Top 5 most

News News | Jul 10, 2023

We’ve rounded up the top five most-read stories on Aspentimes.com from last week.

Billionaire philanthropist Jim Crown was driving a single-seat, open-top Spec Racer with a 165-horsepower engine on June 25 in Woody Creek when it struck a tire barricade backed by a concrete wall that was surrounding a gravel trap.

His son-in-law, Matthew McKinney, drove the Spec Racer a few hours before Crown drove it that day. McKinney remembered the car handled normally, although the brakes “were somewhat stiff, and the brake pedal had to be pressed somewhat firmly.”

Aspen Motorsports Park staff told McKinney the brakes were new.

These are some of the findings in the Pitkin County sheriff’s report, released on Thursday, investigating Crown’s death at the 50-acre park last month.

—Lynda Edwards

If there’s one thing that takes you back to the excitement of being a kid on summer break, it’s participating in a small-town, down-home Independence Day parade. And luckily for us, there are few old-school Aspen traditions that have endured longer than Aspen’s annual Fourth of July Celebration.

The parade, which is almost as old as the town itself, has been a summer staple for at least 134 years. An article that appeared July 5, 1884, in the Rocky Mountain Sun applauded it as: “Fourth of July in Aspen … The absent old-timer and the stranger visiting the Roaring Fork Valley on the morning of the Fourth would have been surprised to see the manner in which this holiday was celebrated amid the peaks of our snow-capped hills.”

And though times have changed since those early days, the community excitement around Aspen’s Fourth of July celebrations remains the same. The theme of this year’s festivities is “Rock On, Aspen” and promises to be a must-attend event of the summer. It includes everything from the kids’ bicycle decorating and parade launching from Paepcke Park to the annual old-fashioned parade from 11 a.m. to noon in the downtown core.

—Sarah Girgis

There is a popular saying that people come to Aspen for the winter but stay for the summer. And while it’s true that ski season and winter culture tends to dominate, Aspen’s legendary summer music season and idyllic setting gives winter a run for its money.

Aspen has a storied history when it comes to music that rivals just about any major city in the world, which is impressive when you think of the population size and it’s somewhat remote location. It could be argued that music was one of the main catalysts that transformed Aspen from a quiet, former mining town to a world-renowned cultural destination.

From established institutions like Aspen Music Festival and School and Jazz Aspen Snowmass to Belly Up Aspen and newcomer TACAW, there is a musical experience for just about every taste and budget in this valley.

—Sarah Girgis

Aspen’s annual Fourth of July parade returned on Tuesday with its usual packed sidewalks and nearly perfect weather.

People lined the streets throughout downtown for the roughly one-hour long parade, sandwiched between the morning’s Boogie’s Buddy Race, a benefit for the Buddy Program, the Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club’s community picnic, and the evening’s concert featuring Colorado’s own “The Motet.” The night ended with a laser show from Wagner Park.

Part of the parade was the contest, with judges scoring each float and declaring winners in multiple categories. The winners were: Peace, Love, and Rock and Roll (best theme); Aspen Gymnastics (most athletic); Kids Deserve a Chance to Grow (most colorful/most decorated); Vets/Dar (most patriotic/most historic patriotic); Elk Mountain Expeditions (most fun and active); Pure Barre (most unusual); Calliope (most historic).

—Austin Colbert

The history of a place doesn’t change, but the way people present the facts often does, and “Aspen Journey: Past to Present” is a lovely example of blending story with historical photos, artwork, illustrations, and postcards.

Author Susan Dalton intended to write about Aspen to complete her series, “Silver Past and Golden Future,” which depicts the histories of Denver, Telluride, and Durango. But as she delved into Aspen’s history, she realized the town’s story is so extensive that the book warranted its own identity.

“Aspen’s history is so unique and so fascinating, (even more) than even Denver, that I felt it deserved its own title,” she said.

At first, she backed away from the project because she’s not a native Aspenite. Then she met Judy Haas, who ultimately edited the book. Born in 1953, she lived in Aspen for 55 years before moving to Telluride, where Dalton lives.

—Kimberly Nicoletti

Aug 31, 2023

A crowd of about 100 people gathered in the apparatus bay, with more attending virtually, to learn more about the role of public officials in keeping the community safe, as well as their own responsibilities and opportunities in mitigating wildfire.

Aug 31, 2023

Aug 31, 2023

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