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Magic, Mountain Fair and more

Aspen Times Staff

It’s going to be one of those weekends: so much to do, so little time.The 34th annual Carbondale Mountain Fair gets under way this afternoon at Sopris Park and runs through the weekend. Meanwhile, out at Snowmass, the Snowmagical Family Fun Fest kicks off tonight, promising a weekend of magical merriment.The Aspen Arts Festival returns to Wagner Park today and Saturday, bringing more than 150 artists to town to exhibit everything from paintings to glass, and ceramics to photography. Price tags will range from $20 to $20,000, but a stroll through the park is free.Meanwhile, down in Carbondale, more than 125 artists and craft vendors, along with 22 food booths promising the gamut of dishes from around the world, will be packed into Sopris Park for one of the valley’s favorite summer parties.The fun starts at 4:45 p.m. today and runs from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Mountain Fair means live music – including the Grammy-nominated Blue Highway on Sunday – beer, demonstrations and instruction in an offbeat array of skills (yoga hoop dance, to name one) and crazy competitions like limbo contests and the ever-popular women’s woodsplitting championship. (Yeah, there’s a guy’s event, too.)(For a complete rundown of the action, hour by hour, log on at aspentimes.com and check out the Arts & Entertainment section.)Out in Snowmass, the Snowmagical fun returns for its 24th year.”Originally it was called a children’s festival, but we changed the name to the Snowmagical Family Fun Fest because for years we’ve strived to present talent to tickle the funny bone of all ages,” said event organizer Doc Eason, a magician in his own right. “When I say family, I don’t mean there’s just a bunch of clowns running around for little kiddies. These are multilevel entertainers and performances that will appeal to the biggest and littlest kid in every family.”The action starts this evening with a barbecue on the Snowmass mall and a free showing of the original “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory” movie, starring Gene Wilder.On Saturday and Sunday, Snowmass is the stage for nonstop performances, workshops and demonstrations. There will be magic, comedy, ventriloquism, juggling, story-telling, face painters, music, an 11-year-old yo-yo wizard and more. And, it’s free.”Each year is better than the last,” Eason declared.Saturday night culminates with a dine-around for families at local restaurants. Later in the evening, parents might want to check out the All-Star Magic Cabaret at La Provence (there’s a $3 cover – pull it out of your hat).In between the big stuff, you might want to squeeze in the Aspen Saturday Market, a full slate of Aspen Music Festival and School performances, and Crooked Still playing Sunday at noon atop Aspen Mountain as part of the Bluegrass Sundays series. Hey, at least the Saturday night opera is sold out. That’s one to cross off the list, unless you’ve got a ticket.