Panels, parties
attractions,
distractions.
PRODUCED BY
Join us for ALF after dark
THURSDAY, SEPT. 24
Locals Night at Pitkin County Library
5:00-6:30 PM | Pitkin County Library | 120 N. Mill St.
In partnership with the Pitkin County Library, Aspen Literary Festival presents: Locals Night! Join us at the library as a “pre-game” to the 2026 Aspen Literary Festival. Mingle with local authors, gain early access to literary festival registration and merchandise, listen to live local music, and enter the raffle where you could win tickets to Laugh More Everyday (taking place at The Wheeler Opera House Thursday evening at 7:30 PM). The evening will feature light bites by local vendors, and refreshments will be provided.
Free and open to all.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 25
Downtown Aspen Block Party
6:00-9:00 pm | Hyman Ave. & Mill St.
Local authors will give readings and sign books at local businesses. Each venue will offer drink specials to festival attendees and several venues will also be hosting live music during the block party!
Free and open to festival registrants.
Participating local businesses
Eddy’s Marketplace | 315 E. Hyman Ave.
Directly across from the Wheeler Opera House, Eddy’s will curate a special literary-themed menu for festival attendees all weekend including coffee drinks, cocktails, and snacks. On Friday night, there will also be live music and author book signings at the venue as part of the Block Party.
The Grove | 315 E. Hyman Ave.
Located within the same building as Eddy’s, The Grove is a brand new community gathering space that will host local authors and live music on Friday evening. They will also offer wine and drink specials during the block party for festival attendees.
Aspen Public House | 328 E. Hyman Ave.
Located inside the Wheeler Opera House, Aspen Public House is offering festival drink specials all weekend for wristband and ticket holders.
Stranahan’s Whiskey Lodge | 307 S. Mill St.
Stranahan’s will curate a specialty literary cocktail menu alongside drink specials all weekend. On Friday night, there will also be live music in the venue as part of the Block Party. The Whiskey Lodge will also host author displays and signings, creating another lively hub for festival-goers.
Golden Horn | 320 S. Mill St.
Located next to Wagner Park, Aspen’s newest gastropub is offering drink specials all weekend for festival wristband and ticket holders.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 26
After Words: The Party
6:00-8:00 pm | Paul JAS Center | 422 E Cooper Ave.
Celebrate the Aspen Literary Festival with an unforgettable evening of delicious food, cocktails, music, fine wine, and a variety show featuring festival authors. Your ticket also helps keep the Aspen Literary Festival accessible and open to all!
Midsummer Night's Gathering at Explore Books
8:00-10:00 pm | Explore Books | 221 E Main St.
Join Explore during extended hours for a gathering open to all festival attendees, "to seek new friends and stranger companies." Expect treats and specialty cocktails! Shakespeare costumes encouraged.
Free and open to festival registrants.
Happening at Festival HQ all weekend
Saturday and Sunday author book signings at the ALF headquarters tent.
Explore Books onsite bookshop open daily 9 am - 5 pm.
Food vendors on-site
Daily
Flipside Coffee | Open daily 9:30 am - 1:30 pm
Friday
Domingo Sausage Company | Friday 12:00 - 2:00 pm
Friday: Signature Choripan Argentinian Sausage w/ Chimichurri or Grilled Eggplant (V) Sandwiches*
Sunday: Argentinian Sausage, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Sandwich* (V Available)
*Gluten-free option available
Petit Mont Blanc | Friday 12:00 - 2:00 pm
The Classic Sandwich melted-French Raclette Cheese, Italian Prosciutto, French Cornichon Pickles, Dijon Mustard
or Vegetarian Classic Sandwich without Prosciutto + with Olive TapenadeSaturday
Gerb’s Grub | Saturday 12:00 - 2:00 pm
Carnitas Tacos or Veggie Tacos
Aspen Elevated Catering | Saturday 12:00 - 2:00 pm
Chicken Shawarma or Falafel Pita Sandwiches (V)
Gerb’s Grub | Saturday 12:00 - 2:00 pm
Carnitas Tacos or Veggie Tacos
Sunday
Domingo Sausage Company | Sunday 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Friday: Signature Choripan Argentinian Sausage w/ Chimichurri or Grilled Eggplant (V) Sandwiches*
Sunday: Argentinian Sausage, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Sandwich* (V Available)
*Gluten-free option available
Lawn games
Giant Chess
Giant Connect 4
Giant Jenga
Croquet
Aspen Writers Network
Come play Book Trivia at the Aspen Writers Network booth. An on-demand game with instant prizes including: Pilot Precise V5 RT pens, hardcover journals, and leather pen cases. Are you ready to test your bookish knowledge? Pick your category, take your guess…
Learn more about AWN here.
