GONZO-The Life & Work of Hunter S. Thompson
July 11, 2008
Sunday, July 27 - 8:00 PM Paepcke Auditorium $12
summer FILMS: Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
summerFILMS: Presented in association with Aspen Film. A definitive and fascinating portrait of a larger-than-life figure, Hunter S. Thompson was a true iconoclast: goring sacred cows with impunity, hilarity, and a steely-eyed obsession to right wrongs. Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room) focuses on the good doctor’s heyday - from 1965 to 1975. Including clips of home movies and audiotapes and passages from unpublished manuscripts (narrated by Johnny Depp), Gonzo is a three-dimensional portrait that reveals what a unique talent our Woody Creek neighbor was.
U.S. Open of Mountainboarding
July 11, 2008
Thursday, July 24 - Saturday, July 26 Snomass Village
Featuring world champion riders, this premier national event holds gravity-defying competitions in Dirt Boardercross and Slopestyle Big Air. An expo, demonstrations, and the U.S. Open Mountainboard Camp with the pros round out this epic weekend.
Aspen Ideas Festival
June 18, 2008

Aspen Ideas Festival Ticket Sales For Public Events Begin June 18
The Aspen Institute announces that single tickets for the Aspen Ideas Festival go on sale starting June 18, giving the public at large an opportunity to join in the conversation. The Ideas Festival, held on June 30-July 6, 2008, and run in partnership with The Atlantic, convenes more than 250 leaders from the fields of arts, science, culture, religion, philosophy, economics and politics in a deep and inquisitive public discourse on the most invigorating ideas and issues facing the world today.
Even though Aspen Ideas Festival passes are sold out, a number of sessions—from film screenings to breakfast discussions to in-depth lunch conversations—will be open to the community, starting at just $15 per ticket. A full schedule for these public events is available at aifestival.org, and tickets go on sale starting June 18 through the Wheeler Opera House at (970) 920-5770 and www.aspenshowtickets.com, or in person at the Wheeler box office.
Highlights of Ideas Festival sessions open to the public (tickets required) include:
· US Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff in conversation with The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg
· Alice Waters in conversation with The Atlantic’s Corby Kummer, with dessert served from her cookbook
· Award-winning National Geographic photographer James Balog exploring ice on the run in his “Extreme Ice Survey”
· A global perspective on the US elections from Der Tagesspiegel’s Christoph von Marschall, Ha’aretz’s Ari Shavit, Edward Luce of the Financial Times, and others
· A talk with four young, resilient survivors of genocide, war, and gang violence, moderated by playwright and actor Anna Deavere Smith
· An evening of discussion and performance with singer and songwriter Steve Earle and Studio 360’s Kurt Andersen
· Damian Woetzel, principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, and Dana Gioia, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, discussing the surprising benefits of arts education for people of all ages
· A dialogue with Thomas Friedman, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and columnist for the New York Times
· A film screening of HBO’s The Gates with the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude—one of a series of films and discussions that includes Darfur Now, a documentary about the catastrophe unfolding in the Sudan; Two Million Minutes, a look inside the schools, homes, and hangouts of high school students in China, India, and the US; Brick Lane, a contemporary story of love, cultural difference, and ultimately, the strength of the human spirit; and more
Other leading speakers that will be participating in sessions open to the public include Majora Carter of Sustainable South Bronx; Stanford Law Professor Lawrence Lessig; actress Tyne Daly; Green for All founder Van Jones; Atlantic Media Political Director Ronald Brownstein; the philosopher Swami Parthasarathy; Segway inventor Dean Kamen; Debi Brooks, co-founder of The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research; and Jeffrey Goldberg, national correspondent for The Atlantic, among many others. Sessions open to he public represent a sampling of the Ideas Festival program tracks, from Climate and Sustainability; Global Dynamics; Religion and the Modern World; American Experience; Global Commerce and the World Economy; and Medicine 2025 to Children and Education; Arts and Culture; The Net Generation; Food, Fuel and Famine; India; and Innovation and Technology.
Extending the dialogue from Aspen to a global audience, daily video highlights from the Ideas Festival will also be posted at www.aifestival.org, and event updates will be featured at www.twitter.com/aspeninstitute and www.facebook.com/pages/The-Aspen-Institute/34493700340.
