SNOWMASS VILLAGE Summer at Snowmass kicks into gear with the annual Chili Pepper & Brew Fest, Friday through Sunday.Chili Pepper & Brew Fest is an unparalleled value for both locals and visitors, event director Josh Behrman said. Weve got a world-class lineup with so many different components going all weekend long.Friday afternoon heats up with the tunes of New Monsoon at 5 p.m. and Keller Williams at 7. New Monsoon offers a blend of sophisticated songcraft, inventive musical exploration and down home rock n roll, while Keller Williams is a distinctive guitarist-singer-songwriter whose solo performances have garnered him the nickname mad scientist. Boulders DJ Harry closes the night at the Blue Door with an accessible sensibility appealing to a range of listeners and dancefloor offerings.On Saturday, DJ Dillon starts off the music action at 4 p.m. on the Snowmass Village Mall with funk music and a costume party. Chuck Prophet, a singular, maverick creative force will play at 5 p.m., followed by artist of conscience and wildly popular and controversial Michael Franti & Spearhead at 7 p.m. Afterwards, the Blue Door takes the party indoors with Lotus, a five-piece ensemble that performs astonishingly danceable soundscapes. The music continues Sunday with the Roaring Fork Valley Battle of the Bands finals at 1 p.m. where local bands vie for a $1,000 cash prize.Friday and Saturday offer International Chili Society-sanctioned competitions, where district and regional competitors vie to move on to the world competition and $40,000 in prize money. Categories consist of chili red, chili salsa and the popular chili verde. On Sunday, locals test out their spicy sides in a coo-off. All three days offer afternoon chili tastings for the public.A bowl of chili isnt complete without an ice-cold beer on the side, and the nations top microbrewers oblige with tastings and a prestigious summer ale competition. From lesser-known microbrews such as Oskar Blues, to aficionado favorites such as Dogfish Head and Stone, to perennial favorites such as Tommyknocker and New Belgium, Snowmass will be awash in fine ale and food.Tickets are $15 per day and include access to concerts, food concessionaires, and arts-and-crafts vendors. A $25-per-day party pass allows unlimited access to microbrew tastings and sampling of 10 different types of chili per day. Tickets are available online at http://www.baselineticketing.com or at various local outlets including: Village Liquors in Snowmass, Sounds Easy in Carbondale, the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, Glenwood Music in Glenwood Springs, All that Jazz in Steamboat Springs, Mojo Music in Avon, Affordable Music in Dillon and Cabin Fever in Gunnison.