Pop-ups on the Lawn
Nika Meyers (mixed media)
Meyers is a watercolor, mixed media and plein air artist living and working in Aspen, Colorado. See her work and read her full bio here.
Art will be for sale and can be purchased onsite.
Michael Bonds (ceramics)
Is hosting studio hours (at his studio inside the Red Brick Center for the Arts) where he will be available to answer questions regarding his process while he is throwing pots and glazing finished works. See his work and read his full bio here.
All art will be for sale and can be purchased with venmo, cash or check.
Leah Potts (paintings)
After a debilitating skiing accident that left Leah paralyzed, she found adventure in painting and the creative process. In a world where her body lets her down, she can escape the madness go into the wilderness, and connect with nature. See her work and read her full bio here.
Art will be for sale and can be purchased onsite.
Poetry on Demand with First Draft Podcast
Visit our tent and bring some prompts. First Draft: A Dialogue on Writing podcast host and producer Mitzi Rapkin, will compose a poem on the spot based on your prompts on that long ago technology, the typewriter. These poems are the perfect gift to yourself or a loved one. Words heal, words inspire, words can change lives.
Donations accepted.
Learn more about First Draft: A Dialogue on Writing Podcast here.
Irma Reyes (Esperanza Productions)
This repurposing project focuses on diverting discarded materials such as retired billboards, used vinyl banners, old clothes, & other synthetic materials into up-cycled products like bags. We partner with several local nonprofits that support migrants, folks impacted by the justice system, those experiencing homelessness and people in recovery from addiction. Through these partnerships, we offer hands-on experience in industrial sewing, design, & printing, providing a positive experience for participants as they transition into the workforce.
Learn more at the booth and purchase products.
In-town Festival Perks
Discounts
Aspen Restaurant Week
Participating restaurants throughout town will offer prix fixe menus available at $45, $75 and $95. To view menus, learn more and secure a reservation, visit aspenchamber.org/restaurant-week
Aspen One | 601 E. Dean St
30% off gondola tickets purchased in person
(with code provided to registrants)
Specials
Explore Books and Coffee | 221 E. Main St
Weekend drink specials offered to festival-goers with a wristband or badge
Literary happenings
around town
Draw Near to Me Book Talk with author Michelle Brafman
Wednesday, September 23
5:30 pm
Chabad Jewish Community Center | 435 West Main St.
Moderated by Mitzi Rapkin, Host of the podcast First Draft: a dialogue on writing
About the book
A hidden secret and a devastating accident bring the Weinstein family to the brink of collapse. Rich with Jewish themes, Draw Near to Me is a moving story of betrayal, forgiveness and the difficult work of repairing the relationships that matter most.
About the author
Michelle Brafman is the author of Washing the Dead, Bertrand Court: Stories and Swimming with Ghosts. Her work has appeared in Oprah Daily, Slate, LitHub, Tablet, Lilith and The Forward, and she teaches fiction writing in the Johns Hopkins University MA in Writing Program.
Laugh More Everyday: Three Comedy Writers on Finding the Hilarity in Everyday Life
Thursday, September 24
7:30 pm
The Wheeler Opera House | 320 E Hyman Ave.
Purchase tickets using code: MORE for a discount.
From bird behavior to the absurdities of LinkedIn leadership, humor reveals itself in the details of everyday life. Award‑winning comedians and writers Chris Duffy, Carley Moseley, and Asher Perlman explore how observation, curiosity, and wit shape the way we think, create, and connect. Drawing on work across television, publishing, and performance, the evening reflects a distinctly contemporary approach to comedy, grounded in attention, perspective, and the unexpected.
About the writers
Chris Duffy is the host of the acclaimed podcast How to Be a Better Human and author of Humor Me (Doubleday, 2026), exploring laughter’s role in everyday life.
Carley Moseley is an Emmy and Writers Guild Award–nominated comedian and Second City alum, most recently a writer and performer for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Asher Perlman is a Peabody, Emmy, and WGA Award‑winning writer and cartoonist whose work spans The Late Show, The New Yorker, and live performance.
Each artist performs before joining a conversation and audience Q&A exploring their creative process, the distinctions between writing for page and screen, and the inspirations that shape their comedy.