Events

Our events do more than bring our community together; they are a celebration of those who take action and effect positive change in the world.

Wild & Scenic Film Festival

This annual film festival fundraiser showcases inspiring films in support of ACES’ Tomorrow’s Voices program while celebrating environmental filmmakers, pioneers, and activists.

Raptor Fair

Last July, this educational community event featured personal interactions with over a dozen raptors, including a Bald Eagle, Great Horned Owl, Red–tailed Hawk, and Snowy Owl for over 400 guests.

Fall Colors Potluck

Each September, ACES’ annual membership potluck at the Catto Center at Toklat invites guests to experience the peak of fall colors in the Castle Creek Valley.

Farm to Table Dinners

During last summer’s growing season, ACES celebrated regenerative agriculture at Rock Bottom Ranch with a series of elegant, locally–sourced meals.

Picnic on the Preserve

ACES kicked off the summer season last June with our annual celebration of ACES membership at this picnic–style dinner at Hallam Lake featuring a plant–rich meal from Rock Bottom Ranch.

Evening on the Lake

Last year, ACES celebrated our 50th anniversary with a benefit featuring a locally–sourced meal from Rock Bottom Ranch to support our environmental science education programs at the Hallam Lake nature preserve.

Stars Above Aspen

Last year, ACES partnered with Aspen Skiing Company to host a celebration of astronomy for over 1,000 guests on the top of Aspen Mountain.

Harvest Party

Last October, ACES welcomed 1,400 guests to Rock Bottom Ranch to honor the harvest season with pumpkin–carving, apple–pressing, live music, a pie baking contest and more.

Earth Day

ACES celebrates Earth Day every day, but especially on April 22nd by bringing the community together and inspiring action to protect our Earth that sustains us all.

50th Anniversary Events

Last year, as we celebrated ACES’ 50th Anniversary, we partnered with other landmark Aspen nonprofits to celebrate mind, body, spirit – and the natural world.

Paul Hawken Public Lecture

ACES and the Aspen Institute partnered to bring environmentalist, entrepreneur, and author Paul Hawken to discuss Project Drawdown – a list of comprehensive solutions to climate change – to a sold–out audience at Paepcke Auditorium.

Music Inspired by Nature

ACES and Aspen Music Festival and School partnered to bring our community “Music Inspired by Nature,” featuring Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring as well as pieces from Rachmaninoff and Anna Thorvaldsdottir.

Art for ACES

The Aspen Chapel and ACES both celebrated our 50th anniversaries in 2019. In honor of this milestone, the Aspen Chapel Art Gallery sponsored a special show with ten local artists who created works inspired by the beauty of the natural world.

Speaker Series

ACES Speaker Series feature scientists, adventurers, and other experts – giving them a platform to share their passions while inspiring, informing, and empowering attendees. Many of our lectures are available to stream at aspennature.org.

Potbelly Perspectives

This year, we heard stories of endurance, community building, and wild experiences from local adventurers, including Jordan Curet’s “Discovering the Yukon Wilderness by Paddleboard” and Nika Meyers’ story of “Setting the Unsupported Female Fastest Known Time on Vermont’s Long Trail.”

Naturalist Nights

This year, scientists shared engaging presentations about local ecology, natural history, environmental issues, and more, including topics like “Too Hot To Trot: Pika Ecology in a Time of Global Change” and “Border Wall Impacts on Wildlife, Wilderness, and Communities: A View from Both Sides.”

Wild Perspectives

ACES’ inaugural year of Wild Perspectives in Snowmass provided an opportunity for the community to gather and listen to experts share stories on everything from the history of skiing in Snowmass, to forest health, to birding, to activism.

Jessica Catto Dialogues

This year, ACES hosted Reverend Lennox Yearwood Jr. from the Hip Hop Caucus and Shyla Raghav from Conservation International for thought–provoking and engaging free public lectures. These two leaders inspired us to view environmental justice and climate solutions through new lenses, while providing ideas for ways to take action.