The theme of this year's Aspen Music Festival, which runs from June 21 - August 20, is "Celebrations!" For fifty-seven summers, music-lovers have come to Aspen to celebrate classical music, to revel in life's wonders, and generally to have a blast. This summer's festival will not disappoint with highlights like Maestro David Zinman's 70th birthday celebration, the Aspen Opera Theater Center's performance of "La Traviata" and many special events featuring soloists like Gil Shaham, Renee Fleming and Vladimir Feltsman. With over 350 musical events over 61 days, there is definite cause for celebration! For more information or a full schedule of events, call 925-9042, or go to www.aspenmusicfestival.com.

The 2006 Jazz Aspen Snowmass (JAS) June Festival will take place at Rio Grande Park June 22-25. This is the fourth year that JAS has celebrated the June Festival in downtown Aspen, and as always, it brings an exciting lineup of the best in contemporary music. This season's festival will include headline performances from Diana Krall, Elvis Costello, and Maceo Parker. Other acts will perform throughout the days and nights at the JAS Festival Tent, as well as free concerts on the Cooper Mall and late night shows at Belly Up. For more information or to order tickets, visit www.jazzaspen.com or call 1- 866-527-8499.

Theatre Aspen, kicks of its 25th season on Thursday, June 29 at 7:30 PM with "Love, Janis," which paints a stunning portrait of the 60's rock icon Janis Joplin. Through her legendary songs and her poignant and honest letters home to her family, Joplin is brought back to life on the stage of the Theatre Aspen tent, located in Rio Grande Park. Two comedic offerings will also play in repertory throughout the summer. Tickets can be purchased through the Wheeler Box Office. For more information call 925-9313, or visit www.TheatreAspen.org.

On Wednesdays beginning June 21st, you can enjoy an evening of real western fun at the Snowmass Rodeo. From 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, there is a full western barbecue (ribs, baked beans, cole slaw, etc.) with musical entertainment, and at 7:00 pm, the rodeo gets underway, complete with bull riding, calf roping, barrel racing and bronco riding. The barbecue is $18 for adults & $8 for kids, and the rodeo is $16 for adults & $10 for kids. Purchase tickets at the rodeo.

The Silver Queen Gondola, almost 20 years old now, is getting a makeover! In addition to new gear boxes, brand new gondola cars will be attached in late June in anticipation of the July 1st reopening of the gondola. With huge windows all around, the views from the gondola will be even more spectacular, and the ride is a passport to on-mountain adventure and family fun activities including alpine sightseeing, Bluegrass Sundays, The Sundeck Restaurant, disc golf, a climbing wall guided nature walks, yoga hikes, Blazing Adventures Jeep tours and more! Beginning July 1st, the Silver Queen Gondola will be open daily from 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM.

For three decades, the Aspen Writers' Foundation's "Summer Words Literary Festival" has been gathering the nation's literati to celebrate the written word high in the Rocky Mountains (talk about bringing books to a higher level!). This year, in celebration of the Foundation's 30th anniversary, "Summer Words" will present 30 different speakers over the course of 5 days. Under the banner: "Voices of the West: Crossing the Great Divide," the 2006 conference will trace the Continental Divide and explore the stories of the North American West, as told by some of the legendary writers who crafted them. Call 970-925-3122 or visit www.aspenwriters.org on the web.