LET'S START MAKING PLANS AND HEAD TOWARD A NEW YEAR...2014!!

Celebrating New Year's Eve in Aspen is like no where else...
 
Fireworks on Aspen Mountain - shows at 8:00pm and midnight
Bonfire in Wagner Park until midnight
DJ in Wagner Park until midnight

Building up to New Year's Eve, Belly Up, voted Rolling Stone magazine's 2013 Best New Year's Eve Concert venues has quite a line up:
 
Friday, December 27th, Weezer
Sunday, December 29th, Rufus Wainwright (early show) and Moby (late show)
Monday, December 30th, The Flaming Lips
Tuesday, December 31st, New Year's Eve, The Flaming Lips

Two other events you might not want to miss on Monday, December 30th:
 
9:30 AM - Antonio Banderas is hosting the annual Audi Ajax Cup...a team dual slalom race  competition held on Little Nell on Ajax
 
2:00PM - Aspen Skating Club will give a free ice skating performance at the Silver Circle Ice Rink in town

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Besides lots of delicious dining, outrageous skiing and snowboarding, snowmobiling, dog-sledding, sleigh rides, winter fishing, and just an all-around amazing wonderful week,

there is so much to do in Aspen and at all FOUR of the local mountains you should plan to

COME JOIN US!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE...

from the

Staff at The Innsbruck Aspen!

 

 

According to the following article The Innsbruck Aspen was rated #1 by Travelers:

2013 Best Ski Hotels in the U.S.: Travelers

December 16, 2013 7:28am

 

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According to Online Travel Reviews, Best U.S. ski hotels include family-run condominiums in Aspen, CO, a small historic hotel in Telluride, CO, economy accommodations in Lake Placid, NY, and more
December 16, 2013-Dallas, TX-If there's any one thing to say about the 2013 Best Ski Hotels in the U.S., it's that they are as varied as the sport itself: cross country, downhill, slalom, leisurely cocktail skiing, hardcore black diamond skiing. When it comes to the best ski vacations in the U.S., the only real consistency is that Colorado hotels seem to be doing something right with 7 of the top spots, including the #1 ranking for The Innsbruck, an Aspen hotel, as well as the #2 for Tivoli Lodge in Vail. But with four hotels on the list, Telluride takes the cake for best ski destination based on hotel reviews.

"There are a lot of surprises on the list of best ski hotels: surprisingly few luxury brand hotels and, instead, several very small and/or family-run properties in high-end ski destinations," says Alan Young, TrustYou's Senior Vice President of Marketing & Strategic Partnerships. The Innsbruck (#1) is a 17-room family-owned condominium hotel; the luxury ski hotel Lumière Telluride has just 11 rooms; The New Sheridan is a 26-room historic hotel; and the Hampton Inn & Suites Lake Placid is an economy hotel. "It's interesting to see such variety in the top 10 list when we're talking about a luxury sport," notes Young.
The Best Ski Hotels in the U.S. for 2013 was compiled through an individual review of over 60 ski hotels taken from readers polls and media favorites' lists. Each hotel's TrustScore is based on data aggregated from across all available online travel review sites showing overall traveler satisfaction with the hotel. The 2013 Best U.S. Ski Hotels list considered TrustScore ratings from December 2012-November 2013 to ensure the whole of the previous ski season was included. All of the top ski hotels in the U.S. have "excellent" ratings according to online hotel reviews, aggregated from across review sites by TrustYou.*

AS PROMISED....we are going to keep you advised each week of some of the exciting activities that take place in town and on our FOUR amazing mountains during this winter season.  There's so much to enjoy for friends and family, even if your interests don't lie in the skiing/snowboarding activities.

December 14:  EXCITING DAY...Buttermilk and Aspen Highlands open!






December 14-15: Aspen Santa Fe Ballet presents The Nutcracker, start a new tradition with your family and add this to your annual holiday traditions.  (matinee and evening shows)

December 20-31: During the 12 Days of Aspen, the town is transformed into a magical Winter Wonderland.  Downtown Aspen comes alive with everything from free ice skating at the Silver Circle Rink, and carriage rides to concerts and carolers. Free "Santa Day" on Saturday, December 21 (5-7pm) at the ARC (Aspen Rec Center), along with a professional photographer, and on the 22nd (3-5pm)Santa will joing the Aspen Firefighters at the station for complimentary hot chocolate and cookies.

