Basalt kicks off summer with yet another perfect party
Aspen, CO Colorado
BASALT – Basalt kicked off the unofficial start to summer in style Saturday when hundreds of people turned out at Lions Park for free food, a beer garden and live music.
About 20 Basalt restaurants served some of their signature items at tents set up in the park. Smoke barbecued pigs and kept up a steady serving of pork sandwiches throughout the afternoon.
It was nearly impossible to guess the size of the fluid crowd because the event was spread through the entire park and several tents were used to serve food. Basalt Mayor Leroy Duroux estimated the crowd at several hundred and possibly 1,000.
Compared to last year, partygoers spent less time standing in lines and more time chowing down. Last year, thousands of people were concentrated in a few lines for food. This year, with all the participating restaurant, attendees could choose among several vendors. There was everything from pizza to spicy meatballs and from ceviche to brownies. Lines moved fast and hungry partiers headed for the whatever shade they could find.
Drawings were held throughout the afternoon for free gifts donated by Basalt businesses. The Frank Martin Duo provided the music for the picnic and Slightly White took over as the party continued into the afternoon.
Last year’s party kicked off a summer-long promotion designed to spur shopping at Basalt business. This year’s event was more of a community gathering.
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