-9151 or sgirgis@aspentimes.com.
Home prices in Colorado’s mountain resort towns keep climbing. So when was the last time the market was truly ‘affordable?’
Median sale prices for single and multifamily homes remain at or near historic levels in Colorado — and 2024 is likely to be no exception.
