A&E Agenda Sept. 26 to Oct. 2
C. Tabitha Soren/Courtesy photo
Inaugural Aspen Literary Festival begins Sept. 26
Book of the Month presents the first-ever Aspen Literary Festival, running Sept. 26 to 28. This celebration of books, talks, panels, and signings includes free and ticketed events. Literary luminaries include Michael Lewis (5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Sept. 26), Leigh Bardugo, Victor LaValle, V.E. Schwab (1 to 2 p.m. Sept. 27), Jasmin Guillory and Elin Hilderbrand (4 to 5 p.m. Sept. 27), Chris Pavone and Brendan Slocumb (noon to 1 p.m. Sept. 28), and Nathan Hill and Kevin Kwan (4 to 5 p.m. Sept. 28). Plus, bestselling authors Sebastian Junger, Maria Semple, Jane Hamilton, and more. The festival unfolds across the Wheeler Opera House, Pitkin County Library, and Aspen Community Church. Register at register.aspeninstitute.org/event/ALF2025/schedule.
Grammy winner Ruthie Foster takes the stage, Sept. 26
The Texas-born blues artist Ruthie Foster will bring her award-winning sound to Belly Up Aspen at 8 p.m., Friday, Sept. 26. Foster, who won Best Contemporary Blues Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards, initially preferred songwriting to performing before partnering with independent labels and releasing a string of critically acclaimed albums. Belly Up Aspen is located at 450 S. Galena St. For tickets, go to tickets.bellyupaspen.com/link/event?event=ruthie-foster-9-26-25.
Genre-bending theatre ‘Kreutzer’ opens Sept. 26
BenFeng Music Productions and Thunder River Theatre Company will present “Kreutzer” at Thunder River Theatre Company in Carbondale. Shows are at 7:30 p.m., Sept. 26, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Sept. 27, and 2 p.m., Sept. 28. This unique theatrical production combines music and literature to form an immersive experience. It fuses three masterworks: Beethoven’s “Kreutzer Sonata” with Tolstoy’s novella, “The Kreutzer Sonata,” and Janåcek’s “String Quartet No. 1” into a provocative tale of jealousy and redemption with artistic direction by MinTze Wu and Missy Moore. Premium tickets run $60, general admission $45, and students/industry are $20. Tickets can be purchased at thundertheatre.com or by calling 970-963-8200. For more information, go to benfengmusicproduction.org/kreutzer.
Jane Austen’s 250th Birthday Bash, Sept. 27
In honor of Jane Austen’s milestone birthday this year, the Aspen Literary Festival is celebrating with a literary soirée from 5 to 7 p.m., Sept. 27, at Explore Books. The beloved English writer lived from 1775 to 1817, penning timeless classics like “Pride and Prejudice” and “Sense and Sensibility.” This free celebration will offer cake and light bites, with beverages available for purchase. Period costumes are welcome for this charming tribute. For more information, go to explorebooks.org/.
Pepper’s Hawaiian reggae-punk fusion, Sept. 27
The island band Pepper will deliver “Kona Dub-Rock” at 8 p.m., Sept. 27 at Belly Up Aspen. Known for combining reggae’s laid-back pulse with punk’s raw intensity, the band is sure to bring the energy with Kaleo Wassman on vocals, Bret Bollinger on bass, and Yesod Williams on drums. Belly Up Aspen is located at 450 S. Galena St. For tickets, go to bellyupaspen.com/events/pepper-2.
Cinema Dance Party Ft. Rolling Stones Havana Moon, Sept. 27
Cinema Dance Party returns from 8 to 11 p.m., Sept. 27 at The Arts Campus at Willits. The 2016 film “The Rolling Stones: Havana Moon” captures a free concert filmed on March 26 of that year in Havana, Cuba. It’s an opportunity to dance to this historic outdoor event, which drew a crowd of more than 500,000 attendees in Cuba. Ticket options are $10 to $20, for this standing room, all ages show. Those under 18 must be accompanied by a legal guardian. For more information, go to tacaw.org/calendar/cinema-dance-party-rolling-stones-havana-moon.
Six-day celebration of John Denver begins Oct. 1
Snowmass Chapel presents a six-day celebration of the music and legacy of John Denver: the John Celebration from Oct. 1 through Oct. 6. The mountain music extravaganza features a mix of ticketed events and free gatherings.
The festival kicks off on Wednesday, Oct. 1, with a cozy “Meet and Greet Campfire” at 3:30 p.m., followed by “Mark Cormican in Concert” at 7 p.m., both in Snowmass Chapel. Cap off the evening with a “Nightly Sing-A-Long” at 9 p.m. in the Mountain Chalet Snowmass Lobby.
Thursday, Oct. 2, brings a “Singer-Songwriter Event” at noon in Snowmass Chapel, then “John Denver: More Than The Music” at 3 p.m. in Snowmass Chapel Yurt. The day continues with “Ron Matthews in Concert” at 6 p.m. in Snowmass Chapel, wrapping up with a “Nightly Sing-A-Long” at 9 p.m. in the Mountain Chalet Snowmass Lobby.
On Friday, Oct. 3, “Ellen StapenHorst in Concert” takes place at 2 p.m. at Snowmass Chapel, plus the ticketed highlight event “Spirit: The Music of John Denver presented by Mack Bailey and Chris Nole” occurs from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at the Wheeler Opera House. The night ends with another Nightly-Sing-A-Long at 9 p.m. in the Mountain Chalet Snowmass Lobby.
Snowmass Chapel and Snowmass Chapel Yurt are both located at 5307 Owl Creek Road, and the Mountain Chalet Snowmass Lobby is located at 115 Daly Lane, all in Snowmass Village. The Wheeler Opera House is located at 320 E. Hyman Ave. Aspen Chapel is located at 77 Meadowood Drive in Aspen. For more event listings, as well as additional information and tickets, go to johndenvercelebration.com/concerts-and-events.
New York Times bestselling author shares views of the afterlife at Aspen Literary Fest
Junger will appear at the first-ever Aspen Literary Festival this week, taking the helm as one of the few solo panels, “On Life, Death, and What Comes After,” at 2 p.m. Sept. 28. Alisyn Camerota will moderate at the Aspen Community Church.