“In this fourth summer of the Aspen Ideas Festival, we’re immensely pleased that we have gathered together so many new presenters and exciting new topics to address,” said Kitty Boone, Director of Public Programs and Vice President of the Aspen Institute. “We’re glad we can share these experiences broadly through our website and events open to the public.”
For more information about other events open to the public, a complete list of confirmed speakers, and passholder information, please visit www.aifestival.org. Sponsors for the 2008 Aspen Ideas Festival include Allstate, Altria, Boeing, Booz Allen Hamilton, Chevron, Ernst & Young, Intel, JPMorgan, Mercedes-Benz, and Thomson Reuters.
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Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan in Aspen
June 16, 2008
Cesar Millan to Whisper in Aspen, Colorado - July 10, 2008
The nonprofit Friends of the Aspen Animal Shelter (FAAS), in conjunction with Aspen Wags to Riches and Norbie Zuckerman and his dog Charlie as presenting sponsors, is bringing the famed Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan, to Aspen on July 10, 2008 for a series of events. Money raised from these events is earmarked for FAAS’s Roaring Fork Valley and Western Slope Spay/Neuter campaign.
“This is an unbelievable opportunity for us,” said Anne Gurchick, board member of FAAS and event organizer. “Cesar does not normally do speaking engagements and for him to accept our invitation to come to Aspen is a real coup for Roaring Fork Valley dog lovers.”
The Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan has been called a “Dr. Phil for dogs.” Cesar’s amazing rehabilitations of aggressive, scared, lazy, compulsive, and jealous dogs captured the national spotlight when his National Geographic Channel (NGC) series Dog Whisperer premiered in September 2004. Regular viewers soon came to realize it wasn’t the dogs but the quirky owners who needed Cesar’s help the most.
“I believe spaying or neutering your dog is an important part of responsible pet ownership, so I am proud to support FAAS’s mission,” remarked Cesar Millan.
In January 2006, Dog Whisperer returned for a primetime second season with expanded hour-long episodes. Now in its 4th season with 35 new hour-long episodes, the Dog Whisperer’s star, Cesar Millan, has grown into a pop culture phenomenon, including parodies on “South Park” and “Saturday Night Live”; references on popular shows including “Jeopardy!” and Bravo’s hit series “Work Out”; appearances on “Oprah,” “Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Martha Stewart,” “Carson Daly,” “Today Show,” “The View” and “Live with Regis and Kelly”; as well as a cameo role for Cesar on the hit series “Ghost Whisperer.” At appearances throughout the country, Cesar draws sold-out crowds of fans—and dogs—ready to hear Cesar’s signature “Tsst!” while learning from the master how to become a calm-assertive pack leader.
VIP Luncheon: Cesar will appear at a special luncheon at the Cheryl and Sam Wyly Aspen Animal Shelter on July 10 for approximately 100 VIPs who will pay $250 per ticket. Tickets for this event can be obtained by calling 970-927-1771 or by emailing cesarevent@dogsaspen.com.
Lecture: He will then appear at the Aspen District Theater for a show at 6:00 PM, during which he will give a lecture, interact with several dogs/owners, and conduct a “question & answer” session. Tickets to the Aspen District Theater event range from $50 to $150 and can be purchased by calling 970-920-5770 or through www.aspenshowtickets.com.
Dinner Party: Culminating his appearance in Aspen, Cesar will have dinner with 20 patrons at a local home on July 10 at 8:00 PM. Interested supporters can call 970-927-1771 for availability. Read more
Hollywood Stones at Belly Up
June 3, 2008
Belly Up, Aspen, Colorado - Saturday, June 14
Children’s Health Foundation and FOOD & WINE present Greenalicious, a culinary Rock ‘n’ Roll event at Belly Up on Saturday, June 14.
The evening will support CHF’s Lunch for Life Initiative and FOOD & WINE’s Grow for Good Campaign benefiting Wholesome Wave Foundation. Last year’s event, Love Snack, was a stellar party that raised the bar on Aspen summer fun.
This year promises to be even more entertaining with the Best of the Stones live concert by Hollywood Stones, hailed by NBC as the premiere Rolling Stones tribute band.
Come for the concert at 10:30 or make an evening of it with VIP tickets and enjoy succulent cocktails and a homegrown pure and simple dinner prepared by Celebrity Chefs.
For tickets and more information call Belly Up at 970-544-9800 or visit www.bellyupaspen.com






