Snowmass to host 48th annual Aspen Gay Ski Week events

The Collective Snowmass will host events throughout the week for the country’s oldest and largest gay ski celebration — Aspen Gay Ski Week. 

“Our mantra for The Collective is inclusivity, connection, and vibrancy,” said Sarah Sanders, director of Events in Snowmass Base Village. “And partnering with (Aspen) Gay Ski Week is very much in alignment of all of those things. We want to be a safe space for everyone.”

Threads of Pride

The Collective, located on 49 Wood Road in Snowmass, hosted “Threads of Pride: Stories of Resilience, Love, and Becoming” at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Speakers shared accounts of growth, self-acceptance, community-finding, and more. The event encouraged individuals to represent the diversity of the LGBTQ+ spectrum through storytelling, according to Aspen Gay Ski Week. 

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Queer Comedy

At 7 p.m. Wednesday, The Collective will host “Snowmass Live Comedy presents An Evening of Queer Comedy,” with stand-up comedian Emma Willmann, who has made appearances on Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show and regularly performs at New York City’s Comedy Cellar. Willmann has also acted in television series The Lineup, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Crashing, and The Good Fight. 

The event contains adult content and may not be appropriate for minors, according to Aspen Gay Ski Week. Food and beverages will be provided. Tickets cost $28.45 and can be purchased on eventbrite.com. 

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Happy Hour

The Collective is partnering with the Limelight Snowmass, which will host a happy hour to celebrate Aspen Gay Ski Week from  4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday and is located at 65 Wood Road. Electronic music producer and performer DJ Romy, or Romy Ancona, will perform at the event.

Youth Party

On Saturday, AspenOUT invites young Roaring Fork Valley Residents to the “AspenOUT Community Youth Party” for a show by electronic music producer and performer DJ Romy, or Romy Ancona. The event will provide snacks, drinks, sweatshirt printing arts project, ice skating, and PRIDE gift bags, according to AspenOUT. 

It kicks off at 1 p.m. for gondola and coaster rides, before moving into The Collective from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Attendees must sign gondola, ice rink, and Collective Game Lounge waivers to participate in the events. They can be found on AspenOUT.com. To receive a PRIDE gift bag, RSVP on the nonprofit’s website. The event is free.

Drag Queen Bingo

The Collective will cap the week with a round of “Drag Queen Bingo” 12:30 p.m. Sunday for “a hilarious and entertaining afternoon filled with laughter, prizes, and of course, fierce performances by our amazing drag queen,” as written by Aspen Gay Ski Week. The event contains adult content and may not be appropriate for minors, according to Aspen Gay Ski Week.

Comedian Mariam T and DJ Romy will host the bingo. Romy will perform live music at the event. Tickets cost $35, but are sold out on eventbrite.com.

Viewline Resort

The Viewline Resort Snowmass, at 100 Elbert Lane, will also host “Après Ski” from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday where attendees can ski to the resort for Aperol drinks and giveaways. For every specialty cocktail purchased $1 will be donated to AspenOUT.

Proceeds

All proceeds for the events at The Collective will go to AspenOUT, known as the Roaring Fork Gay & Lesbian Community Fund, which supports the LGBTQ+ community in the valley. Sanders expects to raise $4,000 to $6,000 by the end of the week from the Base Village events.

AspenOUT supports LGBTQ+ locally and nationally, said Lukas Volk, Marketing and Programming Director for AspenOUT and Aspen Gay Ski Week. The nonprofit also underwrites mental health services and thousands of hours of therapy sessions. They recently partnered with the app, VODA, which provides online mental health resources to those who lack access. 

“We support queer youth,” Volk said.

Skyler Stark-Ragsdale can be reached at 970-429-9152 or email him at sstark-ragsdale@aspentimes.com.