December 21-22: USPA World Snow Polo Championships (11am-Wagner Park) The sport of snow polo was first introduced in 1985 at the resort town of St. Moritz, Switzerland. In the U.S. snow polo is competed exclusively in Aspen, Colorado, and it's a modified verision of polo and the polo ponies are shod with cleated shoes to provide better traction. World Class Polo players will be competing for the title at the 11th Annual USPA World Snow Polo Championship. Celebrities and Spectators gather under heated tents to enjoy the action on the field.

December 21: American singer-songwriter Burt Bacharach, a great friend to Aspen, will be performinig at the Wheeler Opera House (8pm).  Some of his most famous hits have been for artists such a Dionne Warwick, The Carpenters, Chicago, and so many more in the past 6 decades.

December 23-January 2: Film Academy Screening (AMPAS & BAFTA) of major motion pictures begin at the Wheeler Oper House

December 26: FREE, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC - ACES: Holiday Open House (3:30-6:30pm)
At Hallam Lake in the heart of Aspen you can enjoy ACES (Aspen Center for Environmental Studies) open house including guided snowshoe tours around the preserve, hot chocolate, mulled cider, wine, snacks and more! Don't miss the early evening "air show" of waterfowl coming to spend the night at Hallam Lake, explore the center, learn about ACES and enjoy the warmth of a small bonfire, the pleasure of good company and the beautiful setting of Hallam Lake!

December 30: Aspen Skating Club will be putting on a free performance (2:00pm) at the Silver Circle Rink in Aspen (next to CP Burger).

December 30: Audi Ajax Cup (9:30am) hosted by Antonio Banderas, consists of 14 teams competing head to head in a dual slalom on  Little Nell run on Ajax. One team will win the coveted Ajax Cup Trophy and bragging rights for a year. Following the race is the best apres ski party of the year, celebrating the winners of the 3rd Annual Ajax Cup Ski Race! 

December 31: NEW YEAR'S EVE...Free DJ & Bonfire in Wagner Park (8pm-12am), free music and a roaring bonfire.  Santa joins in the celebration, as do his reindeer Comet & Vixen!  It wouldn't be New Year's Eve in Aspen without the fireworks (8pm and 12am) extravaganza on Aspen Mountain to ring in the new year!

Want to party and dance on NEW YEAR'S EVE...Aspen's newest tradition you can head to the Wheeler Opera House and enjoy Louisiana swamp boogie rock & roll! Watch one of the nation's hottest new rock bands, but also your party favors, noisemakers, champagne toast, and open bar for this end-of-year celebration.

The party will pause and toast just as the ball drops in New York, and then again when the fireworks extravaganza begins on Aspen Mountain.

NOW.... we've gotten you through December....NEXT START THINKING ABOUT JANUARY 2014, X-Games, and of course coming up on

January 9-12: Winterskol!  Aspen's free annual "toast to winter," dates back to a quiet January in 1951 when local Aspenites decided to celebrate Aspen's unique Nordic lifestyle with an eclectic weekend of festivities. Today the four day celebration features on-mountain activities, live music, a canine fashion show, WinterFest, fireworks and much more.

MASSIVE DUMP OF POW POW!

 

Starting last night and continuing still, we got some serious snow here in Aspen town and on all FOUR of our incredible mountains! Aspen Mountain and Snowmass are open and running full boar, Highlands and Buttermilk are gearing up because the snow on all FOUR mountains is amazing!

 

 This pic taken by awesome photographer Jeremy Swanson TODAY, shows one of our locals coming off Ajax Express down Silver Bell and onto Blazing Star. Now if you want to ride a lift and see a spectacular show, this is the one, everyone likes to show their "stuff" on this run-under this lift, you are likely to see flips, 360s and massive air! 

 

COME JOIN US...Snow is more than fine!