Wheeler Presents Clue: A Walking Mystery
2025-06-19 | Wheeler Opera House, 320 E Hyman Ave, Aspen, CO 81611, 81611
WHO: You, your friends, your family, your colleagues – anyone ready for an adventure!
WHAT: Race to solve the classic whodunit in an experience like no other!
WHERE: Right in the heart of downtown Aspen!
Experience Aspen as never before this summer with CLUE: A Walking Mystery – Aspen Edition. From June 19 through July 12, players will step into the award-winning IRL version of the classic board game that was named “Best Immersive Experience” in Chicago.
Gather at the Wheeler Opera House to learn that Mr. Boddy’s murder was never solved, the mansion sold, and the furniture from all nine rooms has been auctioned off and scattered throughout Aspen. Teams will track down antique furniture and solve puzzles in local businesses while exploring downtown Aspen to piece together the mystery of WHO did it, WHERE, and WITH WHAT. At the final destination, you will again meet the Butler to present your case and see if your team finally solved the mystery.
Whether you’re after family fun, a one-of-a-kind date night, or the ultimate team-building challenge, this unique adventure has something for everyone.
Select your preferred time when booking!

Wheeler Presents Clue: A Walking Mystery
2025-06-20, 2025-06-21, 2025-06-24, 2025-06-25, 2025-06-26, 2025-06-27, 2025-06-28, 2025-07-01 (America/Denver) and 8 more dates | Wheeler Opera House, 320 E Hyman Ave, Aspen, CO 81611, 81611
WHO: You, your friends, your family, your colleagues – anyone ready for an adventure!
WHAT: Race to solve the classic whodunit in an experience like no other!
WHERE: Right in the heart of downtown Aspen!
Experience Aspen as never before this summer with CLUE: A Walking Mystery – Aspen Edition. From June 19 through July 12, players will step into the award-winning IRL version of the classic board game that was named “Best Immersive Experience” in Chicago.
Gather at the Wheeler Opera House to learn that Mr. Boddy’s murder was never solved, the mansion sold, and the furniture from all nine rooms has been auctioned off and scattered throughout Aspen. Teams will track down antique furniture and solve puzzles in local businesses while exploring downtown Aspen to piece together the mystery of WHO did it, WHERE, and WITH WHAT. At the final destination, you will again meet the Butler to present your case and see if your team finally solved the mystery.
Whether you’re after family fun, a one-of-a-kind date night, or the ultimate team-building challenge, this unique adventure has something for everyone.
Select your preferred time when booking

Aspen Ideas: Health - How the ACA Became Law $30
2025-06-22 19:30
Voices and Viewpoints
Behind the Vote: How the ACA Became Law
As the Affordable Care Act came to a vote in Congress in 2010, advocates and opponents alike held their breath because its passage was anything but certain. In this behind-the-scenes look back, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, then speaker of the House of Representatives (and now speaker emerita), reveals the twists, turns, policy debates, and compromises that led to the most sweeping reform of the nation’s health care system in decades. Joining her are Kathleen Sebelius and Sylvia Burwell, secretaries of the US Department of Health and Services when the ACA was developed, enacted, and implemented. The insiders tell all!
Sylvia Burwell, Nancy Pelosi, Kathleen Sebelius, with Moderator: Charlie Dent

Aspen Ideas: Health Evenings at Ideas - Is There Anything GLP-1s Can’t Do? $100
2025-06-23 19:00
5:15 pm – 7:00 pm | Evenings at Aspen Ideas: Health
Listen to live music and enjoy dinner from local food trucks, along with a selection of wine, cocktails, and mocktails.
5:15 pm – 5:45 pm | Meet the Authors and Book Signings
Purchase a book from the on-site local bookstore, Explore Booksellers, and get your copy signed by the author. Allison Applebaum, Uché Blackstock, Amy Larocca, Shigehiro Oishi
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm | Is There Anything GLP-1s Can’t Do?
For anyone locked into the discouraging cycle of weight gain-loss-gain or dealing with the health consequences of excess weight, a new class of medication is transformative. Use GLP-1 drugs and you’ll not only shed weight, but also keep it off — as long as you keep taking the medicine. GLP-1 drugs have been approved to treat obesity and diabetes and scientists are excited about their promise in cardiology, brain health, addiction treatment, liver disease, and even sleep disorders. Why are these drugs so powerful? What do we know about their long-term risks and benefits? How do we ensure broad, affordable access? Martha Gulati, Diana Thiara, Nora Volkow, with Moderator: Alice Park

