One performance combines climbing and dancing — and will take place on the exterior walls of the Wheeler Opera House this weekend. BANDALOOP Artistic Director Melecio Estrella said all art transcends political divides.

Panels in this year’s Aspen Ideas Festival will use art and music to highlight America’s past, while the world’s top thought leaders will discuss the country’s future.

Some vendors dropped out of the festival last year, in part due to the financial pressure of tariffs. While some can return for 2026, economic uncertainty remains as refunds stall and potential new tariffs loom.

Director Ruth Katz talks about this year’s lineup of topics and speakers, including the pediatrician and philanthropist Priscilla Chan. During the closing session, Chan will discuss her initiative to use AI-powered technology to cure or prevent all diseases by the end of the century.

Meghan Umber will succeed Alan Fletcher as president and CEO of the Aspen Music Festival and School. Umber will bring two decades of experience at the Los Angeles Philharmonic to the Roaring Fork Valley.

Healthcare workers use resource directories to direct people to the help they need. Now, the nonprofit West Mountain Regional Health Alliance has one for a range of Pitkin, Garfield and Eagle Counties’ organizations. This story is part of our “On the Ground” radio series that highlights solutions to local and global issues from Roaring Fork and Colorado River valley organizations.

Four Galena Street intersections will receive a new paint job. It is a part of an effort to beautify an area of town undergoing construction, while making pedestrian walkways more visible.

Over 7,000 animals were killed in wildlife-vehicle collisions on Colorado roads in 2025. Local nonprofit Roaring Fork Safe Passages has worked since 2022 to make Highway 82 safer. This story is part of our “On the Ground” radio series that highlights solutions to local and global issues from Roaring Fork and Colorado River valley organizations.

The fledgling initiative is a series meant to showcase locals’ talent in the Roaring Fork Valley — especially during Aspen’s off season.

The mural is the first of three that will highlight young immigrants’ memories and creative expression in Carbondale. The art project is part of a program supported by Carbondale-based nonprofit VOICES.