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The 10th annual MINIs in the Mountains event, hosted by MINI5280, has finally arrived. From Wednesday, August 5, until Sunday, August 9, this event will be all about MINI, and will include several fun features for all the MINIacs inside of us.

For the first year ever, MINIs in the Mountains will be hosted in Snowmass, Colorado, with a beautiful backdrop, perfect for the group rides and events. Wednesday will be the setup day and Thursday is the concert night featuring Firefall. Friday is the track day at Aspen Motorsports Park in Woody Creek, and at night, Schomp MINI will sponsor a pool party. On Saturday, MINIs in the Mountains will have a MINI car show called the !NUF Car Show, along with offering the group photo and dinner. Sunday is the farewell day with coffee and donuts.

Every year, this event draws in about 150-300 MINIs, along with 300-500 “MINIons.” To learn a little more about the event, we spoke with MINI5280’s Rich Craighill.

Are there any features new this year?

Rich Craighill: Yes. For our 10th anniversary we have relocated to Snowmass, near Aspen, and have over 200 MINIons attending. We have a pool party being sponsored by Schomp MINI. We have switched from an Autocross cone event to a track day/ lapping event which is sponsored by MINI of Loveland. We also have a concert for the event featuring Firefall! This is put on by Snowmass for us.

Tell us about the drives. How do you choose the locations?

RC: When we start putting together the committees for MITM, we have a ride committee that takes comments and suggestions from MINIons, and then goes out and scouts the area. They do this for several months, and then create maps and put them in our Owners Manual for the event. You can download this HERE.

Which aspect of MINI in the Mountains are you most excited about this year? I am most excited about the track day, as I hope we will build off of this for future years. MINIons enjoy an AutoCross, but I think a track day allows people to stretch their MINI legs more!

For someone who’s never been, what should they bring with them on this day trip?

RC: Well for one, with MITM moving now to Snowmass, we have moved into a vacation, not a day trip, as it is on averageg 4-5 hours from Denver. With the city at an altitude of almost 7,000 feet, you want to bring sunblock, chap stick, stay hydrated and much more. We actually also put that in our Owner’s Manual.

Any expert tips for first-timers?

RC: Have fun! Go out and try the different Runs/Rides – there are a lot. Also visit our different vendors that have come up to the event. They have performance products, sunshades, decals, magnets, 3d products, stripes and so much more. Make sure you bring a blanket or bag chair to listen to our band Firefall for the concert.

If someone’s been every year, why should they still come again to this year’s event?

RC:We try to come up with something new every year, and then every few years we try a new location. We are starting our next few years here in Snowmass, and plan on expanding each time. Plus, we always have fun!

Anything else you’d like to add?

RC: Just remember to be Not Normal and have Fun. We have a concert, we have a MINI show, we have our daily MINI wash, we have our track day, we have a pool party, we have vendors and we have runs/rides – so come up and have a blast with us! Most importantly, we have MINIs!