Wheeler Presents Mary Chapin Carpenter/Brandy Clark
2025-06-24 19:00 | Wheeler Opera House, 320 E Hyman Ave, Aspen, CO 81611, 81611
One of music’s “most reliable and empathetic songwriters” (Pitchfork), Mary Chapin Carpenter has sold over 16 million records over the course of her renowned career. With hits like “Passionate Kisses” and “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her,” she has won five Grammy Awards (with 18 nominations), two CMA Awards, two ACM Awards and is one of only fifteen female members of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Carpenter’s record “One Night Lonely” was nominated for Best Folk Album at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, and in 2023 the songwriter was awarded the Poet’s Award at the ACM Honors, recognizing outstanding and longstanding musical and lyrical contributions throughout her career. Most recently, Carpenter unveiled her new podcast, “Hope is a Muscle,” which finds her in conversation with people from all walks of life. During its run, the podcast was in the top five music podcasts on both Apple and Spotify Platforms. In early 2025 the album “Looking For The Thread,” a collaborative recording with Scottish Singer-Songwriters Karine Polwart and Julie Fowlis, was released worldwide. Of the album, The Arts Desk wrote, “It’s only January but this is an album of the year.” The 2025 tour will feature songs from Mary Chapin’s entire catalog and her new album set for early summer release.A GRAMMY, CMA and Americana Award-winner, Brandy Clark is one of her generation’s most esteemed songwriters and musicians. In the midst of a landmark year, Clark won Best Americana Performance at the 66th GRAMMY Awards and Song of the Year at the 2024 Americana Honors & Awards with her acclaimed song, “Dear Insecurity,” featuring 11x Grammy-winner Brandi Carlile. The track is from Clark’s self-titled album, which was produced by Carlile and features her most personal songwriting to date. Released to overwhelming praise, Forbes calls the record “an Americana Masterpiece,” while Variety proclaims it “further clarifies that she’s one of America’s treasures” and Billboard declares, “Clark continues to convey her inexorable talents as both a song-crafter and vocal interpreter.” In addition to her work as a solo artist, Clark has written songs such as “A Beautiful Noise,” the GRAMMY-nominated duet performed by Brandi Carlile and Alicia Keys, and Kacey Musgraves’ “Follow Your Arrow.” She also composed the music for the hit musical comedy, Shucked, alongside her longtime collaborator, Shane McAnally. With the show, Clark won Outstanding Music at the 67th Drama Desk Awards and was nominated for Best Original Score at the 76th Tony Awards, with Shucked receiving nine Tony nominations overall last year.

Aspen Ideas: Health Evenings at Ideas - Artificial Intelligence Revolution $100
2025-06-24 19:00
5:15 pm – 7:00 pm | Evenings at Aspen Ideas: Health
Listen to live music and enjoy dinner from local food trucks, along with a selection of wine, cocktails, and mocktails.
5:15 pm – 5:45 pm | Meet the Authors and Book Signings
Purchase a book from the on-site local bookstore, Explore Booksellers, and get your copy signed by the author. Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, Uma Naidoo, George Steinmetz, Bonnie Tsui
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm | Artificial Intelligence Revolution
AI is penetrating every corner of medicine. In clinical care, it is being schooled to analyze scans and tissue samples, predict disease risks, help design personalized treatment plans, and even offer mental health support. In research, AI may speed drug discovery and inform clinical trial design. It can also increase operational efficiencies by streamlining scheduling, coding, claims processing, and electronic health record management. But the technology isn’t perfect—at least, not yet—and legal, regulatory, and ethical concerns, including algorithmic bias, remain to be addressed. Karen DeSalvo, Nita Farahany, Micky Tripathi, with Moderator: Erin Brodwin

