Some spent the evening sequestered in the splendor of the Viceroy, swilling champagne, savoring the flavor of Eight K’s menu samplings and cheering Jeff Bridges at Aspen Film’s Oscar Party in Snowmass; some friends and I opted for a quiet, cozy night at Markham’s Bar at the Hotel Lenado, where we kept the bartender company and rearranged the potted plants for better viewing of the bed and breakfas

Block Party“Is that the same igloo you built last year?” Now, understandably, an igloo amidst apartment living is one of those mountain mysteries which provoke classic mountain questions, like “What happens to the moguls when summer comes?” and “What time do the Maroon Bells ring?” High noon, right? No, wait, that’s the fire siren in Aspen. Huh.

My friend Sam took the igloo question in stride because after a long day’s night at the Annual Igloo Celebration, no comment seemed too off-the-wall. Sam inherited igloo-mania from current friends and prior tenants; by taking over their apartment, he also pledged to gather helping hands and build an annual igloo, from the cross-country course up.

A woman walked across the middle of the street dragging her 3-year old in a plastic sled behind her.

It’s an all-Texas Weekend at the Wheeler Opera House. Granted, there’s a fair share of Lone Star citizens in town any time of the season; this doesn’t mean the place will be packed with all Texans, for two nights only, only that three key ones will be front and center Friday and Saturday to set the stage for a real Texan singer-songwriter session.

“At the end of the day, looking out on 15,000 people from the side of the stage…that energy makes it worth it every night.” Thought not an official rock star, BellyUp General Manager Kimberly Kuliga has lived a rock and roll lifestyle.

“Someone brought in a live bird’s nest,” says Christina Patterson, President of The Thrift Store of Aspen, recalling some of the more colorful items donated to what may well be the nation’s nicest thrift store. From Bogner, to Postcard, to Prada and Gucci with tags still on, the well-known excess of Aspen often finds its way through the Thrift Store’s back door.