iStockphoto
Bear next to loaves of bread on display at a farmer's market
Bears around the United States are currently packing on the pounds as they prepare for hibernation. That includes the animals in Colorado that have seen their natural food supply take a hit due to an ongoing drought, and one of them decided to take advantage of a farmer’s market in Aspen while treating itself to some bread.
Colorado is home to upwards of 20,000 black bears that primarily reside in and around the Rocky Mountains in the western part of the state. People who live in the areas they roam tend to be pretty accustomed to their presence, and that’s certainly been the case this year.
As of a couple of weeks ago, ten people had been injured in a bear attack in the state in 2026, a number that marks the highest total in its recorded history. There’s also been a massive spike in what are classified as “encounters,” as the mammals have gotten increasingly bold in their quest for food due to a drought that has diminished their natural supply in the wild.
That trend is expected to continue as the bears prepare to enter hibernation, and one more tally was added to the encounters count due to what transpired in Aspen over the weekend.
A bear raided a stall and chowed down on some bread at a farmer’s market in Aspen, Colorado
Aspen is firmly in Bear Country, as the ski town self-identifies as a “prime bear habitat” on a website where it notes they tend to be the most active “between late April and early November.”
That’s especially true toward the end of summer and the start of autumn, which is when bears in the region enter hyperphagia, the months-long period when they spend up to 22 hours a day foraging for as much food as they can get their paws on in preparation for hibernation.
They aren’t particularly picky when it comes to picking out a meal, and they also tend to get a bit more daring in the search for one. That was certainly the case with the bear that showed up at the Aspen Saturday Market on September 26th, as multiple people who flocked to the weekly showcase captured it chowing down on some baked goods at the Louis Swiss Bakery stall.
🐻🍞🥐🫘
Here is another video of the bear that was seen eating bread at the farmers market in Aspen Colorado. It was eating the bread and didnt care about people. Everyone was standing nearby and watching..
📹: segloff1#bear #mountains #Colorado #viral #trending pic.twitter.com/PNWq5BVx2V
— Colorado 411 (@Colorado411_420) September 28, 2026
That bear opted for an al fresco dining experience, which was not the case with the one that invaded the Sant Ambroeus restaurant in Aspen in August.
Bears in Colorado typically kick off hibernation toward the end of October, so it seems safe to assume we’ll be treated to some similar incidents over the next month or so.