Aspen Ideas: The Poisoned Well Drama and Dialogue in a Time of Crisis $75
2025-06-25 19:30
The Just SocietyThe Poisoned Well: Drama and Dialogue in a Time of CrisisAcclaimed actors from film and television, along with scientists, journalists, doctors and elected officials, perform a dramatic reading of scenes from Henrik Ibsen’s 1882 play An Enemy of the People. In keeping with Aspen Institute tradition, revisiting this classic drama helps frame powerful, guided audience discussions aimed at generating connection, understanding, compassion, and positive action. The play tells the story of a doctor who discovers the water supply in his small, rural town has been poisoned by a tannery. Despite his efforts to convey the truth to the public, the doctor fails to save his community from environmental disaster and is ultimately scapegoated for his whistleblowing. An Enemy of the People was first performed in Norway in 1882, and yet it speaks to the present moment as if it were written for our time. This Theater of War production is adapted, directed and facilitated by Bryan Doerries. TOW presents community-specific, theater-based projects that address pressing public health and social issues.Bill Irwin as Dr. Thomas StockmannTate Donovan as Mayor Peter StockmannElizabeth Marvel as HovstadJosh Hamilton as AslaksenMarjolaine Goldsmith as Petra StockmannCitizenry: Teddy Abrams, Alex Azar, Christine Brennan, Jonathan Capehart, Elizabeth Cohen, Perri Peltz, Sam Sanders, Shira Stutman, Laurie Tisch, Fidel Vargas and others

Evenings at Ideas Featuring Hope is a Muscle $200
2025-06-26 18:30
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm | Evenings at Ideas
Enjoy creative global cuisine throughout the Marble Garden Village, from a Michelin Star-winning Mexico City taqueria to Japanese bites from Matsuhisa. Sip JUSTIN Wines and Free Spirits nonalcoholic drinks, or cocktails from Woody Creek Distillery. Don’t miss the Culinary Conversation featuring Milk Bar’s Christina Tosi and listen in as the All-American Rejects bring their pop-up tour to a meadow on campus. Then check out the evening session in the McNulty Room before a nightcap at West End Social.
5:15 pm – 5:45 pm | Culinary Conversation and Tasting
Christina Tosi, a pastry chef who disliked the finicky presentations of high-end restaurants, had a charming idea: Give people ice cream in the flavor of the milk left at the bottom of the cereal bowl. Cereal milk catalyzed Milk Bar into the global brand it’s known as today. Tosi shares how her whimsical global brand came to be, and why she used her background in engineering to give it staying power. Christina Tosi with Interviewer: Corby Kummer
5:45 pm – 6:15 pm | The All-American Rejects: NPR Music Field Recording
The All-American Rejects bring their cross-country pop-up tour to Aspen for a stripped-down set filled with 2000s nostalgia. In collaboration with NPR Music and the team behind Tiny Desk, Field Recordings at Aspen Ideas brings artists off the beaten path for intimate, unamplified performances across the Institute’s stunning 40-acre campus. A rare musical experience in harmony with nature.
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm | Hope is a Muscle
In this special live taping of the On Being podcast, Peabody Award-winning host Krista Tippett sits down with acclaimed author and MacArthur Fellow Jason Reynolds for a conversation between friends on the nature of muscular hope. Grounded in reality rather than idealism, this kind of hope is a daily discipline – a choice to face the world as it is, while still working toward what could be. Together, they explore how hope becomes a force for resilience, imagination, and action. Jason Reynolds, Krista Tippett
7:30 pm – 8:30 pm | Nightcap: Point/Counterpoint – Trust
Trust. We say we want it, but do we even know what it is? Maybe it’s a virtue. Maybe it’s a trap. Can we ever rebuild it once it’s broken? Two philosophers walk into a bar (well, almost) to debate the nature of trust, its limits, and its possibilities. Come for the big questions – stay for the barstool epiphanies. Tamar Gendler, Samuel Kimbriel

Aspen Ideas Festival Presents Climate Parables: Imagination for a Warming World $40
2025-06-26 19:45 | Wheeler Opera House, 320 E Hyman Ave, Aspen, CO 81611, 81611
Planet in TransitionClimate Parables: Imagination for a Warming WorldThis evening of science storytelling, on stage at the historic Wheeler Opera House, blends performance, art, and possibility. Featuring original short stories by Kim Stanley Robinson, Eliot Peper, and Mark Alpert—brought to life by master performers, stunning animations, and a live string quartet—Climate Parables invites us to imagine the futures we still have time to shape. A conversation on “The Science Behind the Fiction” rounds out the evening, exploring the real-world ideas behind these compelling, plausible visions. Production by Future Earth’s Anthropocene Magazine in collaboration with the Aspen Ideas Fest and Back Pocket Media. Vishaan Chakrabarti, David Keith, with Moderator: Dan Charles

