Skiing, shopping and eating are three of the main draws for the throngs that convene on Aspen every year. And while people often associate the snowy slopes of Aspen with winter vacations, don’t be fooled into thinking this striking village has nothing to offer in the warmer months. On the contrary, if you’ve missed out on booking a luxury villa rental in Aspen for your winter getaway think about reserving now for the months to come. There are several great, not-to-be-missed events taking place in Aspen in the coming months, among them the Food & Wine Classic at Aspen (June 15-17) and the Aspen Film Festival (October 1-7), which you may want to consider penciling in to your vacation itinerary.

Rob Reiner and Kathy Bates at the Aspen Film Festival Photo via filmfestivalworld.com

If you love great food and wonderful wine then you’ll likely be enthralled with an event hosted by Food & Wine magazine. The now legendary event may have started as a gathering of winemakers, chefs and aficionados of both, but thirty years later it has evolved into one of the United States’ foremost culinary festivals. The 30th anniversary of the festival will be held in Aspen this year from June 15 to the 17th, and participating chefs include Mario Batali, Jacques Pépin, Giada DiLaurentiis, Grant Achatz, and Tom Coliccio, not to mention the internationally celebrated winemakers, brewmasters, mixologists and sommeliers who will also be convening on the resort town for the event. The festival includes tastings, panel discussions, classes, demonstrations and seminars, and 300 exhibitors showing in the Grand Tasting Pavilion. You can choose between such events as Ming Tsai’s Asian BBQ, Swill for the Grill by Danny Meyer and Undiscovered Grapes of Spain by Steve Olson.

If you’re interested in the Food & Wine event then 2012 is the perfect year to attend, because in addition to the usual draws there are also several special 30th anniversary events on the schedule. These include an anniversary party, an after-hours dessert soiree and a 5 kilometre charity run. Tickets are currently selling for $1,225 (with 2% of the net proceeds being donated to Grow for Good by Food & Wine) and going quickly, so if you’re looking to attend snap up your tickets now! You may also want to consider booking a gorgeous luxury villa rental in Aspen while you’re at it, a perfect way to complete the entire culinary experience. (Our “V” Villas and VillaHotels also offer state of the art kitchens if you’d like to try out some of your new skills once the food weekend is over).

VillaHotel Chantal

Aspen doesn’t just hold draws for skiiers or food lovers, either, if you love movies then think about penciling in the Aspen Film Festival as well. Being held in October this film festival has steadily been coming into its own as one that’s not to miss, especially for those interested in unique features and documentaries. “Intimate in scale and celebratory in tone, Filmfest offers new features and documentaries, as well as unique presentations, special events, and family films,” explains the fest’s website. “Special programs include tributes to distinguished artists. Past honorees include such luminaries as Julie Christie, Harrison Ford, Rob Reiner, Sydney Pollack, Bob Rafelson, Michael Douglas, Anjelica Huston and William H. Macy, and such notable new talents as Jason Reitman, Paula Patton and Anton Yelchen.” Films featured at the 2011 festival included Jonathan Levine’s 50/50 (voted the audience’s favorite feature), The Women on the 6th Floor, Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey and Wild Horse, Wild Rise directed by Constance Marks.

VillaHotel Pamela

If visiting Aspen in the spring, or as the leaves change color in the fall, seems like an exciting proposition then we’d advise taking a look at the gorgeous and unique luxury villa rentals offered by Villazzo. A wonderful alternative to any five-star hotel these “V” Villas and VillaHotels offer amazing amenities, luxurious accommodation and privacy that no hotel can deliver.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 20th, 2012 at 11:05 am and is filed under Aspen. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.