I just got back from an Aspen Business Luncheon with Food & Wine Publisher and Vice President Christina Grdovic. She was an excellent, fast-paced speaker, and her talk really got me jazzed about the upcoming weekend! Even though I don’t have passes to the actual events, there’s plenty for me to do … ASPEN magazine, Aspen Peak, Mario Batali, lots of scotch companies, and countless others are throwing non-official parties (think SXSW ’08, before all the “non-official” parties were too big).
If you’re lucky enough to be attending, you’ve likely already checked out foodandwine.com/classic, but I find the website confusing and not all that interesting. Better to download the free app and follow the hashtag #fwclassic on twitter throughout the weekend for the REAL news. If you’re not attending, no worries, the town is abuzz with crazy energy, and you’re likely to spot some serious starpower … last year I saw Giada de Laurentiis heading up the Gondola and Mario Batali with his fam at Bruno’s. It’s a blast, tickets or no.
Also note that the Saturday Market starts up this Saturday, so there’s tons of local merchants and farmers selling their goods, and it’s a great place to wander enjoying the Aspen sunshine.