Evenings at Ideas Featuring Life in Seven Songs $200
2025-06-27 18:30
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm | Evenings at Ideas
Enjoy creative global cuisine throughout the Marble Garden Village, from a Michelin Star-winning Mexico City taqueria to Japanese bites from Matsuhisa. Sip JUSTIN Wines, Free Spirits nonalcoholic drinks and grab a cocktail from William H. Macy at the Woody Creek Distillery tent. Pop over to Ford Basecamp for wine and conversation with the team from Ford Pro. Don’t miss the Culinary Conversation featuring Le Bernardin’s renowned chef, Eric Ripert, or the unplugged performance hosted by Juilliard Station. Pick a flower at contemporary artist Cj Hendry’s installation in Anderson Park, then check out the evening session in the McNulty Room before a nightcap at West End Social.
5:15 pm – 5:45 pm | Culinary Conversation
Le Bernardin is many people’s favorite New York City restaurant – not only because of its extreme finesse with fish but because the service and welcome make them feel so special. The secret? A gifted and celebrated chef, Eric Ripert, who cares for the staff as much as the ingredients and guests. Corby Kummer talks to Ripert about how Le Bernardin maintains its standards – and what excites him about the future. Eric Ripert, with Interviewer: Corby Kummer
5:45 pm – 6:15 pm | Julliard Station
From the free rush-hour concerts on the bustling corner of 66th Street and Broadway to the idyllic Aspen Meadows campus, Juilliard Station offers a unique opportunity to experience the storied conservatory’s artistry up close and personal. Enjoy the live music tonight at Evenings at Ideas.
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm | A Life in Seven Songs Featuring Mary Louise Kelly
From the frontlines of war zones to the anchor chair at NPR, Mary Louise Kelly has made a career out of listening closely. In this special live taping of Life in Seven Songs – the podcast where guests reflect on the music that shaped them. Kelly shares the personal soundtrack behind the headlines and the songs that scored her life’s defining moments. It’s a poignant conversation about memory, meaning, and the art of listening deeply. Mary Louise Kelly with Host: Sophie Bearman
7:30 pm – 8:30 pm | Nightcap: Hosted by Fathom
Let the conversations continue at the West End Social bar on campus.

Aspen Ideas: How Art Connects Us to the Ground Beneath Our Feet at Smuggler Mine $30
2025-06-27 20:00
Design of the Times
How Art Connects Us to the Ground Beneath Our Feet
High above the valley at the historic Smuggler Mine, this sunset conversation explores how art and design deepen our connection to land, place, and cultural memory. Drawing from Hood Design Studio’s work at the intersection of ecology and history, and Storm King Art Center’s commitment to site-specific sculpture and land stewardship, the discussion reflects on how environments hold stories—and how creative practice can help reveal and renew our relationship to them. Walter Hood, Nora Lawrence.

Aspen Ideas: Afternoon of Conversation $150
2025-06-28 15:00
Afternoon of Conversation
Big thinkers and doers share fresh ideas, challenge assumptions and ignite conversations that ripple far beyond the iconic Klein Music Tent. Curiosity required. Lunch not available to public.

The Art of Our Time
Two of the most influential figures shaping contemporary art—artist Jeff Koons and the Smithsonian Institution’s Director of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Melissa Chiu—explore the works that have challenged conventions, sparked cultural conversations and expanded the very definition of art. Jeff Koons and Melissa Chiu.

Leadership that Lifts Us
Maryland Governor Wes Moore and NBA legend Steve Kerr explore how bold, purposeful leadership—on the court and in public life—can rally teams and communities to rise to the moment. Wes Moore and Steve Kerr.

Evenings at Ideas Featuring How TikTok Changed The Vote $200
2025-06-28 18:30
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm | Evenings at Ideas
Enjoy creative global cuisine throughout the Marble Garden Village, from a Michelin Star-winning Mexico City taqueria to Japanese bites from Matsuhisa. Sip JUSTIN Wines or Free Spirits non alcoholic drinks, and grab a cocktail from William H. Macy at the Woody Creek Distillery tent. Don’t miss the Culinary Conversation featuring Unbound Brews’ Jon Muth and the unplugged performance hosted by Juilliard Station. Pick a flower at contemporary artist Cj Hendry’s installation in Anderson Park, then check out the evening session in the McNulty Room before a nightcap at West End Social.
5:15 pm – 5:45 pm | Culinary Conversation
You know what you like in a cup of coffee. But why? Jon Muth, founder of LA’s Unbound Brews, will lead you through a cupping to understand professional terminology — and talk with Food & Society at the Aspen Institute Executive Director Corby Kummer about how the program’s Food Leaders Fellowship changed his journey from alternative-protein supply chain to creating a special Aspen Ideas roast. Jon Muth with Interviewer: Corby Kummer
5:45 pm – 6:15 pm | Julliard Station
From the free rush-hour concerts on the bustling corner of 66th Street and Broadway to the idyllic Aspen Meadows campus, Juilliard Station offers a unique opportunity to experience the storied conservatory’s artistry up close and personal. Enjoy the live music tonight at Evenings at Ideas.
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm | How TikTok Changed The Vote

