Aspen High School graduation details set for Saturday, but no Friday parade

Aspen High School’s graduation plans are set for Saturday’s ceremony at Buttermilk Ski Area, but AHS principal Tharyn Mulberry confirmed Wednesday that the March of the Graduates won’t take place.

The march was going to be Friday in the form of a car parade through town, but there were too many questions surrounding COVID-19 to make it possible.

“There were multiple issues with it,” Mulberry said. “To be really frank, from the high school principal’s position, I’m so pleased with the way we are going to be conducting our graduation and the cooperation we’ve had with Skico and the county and the police department and the sheriff’s department. I’m very pleased that we can have the graduation the way we are going to do it.”

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In place of the normal affair inside the Benedict Music Tent, Saturday’s graduation will take place in the Buttermilk parking lot and look like a drive-in movie with attendees sitting in their vehicles.

The 10 a.m. ceremony is not open to the public and will be limited to students, immediate family, and staff working the event. The ceremony will be livestreamed by GrassRoots TV via Facebook and YouTube.

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Thursday’s drive-thru scholarship ceremony is still scheduled for 6 p.m. on the Aspen School District campus. Like the graduation, this is not open to the public in guidance with coronavirus-related safety protocols.

Basalt High School’s graduation remains slated for 9 a.m. Saturday from the BHS parking lot. Like Aspen, it will be drive-in style and limited to only students, immediate family and staff.

The BHS graduation will be live streamed on the school’s Facebook page. They plan to hold a car parade through Basalt and Willits immediately following the ceremony.