5 Ways to Experience Aspen Like a Local
Aspen in June means crips mountain air, wildflowers and pine. June also brings the unofficial kickoff to summer – The Aspen Food and Wine Classic – celebrating 42 years in 2025. As thousands flock to enjoy the best bites and finest wines, this ski town turns into one large festive pop-up restaurant.
However, Aspen’s true magic reveals itself in quieter, more intimate moments, the ones you’d only know if you lived there. With Jet Linx as your guide and partner, you’re invited to experience Aspen as locals do.
With sunlight pouring through the glass-and-wood façade of the Aspen Art Museum, you feel the pioneering spirit of the alpine town coming to life. On a summer afternoon, you find yourself lingering over a local artist’s latest installation. You end the visit by sipping a chilled rosé on the rooftop café as the mountains frame the horizon. The museum is the creative heartbeat of the town, and this year, the museum will host the Art of the Party, a curated experience put on by Modern Luxury. The event is headlined by Antoni Porowski of Queer Eye, and will bring together art lovers, culinary stars, and Aspen’s most creative crowd under one roof – in partnership with Jet Linx.
2. Savor the Flavors of the Aspen Farmers Market
Saturday morning in Aspen begins with the scent of fresh bread and the call of bluebirds and sapsuckers. At the Aspen Farmers Market, stalls teem with just-picked peaches, heirloom tomatoes, and wildflower bouquets. There’s nothing like a free sample of artisan cheese, or honey so fragrant it could only come from true mountain blossoms. Here you’ll find locals greeting each other by name, swapping stories and recipes. The farmer’s market is a community ritual that anyone can slip into and feel like a true local. The produce and products you find there will be some of the best in the country, which is exactly why you’ll see local chefs, perhaps a celebrity or two, and townies all shopping in the same spot.
3. Sunrise Hikes on Hunter Creek Trail
Long before the town stirs, locals lace up their boots and slip into the dawn. The Hunter Creek Trail is a favorite with a winding path that leads you through aspens and alongside a creek that hums with fresh snowmelt. Seeing first light spill across the valley and ignite the peaks in a brilliant gold is an experience like no other. You might also spot a deer grazing, or a flash of a rainbow trout in the pristine water below. Nothing sets the mood for the day like an early morning alpine hike. Afterward, a well-deserved breakfast and coffee from a local shop will never taste better.
Resting beside the Roaring Fork River and Rio Grande Park, the John Denver Sanctuary is Aspen’s secret garden with a built-in memory of singer John Denver. Locals love to spread a blanket on the grass, unpack a picnic of local cheeses and fruits, and take in the burbling river and one of the largest perennial flower gardens in the area. Aspenites also come for the solitude of the Song Garden where local river boulders are etched with the iconic singer’s lyrics. This sanctuary often becomes a repeat favorite, and early June brings peak bloom to the beautiful gardens.
5. Enjoy Free Outdoor Concerts
Aspen is all about enjoying the outdoors, but they’re even better with a soundtrack. The Aspen Music Festival & School host multiple free outdoor concerts. One free weekly classical performance takes place at 11,000 feet atop Aspen Mountain on Saturdays, and on Sunday locals and visitors alike gather on the lawn outside the Michael Klein Music Tent (dubbed by locals as ‘The Tent’) for another weekly performance. At both venues, the air vibrates with the opening notes from Brahms, Gershwin, or perhaps a bold new work while guests lounge on picnic blankets, wine in hand, while children chase frisbees in the grass. If you don’t care for classical music you can take in Bluegrass Sundays after a ride up the Silver Queen Gondola. Sometimes the finest thing in life is a simple afternoon, good company, and world-class music under a Rocky Mountain sky.
The taste of just-caught trout, the hush of morning on a mountain trail, the thrill of art and music in unexpected places. These moments that Aspen insiders cherish can be made possible with KEY.co. When you use their team, they make your experiences seamless and personal, handling every detail so you can simply arrive and immerse yourself.
Imagine an intimate dinner at The Motherlode Penthouse, a 9,000 square foot private home where every course and conversation is curated to your tastes. With KEY.co’s bespoke concierge services and extensive home catalog, every trip is only limited by your own imagination.
Ready to experience peak Aspen? Allow us and our partners to welcome you to the heart of mountain living – or anywhere else you might dream up.
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