Spring is here in Winter Park and there’s plenty left to do before the ski season comes to a close. Visitors and locals both agree that the final events of the year pack the biggest punch in terms of fun, friends and festivities. Grab a lei, cheers with green beer, gaze at the fireworks, dance to the music, watch the sunset glow, sample local beers, sport your favorite costume, break out the cowboy hat, and watch as the wildest skiers hit jumps and skim across freezing water. Plus, the last few weeks of the season also bring some of the softest skiing and best bluebird days of winter! Whether you’re savoring the last of the snow or catching one of the closing activities, Winter Park Resort will provide you with the ultimate start to spring. Check out our events calendar for a full list of what’s going on around Winter Park!
Saturday, March 14th – St. Patrick’s Day Celebration
Irish or not, St. Patrick’s Day is one of the most celebrated holidays around the globe and Winter Park is no exception! St. Patty’s Day will be honored on Saturday, March 14th throughout the base village with green beer and live Irish music all day long. Take some laps on the mountain and après the Irish way with a green beverage and fast fiddlers. There will also be crafts, St. Patty’s photo ops, costumes, food and more.
Saturday, March 14th – Fireworks and Family Fest Presented by Coca-Cola
If you didn’t spend all of your energy enjoying the St. Patrick’s Day festivities, stick around for the Fireworks and Family Fest featuring a giant bonfire and slopeside fireworks show at the base. There will also be giveaways and live music, as well as a s’mores bar for the kiddos and adults with a sweet tooth. Music starts at 6, while fireworks begin at 8.
March 19th – March 28th – Mountaintop Après
There’s still time to catch one of the most scenic après happy hours in North America! With six remaining evenings, you can hop on the gondola (free of charge!) at 4pm and take in the golden hour views all the way up to the Sunspot Mountaintop Lodge. At the top, you’ll find both local and regional live music, happy hour specials, small plates, and lots of friends. Finish the day by watching the alpenglow hit Byers Peak with a beverage in hand. If you haven’t had enough by 5:30pm, mountaintop dinner service will begin for those with a reservation.
Mountaintop Apres Music Lineup:
- Thursday, March 19th – Chris Thompson & Nathan Peoples
- Friday, March 20th – Erinn Pete Lukes
- Saturday, March 21st – Andy Straus
- Thursday, March 26th – Chain Station Suo
- Friday, March 27th – Hunker Down Trio
- Saturday, March 28th – Tara Rose & Danjo Harris
Saturday, April 4th – The BigWonderful Beer Fest
April 4th kicks off the start of the Winter Park Spring Bash + Splash spring series of events! Whether you’re a beer aficionado or a casual sipper, you’ll find an entire lineup of Colorado’s best brews at TheBigWonderful Beer Fest. Enjoy unlimited samples from your favorite Colorado breweries, plus free bluegrass concerts from Pick & Howl and Old Salt Union. With over 20 breweries, more than 50 vendors, and plenty of Winter Park swag, don’t miss out on your chance to purchase one of the limited tickets at https://www.thebigwonderful.com/winterpark2020. The event begins at 11am.
Saturday, April 4th – Uphill Battle
The battle for the best is on at Winter Park Resort! The best costume, the best poker hand, and the best time to the top of the mountain will all be determined on April 4th. There will be prizes for the competitors and a party on skis for the more lighthearted. Each entrant will visit five checkpoints during their skin up the mountain, drawing one card at each stop. Best poker hand wins the grand prize of $500! Other prizes include a GoPro Hero8, Smith Goggles, and more. All entrants who make it to the top will also receive a complimentary summit beer. Space is limited for this one-of-a-kind celebration, so register early at https://www.winterparkresort.com/things-to-do/events/uphill-battle.
April 11th, April 18th, April 25th – Winter Park Spring Bash + Splash Saturdays
Weekends two, three, and four in Winter Park’s Spring Bash + Splash series will feature three party-based themes that will be fun for all. Break out your old, dusty cowboy hat and faded denim for Saturday, April 11th’s Wild West Weekend. In addition to cruising the slopes in your Western Wear, you’ll also get to enjoy a free country concert by Nikki Lane, axe throwing, and mechanical bull riding at Sunspot Mountaintop Lodge. The kiddos will have options, as well, with pony rides, a petting zoo on site, and roping games in the Buckaroo Corral. The first 100 people in line for the gondola will receive a special Winter Park belt buckle, so giddy on up to the mountain early!
Saturday, April 18th will feature the infamous Beach Weekend. Not only will you see hundreds of leis around the necks of skiers, but you’ll also see bikinis and beach shorts from the bravest of downhillers. Tropical drinks, beach balls, and a Snow Volleyball tournament will all be available to the adults, whereas kids can take a ski break and build sandcastles in the slopeside sand play area. The activities will be accompanied by a high-energy 90s cover band performance by Blink 90210. Get your summer tan started early this year!
Saturday, April 25th will feel like a blast from the past with their 90s Throwback theme. There will be an airbrush T-shirt station, air hockey, giant lite bright building, and Dance, Dance Revolution at the base, as well as a concert from Nothing But Nineties, Colorado’s best 90s cover band. The first 100 people in line at the gondola will receive a rad pair of Van Dopes (sunglasses + visor) and the best 90s costume will win a GoPro Hero8.
Saturday, April 26th – Spring Splash!
Don’t miss the season finale in the Winter Park Spring Bash + Splash spring series! Appropriately named, the series ends with a “splash” during the Spring Splash pond skim competitions. A professional DJ will get the music and party started at 10am, with the first pond skim competitor hitting the jump at noon. For the wild ones out there, sign up to compete and receive a Winter Park towel, Phunkshun Wear water bottle, a lens wipe, tons of cheers from the crowd, and glory that you can boast about for life. The winners will also receive cash prizes. Don’t miss this iconic annual event, and Colorado’s most exciting closing day celebration.
