Around The Hoop

Relax, it's Aspen

Labor Day is designed to provide a little rest for the nation’s working weary.

So why not unwind in Aspen where relaxing is a profession for many of its denizens?

The upcoming holiday that starts September off with a three-day weekend is teeming with possibilities in Colorado’s high country. Outdoor music and professional volleyball are high on the list in Aspen.

The Motherlode Volleyball Classic

The Jazz Aspen Snowmass festival will see Steely Dan, the Zac Brown Band, Michael Franti, Girl Talk, Thievery Corporation and other huge acts showcasing their talents in the park in Snowmass. This is one of the grandest music festivals in all of Colorado with food, drinks, art and lots of good people. In addition to the headline performances on the main stage, two side stages keep the live music going.

And when you’re not soaking up the atmosphere at Jazz Aspen Snowmass, go check out the Motherlode Volleyball Classic, started by a band of beach-bumming Aspen transplants 39 years ago.

It’s a premier beach volleyball tournament, touting some of the best grassroots games in the nation. There is an open division pitting amazing amateurs against one another in a variety of divisions. There are marquee match-ups, too, with the biggest names in professional volleyball digging the altitude.

Aspen nightclub Belly Up will also host its usual array of amazing musicians with the Punch Brothers, Z-Trip and the Taj Mahal Trio among the headliners on tap during the first week of September.

The leaves will also soon be changing making this an ideal time to get out and get up in nature. Or you can stay home and worry about work. But why would you?

Relax, it’s Aspen.

This blog first appeared on Inspirato.