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Snowmass aims to keep Labor Day Festival

Steve Benson
Aspen Times Staff Writer

With the Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Festival returning to Snowmass Village this year, Town Council members made it clear Monday that they want it to stay.

“I’m not going to get into a bidding war with Aspen,” Councilman Arnie Mordkin said.

Construction on the Snowmass golf course sent last year’s festival to Buttermilk, and the June festival to Aspen. With construction on the golf course expected to be completed by the end of the summer, the Labor Day Festival will return to Snowmass Village.



Mordkin told Jazz Aspen organizers that in the future, he will not sign another temporary-use permit for the festival if they decide to return to Aspen again next June.

He cited recent articles in The Aspen Times that spoke of the success JAS experienced in Aspen for this year’s June festival.




Jazz Aspen officials said they were happy in Snowmass Village, and that the venue changes would not have happened if the golf course had not been under construction.

Snowmass Village Mayor T. Michael Manchester said success for Jazz Aspen means success for Snowmass Village.

“We’d really like for you to be successful here,” Manchester said.

The Labor Day Festival will be headlined by Neil Young, Tom Petty and Clint Black. In addition, Snowmass Village will be running an extensive “After Dark” series on the mall that includes music at bars and restaurants.

Changes from years past include an expanded festival site and the closure of Brush Creek Road, which will now act as a pedestrian thoroughfare and include the box office and check-in tents. The newly renovated softball field will house the main stage, and the “bowed roof” open-air stage will return.

Amid requests from the JAS organizers, the shows on Saturday and Sunday night, featuring Tom Petty and Neil Young, respectively, will be extended a half-hour, ending at 10:30 p.m.

For more information, call 920-4996.