A dizzying week in celeb playground Aspen from Lauren Sanchez wedding buzz to Johnny Depp’s bizarre art exhibition

The chic underground speakeasy was packed with famous faces four nights before Christmas at Aspen’s Hotel Jerome — where a bowl of chicken noodle soup costs $22 and the burger is $29 — when Hollywood favorite Kate Hudson took the stage.

This time she didn’t act, but sang; Celebrating one year since her first live show, the 45-year-old treated attendees to original songs, covers and her own version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” The Aspen Times reported — as stars like Diplo, Kevin Costner, Dakota Johnson, Heidi Klum and Hudson’s mother, Goldie Hawn, looked on.

Exactly a week later, just around the corner, a veritable who’s-who of the rich and famous gathered at Matsuhisa, the Peruvian-Japanese fusion restaurant where Jeff Bezos and his fiancée hosted a lavish dinner. Costner was in attendance again — along with heavyweights ranging from Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner to Australian businessman James Packer (whose short-lived engagement to Mariah Carey ended in 2016).

And on the same evening, two blocks away, the Aspen Art Collective celebrated the opening of a new “Fear and Loathing” exhibition featuring the work of A-lister Johnny Depp… along with artwork by his late friend and gonzo journalist Hunter S Thompson, who committed suicide twenty years ago in February.

It’s likely the writer would have had a lot to say about all the glitz and glamor – along with high-flying power players visiting a downtown exhibition named after his own writings – after campaigning to have Aspen renamed ‘Fat City” during an ill-fated 1970 run he made for the sheriff of surrounding Pitkin County.

Thompson, whose ashes were later shot out of a cannon at a Depp-funded ceremony, had argued that the city’s streets should be torn up by jackhammers and the name changed – to get rid of “greedy heads, land rapists and other people.” to be frightened’. to stop jackals from capitalizing the name ‘Aspen.’

Nearly half a century later, throngs of influencers and designer-clad celebrities wandered through the gallery, displaying his work alongside Depp’s and art by longtime collaborator and artist Ralph Steadman… while private jets continued to jostle for landing spots at the airport he was flying to was missing. protect.

Isabelle Blake, a 23-year-old Snapchat reality show alum who flew to Aspen for a family trip, went viral in the days after Christmas for an Instagram post blaming delays at Jeff Bezos’ rumored wedding.

“There were three commercial planes… in the entire airport, three,” Blake told DailyMail.com of her observations after they finally landed at Aspen/Pitkin Airport.

Upon arrival, she bought two glasses of wine for $50 at an upscale Aspen establishment before finding a “local pub, and I got the same thing for like $8, $6,” she said, as she listened to the locals’ talking about how crazy this is’. year is compared with other years.’

“When people see a private jet taxi next to them as they’re sitting there waiting to leave, they automatically assume, ‘Well, that’s a private jet coming for me,’ or ‘It’s taking my spot,’ or something like that. Airport Director Dan Bartholomew told DailyMail.com on Tuesday. “And that’s just not the case; it is a matter for air traffic control.’

He acknowledged “some congestion with flights, but these are not based on private versus commercial operations,” he said, noting Aspen’s restricted airspace and one-way-in, one-way-out setup.

“If the weather starts to hit – we’ve certainly had snow events this weekend – that will have an even greater impact,” he said, although he added: “There have been a number of high-profile individuals coming into town who may need additional security. , so that tends to sterilize some of our platform areas; This has a small impact on air traffic.

“But it’s just all lumped together with the holidays and some high-profile individuals traveling this year, but it’s not significantly different from previous years.”

These high-profile names likely included newly elected Vice President J.D. Vance, who arrived in Aspen on Christmas Eve “for a personal holiday visit,” according to a news release from the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office, the Aspen Daily News reported.

The press release added that “limited local resources have been allocated to support the visit of the Vice President-elect so that the high level of service expected by the public is not compromised. There may be brief interruptions at intersections or delays in the convoy, and the public can expect an increased safety presence throughout the community.”

Vance was later pictured in head-to-toe ski gear alongside his wife and two children – and he was far from the only household name showing off the slopes’ style.

Heidi Klum showed off a range of Aspen outfits on social media, from a black bodysuit with matching fur boots to another pale pink ensemble and even a red suit with a Santa hat that she donned while sledding.

Justin Bieber also rocked the Aspen snow with a black and white ski jacket and matching snowboard; celebrities like Jennifer Lopez showed off-the-slope style with long fur (or faux fur) coats or, in the case of Ivanka Trump, more Yellowstone-inspired Western ensembles.

Mariah Carey, pictured in Aspen a week before her business mogul ex-fiance dined with Bezos on Saturday, stepped out during the day in a red minidress, white sunglasses, white beanie and white platform boots — a suitably festive choice for a woman whose hit All I Want For Christmas Is You seems to be on constant repeat around the world during the holidays. (The song celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2024.)

On New Year’s Eve, the rich, famous and locals alike flocked to star-studded performances from heavyweights such as Nelly – who took to the stage in Belly Up – and David Guetta, who would preside over the St Regis Grand Astor Ballroom.

Free events were also planned in Aspen and nearby Snowmass, where Kate Hudson spent much of her childhood, but the hottest tickets in town also reflected the wallets of the clientele.

“If you bought the top-level VIP ticket for the five most expensive events in Aspen on New Year’s Eve, you would spend more than $70,000,” the Aspen Daily News reported.

Revelers swapped stories about star sightings during the festivities, content creator Blake told DailyMail.com — but also about the prices, gossiping about how “one sushi roll cost $1,000… [and] the minimum at a private event for a bottle of wine was $55,000.”

At the same time, both laymen and celebrities imitated the style of fashion magazines.

“Everyone was dressed up like crazy: girls in Christian Louboutin heels walking through the powder snow, because it was snowing a lot, and super short skirts,” she said. “Many people fell into the ground with their luxurious fur coats.”