Wine and Balloons in Snowmass this September

The summer season is winding down here in Aspen and Snowmass, but the celebration of these last great days of summer continue with the Snowmass Wine Festival and the Snowmass Balloon Festival. Both take place during the same weekend, so visitors and locals can enhance their wine palate by sampling over 300 wines from around the world, and then head anywhere in Snowmass Village to view the colorful balloons ascend into the perfectly blue skies over the Roaring Fork Valley. The 37th annual Snowmass Balloon Festival schedule of events runs from Friday, September 14 through Sunday, September 16, 2012. Catch a part or all of the 3 hour long Colorado Rat Race on Friday morning, which showcases the expert balloon handling skills of over 30 balloonists as they race against one another down the Roaring Fork Valley. Then, on Saturday and Sunday morning, watch in awe as the balloonists collaborate on a synchronized ascent during the SnowMASS Ascension. The Saturday Night Glow event, featuring music by the Colorado band Better than Bacon and a barbecue dinner provided by Big Hoss Grill in Snowmass, is certain to be a stunning visual spectacle. Enjoy music and delicious barbecue while marveling at the balloons as they float higher and higher, resembling a rainbow of gemstone lanterns in the deep black sky. All of the Snowmass Balloon Festival events are free and open to the public. To get up close and personal with the balloons and the balloon operators, all ascents and descents during this weekend-long festival will take place at the Snowmass Village baseball field. For lovers of wine, there is nothing quite like the Snowmass Wine Festival, an event held in such a beautiful location right here in Snowmass Village that it could be argued that the wine tastes so much better because of it. The wine tasting and wine critiquing begins on Friday night with a four course dinner at the Artisan Restaurant at the Stonebridge Inn. Each course of the meal is carefully paired with a Spanish wine, making for a creative complement of flavors. The Snowmass Wine Festival Grand Tasting is set to take place from 1 pm – 5 pm on Saturday in the Snowmass Village Mall with live music from the Night Plane band and a silent auction where highly praised wines and awe-inspiring works of art will be up for grabs in a bidding war. The September weekend of the balloon and wine festivals in Snowmass is a great way to enjoy what technically counts as the last weekend of summer. Have an unforgettable vacation in Snowmass enjoying the Colorado sunshine, the great Snowmass hiking trails, the Snowmass Wine Festival, and the Snowmass Balloon Festival. One suggestion for a great way to spend the weekend would be to hike up the Rim Trail to view the jewel-like balloons float up and down in the sky, and then hike back down just in time for the Snowmass Wine Festival Grand Tasting in the Snowmass Village Mall. For assistance in finding the perfect Snowmass vacation rental, contact Alpine Property Management today by calling 1-800-543-0839. We will be more than happy to assist in planning a memorable and fun end-of-summer vacation in Snowmass.