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County considers Buttermilk camping for JAS festival

Aspen Public Radio News

Pitkin County commissioners showed lukewarm interest Tuesday in Jazz Aspen Snowmass’ latest plan to offer affordable lodging to Labor Day festival concert-goers.

As Jazz Aspen Snowmass (JAS) works to keep up with music festivals across the country, the non-profit wants to offer camping for 500 to 1,000 people this Labor Day. Holly Upper, a vice president at JAS, presented a plan for tent camping and limited RV parking at the base of Buttermilk.

Commissioners expressed general support for affordable lodging options, but have many concerns, including fears that music festival camping could turn into what George Newman called a “mini-Woodstock.”

Upper said the idea has preliminary support from Aspen Skiing Company and the Inn at Aspen, and the non-profit will iron out some details before submitting a special use permit to the county.

Aspen native Elizabeth Stewart-Severy is excited to be making a return to both the Red Brick, where she attended kindergarten, and the field of journalism. She has spent her entire life playing in the mountains and rivers around Aspen, and is thrilled to be reporting about all things environmental in this special place. She attended the University of Colorado with a Boettcher Scholarship, and graduated as the top student from the School of Journalism in 2006. Her lifelong love of hockey lead to a stint working for the Colorado Avalanche, and she still plays in local leagues and coaches the Aspen Junior Hockey U-19 girls.
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