Snowmass Village, Colo., (April 17, 2025) – Today, Snowmass Tourism announces news for the 2025 summer season, including a new Oktoberfest on the summer calendar, as well as the 50th Anniversary of the Snowmass Balloon Festival, one of Snowmass’ most iconic and beloved community events. Additional news includes nearly $80 million in on-mountain capital improvements, property renovations, new restaurants, and more.   

“Snowmass is truly one of Colorado’s most enchanting summer destinations,” says Julia Theisen, Tourism Director, Snowmass Tourism. “With stunning hiking and biking trails, a vibrant lineup of summer events for the community and visitors alike, and new experiences to discover around the Village and on the mountain, Snowmass is a must-visit summer destination. Be sure to plan ahead for September, when we’ll be celebrating the new Oktoberfest and the 50th anniversary of the Snowmass Balloon Festival!” 

Summer 2025 Events 
Summer 2025 features a robust event lineup, including the much anticipated 50th anniversary of the Snowmass Balloon Festival. The festival features a Friday Night Glow and Saturday and Sunday morning launches with 40+ balloons, the biggest mountain balloon festival in the state. New this summer to the calendar is Snowmass Oktoberfest, featuring steins of beer, pretzels, live music, and all of the traditional Oktoberfest classics. Summer 2025 also features the 33rd year of the Snowmass Free Concert Series on Thursday nights, with an elevated lineup of foot stomping artists; Heritage Fire returns for an all-inclusive bacchanal feast featuring bites prepared by some of the most critically acclaimed kitchens in the Roaring Fork Valley and beyond; while JAS Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Experience showcases Snowmass’ music scene with performances by Imagine Dragons, Lenny Kravitz, Luke Combs, and more. Be sure to check out community favorite events including Snowmass Rendezvous, The Mane Event, the Mad Hatter Community Tea Party, Cidermass, Americana Music Series, and weekly event programming at The Collective Snowmass. 

Major On-Mountain Developments 
This summer, Snowmass Ski Area sees the start of three new major investment projects, totaling nearly $80 million. Improvements include the replacement of the existing Elk Camp quad chair to a new state-of-the-art 6-pack lift. This lift represents a major investment in the Snowmass Bike Park operations as it essentially doubles the capacity of bike haul for summer operations. The new Cirque T-bar replaces the existing platter lift, reducing wait times at one of the highest lifts in North America, which accesses some of Snowmass’ best extreme high alpine terrain. This replacement effectively doubles the capacity of the lift, as it will go from a single-rider to double-rider. Finally, Ullrhof, the beloved mid-mountain restaurant on Snowmass, will undergo a complete rebuild and is set to re-open for the 2026-27 winter season. These projects are part of a multi-year effort to elevate guest dining experiences at Snowmass and add available restaurant seating across the mountain. These upgrades join other major on-mountain investment projects across Aspen Snowmass’ mountains in recent years, including The Cabin and Coney Express upgrades at Snowmass this past winter.  

In other on-mountain news, the new Trail Academy at Camp Aspen Snowmass debuts this summer. This 4-week bike camp is designed to help intermediate to advanced riders ages 8-12 develop their skills on Snowmass’ trail network. Sessions run Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00am to 3:00pm, with two options: June 17 – July 10 or July 15 – August 7. Starting August 4, 2025, the Elk Camp chairlift closes for the season for the Elk Camp chair upgrade. While upper trails at Snowmass Bike Park will no longer be lift-served, the lower half of the park remains accessible via the Elk Camp Gondola. The new chairlift is set to debut for the 2025-26 ski season. Also set to debut this summer is Bluegrass Saturdays at Elk Camp. For the first time in Snowmass, Elk Camp hosts live bluegrass concerts on select Saturdays throughout the summer. These events are free with the purchase of a sightseeing ticket or other lift pass access. For more, visit www.aspensnowmass.com. 

Snowmass Hotel News  
Summer 2025 marks the first summer of operations for Viceroy Snowmass Cirque Residences, a collection of 48 impeccably designed residences located slope-side in a brand-new luxury tower of Viceroy Snowmass, as well as the first summer of the updated Toro Restaurant by Chef Richard Sandoval, featuring a new boutique sushi/sashimi bar. This summer, the al fresco restaurant—formerly known as Nest—will undergo renovations. While the restaurant is getting a refresh, the poolside bar will continue serving drinks. Nest is set to reopen in the fall, possibly with a new name and brand. Additionally, Viceroy Snowmass is offering a new Farm-to-Table Private Chef & Farmer’s Market Experience. Embark on a culinary adventure with a Viceroy Snowmass chef to explore the Aspen Farmer’s Market. Handpick the freshest seasonal ingredients from local Colorado farmers, then return for an intimate, chef-prepared meal showcasing the flavors of each find. 