For the first time in modern history, America’s youngest voters are leaning rightward, with Gen Z voters identifying as more conservative than their parents at double the previous generation. Three Gen Z political content creators shine a light on how alternative media are creating parallel information ecosystems, sorting voters into new political tribes with profoundly different worldviews. Jayme Franklin, Brad Polumbo, Dean Withers, and Moderator: Jack Blanchard

7:30 pm – 8:30 pm | Nightcap: Hosted by Politico
Let the conversations continue at the West End Social bar on campus. Jack Blanchard, Jonathan Martin

Evenings at Ideas Featuring 'Risky Business!' and Poker Night $200
2025-06-29 18:30
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm | Evenings at Ideas, Hosted by Aspen Ideas: Economy
Enjoy creative global cuisine throughout the Marble Garden Village. Sip JUSTIN Wines, Free Spirits nonalcoholic drinks and cocktails from Woody Creek Distillery while we toast to the Aspen Institute’s newest event, Aspen Ideas: Economy. Pop over to Ford Basecamp for wine and conversation with the team from Michigan Central. Don’t miss the Culinary Conversation featuring Mario Hernández Alonso, chef of the first Michelin-star-winning taqueria, or the unplugged performance hosted by Juilliard Station. Pick a flower at contemporary artist Cj Hendry’s installation in Anderson Park, then check out the evening session in the McNulty Room before a nightcap at West End Social.
5:15 pm – 5:45 pm | Culinary Conversation
When Mexico City taqueria El Califa de Leon, along with its chef, were awarded a Michelin star, the chef thought they were getting a set of tires. Corby Kummer asks owner Mario Hernandez Alonso for the taqueria’s secret to great steak and rib tacos — knowing full well he won’t get exact instructions on how to cut the meat, which staff members only learn after signing NDAs. Mario Hernandez Alonso with Interviewer: Corby Kummer
5:55 pm – 6:25 pm | Julliard Station
From the free rush-hour concerts on the bustling corner of 66th Street and Broadway to the idyllic Aspen Meadows campus, Juilliard Station offers a unique opportunity to experience the storied conservatory’s artistry up close and personal. Enjoy the live music tonight at Evenings at Ideas.
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm | Risky Business (Live Podcast Taping)
Two of America’s sharpest analytical minds bring their poker table insights to the stage. Join Maria Konnikova and Nate Silver for a live taping of their hit podcast “Risky Business,” where psychology meets probability, and every decision counts. From reading tells in high-stakes tournaments to forecasting elections, these two professional risk-takers explore how to make better choices when the outcome matters most. Maria Konnikova, Nate Silver
7:30 pm – 9:00 pm | Poker Night!
Following the live podcast taping, test your newfound insights in a real poker tournament with professional dealers, real chips, and exciting prizes for the winners! Whether you’re a seasoned player or a newbie feeling inspired by Maria Konnikova and Nate Silver’s strategic insights, this will be your chance to put theory into practice. (Participation is free and no cash prizes will be awarded.)
9:00 pm – 10:00 pm | Nightcap: Hosted by NGLCC and Public Private Strategies
Let the conversations continue at the West End Social bar on campus.

Aspen Ideas Festival Closing Day Pass $750
2025-07-01 08:00
Returning this year, immerse yourself in big ideas with a half day of programming previously open only to full festival passholders. Register at the Ideas Pavilion starting at 8:00 AM, enjoy breakfast and choose from sessions throughout the morning that delve into diverse topics of our time. Then gather in Greenwald Pavilion for the always captivating Closing Session (12 – 1 PM) featuring Grammy-winning conductor Teddy Abrams and a conversation with Ann Lee and Sean Penn about responding to the world’s most urgent crises. Finally, join all attendees for the Aspen Ideas Closing Picnic (1 – 2 PM). See the full event agenda at aspenideas.org.
