Aspen moves forward with plans for new July 4 carnival

A 65-foot Ferris wheel could be in Rio Grande Park this July 3 and 4 after Aspen City Council approved a contract for a carnival celebration in honor of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. and the 150th anniversary of Colorado.

The proposed contract is with Brown’s Amusement “to provide a carnival for the enjoyment of the community,” according to a memo submitted to council prior to the meeting. While the cost of the contract is $150,000, council has granted a one-time supplemental appropriation of $125,000 toward the contract out of the General Fund, with the $25,000 difference proposed to come out of the Special Events annual operational budget.

“I just want to say how enthusiased I am for the amusement contract,” Council Member John Doyle said at Tuesday’s meeting. “I think this is going to be a lot of fun for the 250th anniversary of our nation and the 150th anniversary of our state.”

Council Member Sam Rose also expressed his excitement.

The cost of the contract will cover the set up, tear down, lodging and free rides for the carnival both days. The memo confirms that Brown’s Amusement was able to propose “more rides, games and food concessions than other vendors at the same price point.”

Andy Curtis, marketing coordinator for the city’s Special Events department, stressed the difficulties and expenses of most vendors traveling to Aspen’s location.

“Our location here in the Rocky Mountains is a little harder for companies to provide a carnival service,” Curtis told The Aspen Times. “Brown’s Amusement, they’re based out of Arizona and service the Rocky Mountain area all the way up to Idaho. In that sense, they were a perfect fit.”

For Curtis and the rest of the Special Events team, a carnival was something they have been hoping to bring to Aspen for a while. When July 4 and the anniversary celebrations of Colorado and the U.S. landed over a weekend this year, Curtis said the timing seemed right.

“We definitely thought that we wanted to go bigger,” Curtis said. “We all grew up in places where there were state fairs and carnivals, and we thought it would be a really fun thing to have a big, giant Ferris wheel in Aspen. We realized — this is possible, we can do this. We really just hope that the visitors and the community, everyone that works and lives here, can come celebrate and have some fun.”

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The memo provided to council echoed Curtis’ sentiment that the new event aims to “evoke the tradition of a classic community fair … in the spirit of Independence Day.”

Along with the Ferris wheel, the carnival will tentatively include a merry-go-round, a big slide, a “dizzy dragon” and more, along with games and food.

“We’re going to see next week what the operator thinks can fit in that footprint,” Curtis said.

While entry and all rides will be free, there will be charges for the games and food.

There will also be a concert on July 3 presented by Belly Up in Wagner Park, and Aspen’s parade on July 4 along with a major detour on Main Street. The carnival is expected to be open from around noon to sunset on July 3 and will open July 4 after the parade concludes until sunset. Similar to previous years, there will also be a drone show in lieu of fireworks, provided by the Aspen Chamber Resort Association.

“I hope people really enjoy it,” Curtis said. “We’re really just trying to give back and celebrate this community, and think of fun and new ways to get together. I’ve lived here for 18 years, and July 4 is where Aspen really feels like this big community.”

After a representative from Brown’s Amusement checks out the space next week and is able to talk through logistics with the team, the plan will be solidified further.

“Look forward to more information — we’re in the planning stages and it’s looking good,” Curtis said. “Stay tuned. We’re at the home stretch.”