The Timberline Condominiums debuted phase one of three of a major external renovation project this winter, featuring an updated exterior and more modern and energy efficient aesthetics. Featuring all new windows, sliding doors, siding, staircases, balconies, patios, chimneys, lighting and slopeside signage, the roughly $20 million project continues this summer with an expected completion date of October 2026. 

Snowmass Restaurant News 

The Crepe Shack Snowmass reopens for the summer season under the new name and brand, Crepe Therapy. The new name better aligns with the expanded concept (now with locations in Aspen and opening soon in Boulder) and features improvements to the Snowmass store. 

SnacFood Empanadas celebrates their first summer season in 2025. Opening in late winter, the dedicated empanada hut on the Snowmass Mall features 14 flavors of empanada, ranging from breakfast to savory, spicy to dessert.  

This summer, Venga Venga unveils a new private event space. Perched slopeside with sweeping mountain views, the new space, located on the floor under the main restaurant, is designed to elevate group gatherings, celebrations, and corporate events in the heart of Snowmass. The space is anticipated to accommodate up to 80 guests for seated events and up to 100 for cocktail-style receptions, offering an unforgettable backdrop paired with Venga Venga’s signature hospitality and bold modern Mexican flavors.  

Other Snowmass News 
Nine new WE-cycle stations debut in Snowmass this summer, bringing the total to eleven WE-cycle bikeshare stations. The local bikeshare nonprofit serves Aspen, Snowmass Village, Basalt, Willits, El Jebel, and Carbondale with unlimited, free 30-minute rides, providing a reliable transportation option for short trips in the Roaring Fork Valley. Snowmass’s bikeshare network connects lodging, commerce, and event venues with 80+ bikes, the majority of which are e-bikes to account for Snowmass’ unique landscape. 

Smiling Goat Ranch, a Roaring Fork Valley-based non-profit, brings the healing effects of horses, movement, nature and an impassioned, supportive community to anyone with neuropsychiatric conditions including autism, depression, anxiety, and PTSD, as well as to those affected by grief, trauma, and related conditions. New this summer, the non-profit takes over the Snowmass Rodeo grounds on Tuesday mornings, offering open houses and private sessions for interested families. A variety of different animals will be on hand each week for therapy, including horses, mini-donkeys, mini-horses, bunnies, and goats.  All programs are offered to families and veterans free of charge.    

Snowmass celebrates public art with two new installations this summer, including the Public Space Photography Project, which features large scale prints by local photographers at the Base Village Transit Center, the Snowmass Mall bus depot, and the Snowmass Center, and Mama Bear and Bear Cubs, a new family of bear sculptures outside of Town Park Station in Snowmass Town Park. Look for these two new public art installations in addition to the Snowmass Art Walk, which can be found online and via brochure at Guest Services at Snowmass Town Park. Additionally, Snowmass Tourism is working with local multidisciplinary artist, Lindsay Jones on a one-of-a-kind Snowmass Free Concert Series poster, as well as with watercolor artist Jamie Wall on a set of collectable playing cards in honor the Snowmass Balloon Festival’s 50th anniversary. Look for poster and playing card giveaways at events in Snowmass this summer.    

New American Airlines Direct to Charlotte, NC Debuts Next Winter 

American Airlines debuts new seasonal service between Charlotte, North Carolina (CLT), and Aspen, Colorado (ASE), launching December 19, 2025. Complementing existing American flights into ASE from both Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Chicago/O’Hare (ORD), along with Los Angeles (LAX), Phoenix (PHX), and Austin (AUS), this service is scheduled to run 3x/week (Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays) from December 18, 2025 – March 29, 2026. CLT is American’s second largest hub behind DFW and offers numerous new connections to city-pairs that do not have nonstop flights to DFW, including secondary markets across the east coast and destinations across the Caribbean. 

For more information on everything there is to see and do in Snowmass, please visit www.gosnowmass.com. For summer photos of Snowmass Village, click here. Please credit the photographer listed, as opposed to Snowmass Tourism.  

About Snowmass Village, Colorado – A renowned winter playground and vibrant summer community just 9 miles from Aspen, Snowmass consistently ranks as one of the best winter ski areas and summer mountain biking destinations in the world. Snowmass, along with the rest of the Roaring Fork Valley, is the only IMBA (International Mountain Biking Association) Gold Level Ride Center™ in Colorado, one of only 7 in the world. Surrounded by breathtaking peaks and adjacent to 2.8 million acres of wilderness, the Village offers 95% slopeside lodging, is home to 30+ restaurants, and offers a variety of shops, unique special events, an abundance of live music, family activities, and much more. For more information and a complete calendar of events and activities, please visit www.gosnowmass.com. 

Snowmass Tourism Media Contact: Sara Stookey Sanchez, Public Relations Manager, Snowmass Tourism; sstookey@gosnowmass.com.  

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