Liz Copan/Summit Daily News
The 2020 X Games have come and gone with few lingering effects — a handful of arrests were made, the entrance to the Rio Grande parking garage lever has been repaired after someone drove through it early Saturday morning and parking spots are easier to come by.
ESPN reports that 111,500 people attended the four-day event held at Buttermilk Ski Area from Thursday to Sunday. That is down from the 117,000 attendance from 2019.
On Saturday, message boards near Basalt on Highway 82 told motorists that the Brush Creek Park & Ride was full and to park in Aspen. But by 12:30 p.m., the garage was full, too.
That prompted Mitch Osur, the city’s parking director, to make the decision for the second year in a row to offer free parking in Aspen late Saturday afternoon.
The city also encouraged people to park in residential areas and then take the bus to the venue at Buttermilk Ski Area.
“It was the largest Saturday for parking of the year,” Osur said.
Tracy Trulove, the city of Aspen’s communications director who was on the X Games incident command team, said 574 “contacts” were made with individuals from Thursday to Sunday night.
Half of those were traffic stops, Trulove said, and the other half amounted to officers talking to people at the venue about open container, liquor and marijuana consumption.
Two arrests were made by the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office, including one DUI and the other a drug possession.
Sheriff Joe DiSalvo characterized the masses as a “well-behaved crowd.”
The Aspen Police Department made seven arrests, ranging from DUI to disorderly conduct to noise violations, according to Aspen Assistant Police Chief Bill Linn.
There were two car-versus-pedestrian accidents in the city, and nine noise complaints.
APD is investigating an incident in which a motorist exited through the Mill Street entrance to the Rio Grande Parking Garage, tearing off the arm that allows access.
Video surveillance shows the vehicle’s license plate and APD has identified the registered owner.