By Emily H. Lanigan

www.jazzaspen.org

June 19-22

Rio Grande Park, Downtown Aspen, CO

Aug. 28 - Sept. 1

Snowmass Town Park, Snowmass Village, CO

Aspen Jazz Fest proves that education is fun. Started in 1991 to preserve American jazz and pop, through a three day festival, Jazz Fest spread to a summer-long series of live performances and educational programs. From May to September, the bus lines fill with young music students and their instruments commuting from housing to classes. The parks regularly load up with locals and tourists alike to view many of the weekly live concerts. The June Festival and the Labor Day Festival are long weekend culminations of this marriage of music and scholarship. Along with the main stage artists, there is usually a smaller interim stage where attendees can get a close up view. Also, many years have added merchant booths with local wares from clothing to hula hoops. Travel time: (As calculated by mapquest.com from Denver, Colo. to Aspen, Colo.)

Total Est. Time: 3 hours, 31 minutes

Total Est. Distance: 198.5 Miles

YOU NEED TO KNOW: If you are not staying in town, you have the option of foregoing the high parking costs and taking the bus. However, after the show, you might get stuck waiting in line for hours to get back on a bus, as they fill to the brim with a flood of concert goers. Sometimes, $20 is worth not standing around until late at night. PRICES: $$$ CAMPING: NO Artists: June Festival: Bebel Gilberto, Dianne Reeves The Manhattan Transfer Anita Baker Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings Brian Setzer Orchestra Los Lonely Boys Labor Day Festival: The New Mastersounds Xavier Rudd Widespread Panic Dwight Yoakam John Fogerty Jerry Douglas Yonder Mountain String Band