Winter Park Colorado Mountain Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras in the Colorado Rocky Mountains

Looking for something to do in to celebrate Mardi Gras?  Well look no further, there is much to do up here in Winter Park, Colorado and this is the perfect time to head to the hills and get away from the February blues.  The snow is falling and we should have around ten inches of new snow by this coming Monday, Feb 8th, if the forecasts are to be believed.  So come check out the Winter Park Mountain Mardi Gras.

Saturday February13

12:00-5:00pm at the Winter Park Village

High Altitude Style! Come join the party in the Village to celebrate this New Orleans tradition Winter Park-style! This event features bands, street performers, festive decorations, food and plenty of beads to go around!

Music (in Starbucks Plaza)

12:00pm-1:00pm:  Louisiana Clan Dogs
1:20pm-2:20pm:  Aden Harrell & Friends Jazz Quartet
2:40pm-3:40pm:  Otones Brass Band
4:00pm-5:00pm:  Dikki Du & The Zydeco Krewe
Performers (throughout the Village)

12:00pm-5:00pm:  Salida Circus Performers (includes flame throwers, jugglers, trapeze artists, jesters & unicyclists)
12:00pm-5:00pm:  Face-Painting and Caricature Drawings
12:00pm-5:00pm:  Children’s Crafts – masks and crowns
1:00pm-3:00pm:  Giant Puppetry
2:00pm-4:00pm:  Ear2Ear Photobooth

Food (in Starbucks Plaza)

Jambalaya, crawfish, etouffee, gumbo, crepes, bread pudding and beignets provided by Village restaurants

FAT Tuesday February 16th

• 6:30-8:30pm – Mardi Gras Parade at Cooper Creek
Square: Come in costume and participate in Fat Tuesday
(Winter Park style) in the shortest, craziest, coldest
Mardi Gras Parade on Earth!
• 9pm – The Grand County Blues Society presents
Trampled Under Foot w/Samantha Fish at Smokin Moes

All of this to be had while trying to get in all the runs at Winter Park and Mary Jane Resorts.

“Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez”

Winter Park, CO Winter Carnival

Winter Park Winter Carnival

The Winter Park Chamber of Commerce and Winter Park Resort are putting on a carnival celebration for the 70th anniversary of skiing at Winter Park Resort.  On the January 22nd through January 24th there will be a Winter Carnival celebration at Winter Park Resort in the Town of Winter Park and at Grand Park in Fraser.

The Celebration will include:

Winter Park Resort

• Mary Jane’s Birthday Bash
• Winter Park’s 70th Anniversary Celebration
• 26th Annual Chef’s Cup
• Pancakes, snow sculptures, snow golf, live music

Downtown Winter Park

• Snowshoe Hikes
• PlayZone
• Human Bowling
• Lighted Parade including you and your pet!

Grand Park Saturday January 23, 2010:

Sled Dog races (Rocky Mountain Sled Dog Club Inc.):

9am (8-Dog Sled Race)

10:30am (6-Dog Sled Race and 2-Dog Skijor)

12pm (4-Dog Sled Race and 1-Dog Skijor)

Dog Agilities: 10am, 11:30am

Grand County Pet Pals Stomp & Romp: 1:30pm-4pm

Skijoring Clinic: 2-3pm

The Fraser Valley Metropolitan Recreation District is hosting the Grand Park Community Recreation Center Grand Opening: 10am-3pm Offering public tours, mini-exhibits, free coffee, cocoa and cookies

Other activities during the day:

Kids dog sled rides

Silent Auction for Pet Pals

Bon Fire/S’Mores/Hot Chocolate

Retail Vendors

Food Vendors

Grand Park Sunday January 24, 2010:

Dog races (Rocky Mountain Sled Dog Club Inc.):

9am (8-Dog Sled Race)

10:30am (6-Dog Sled Race and 2-Dog Skijor)

12pm (4-Dog Sled Race and 1-Dog Skijor)

Awards to follow

Exceler8s at Winter Park Ski Resort

Exceler8s Festival Winter Park

The second annual Excler8s Festival will be held at Winter Park Resort February 24 – 26, 2010.  What is the Exceler8s festival? Well, here is from their website:

The Exceler8s Festival seeks to bring the community together in support of The Nature Conservancy’s Colorado River Basin Project for a 2 ½-day charity ski event. While giving back to this organization, participants will have the option of having fun on the slopes of Winter Park Resort or experiencing the challenges of Jones Pass with guided back-country and Cat skiing.

The Exceler8s Festival is a fundraiser for the Colorado River Project.

Sounds like a good time for a worthy cause.  Ski Jones Pass with Powder Addiction or make some turns at Winter Park Resort in late February?  That is just up our alley here at Winter Park Lodging Company.  We wish the Ecceler8s team success with their second annual festival and hope they are able to raise lots of dinero for the Colorado River Project.

Good Luck!

Winter Park Spa, Bella Vita Open House!

What better way to relax those sore muscles after a day on the slopes? Whether your in the mood for a massage, pedicure or a haircut, Bella Vita Salon is your one stop shop for relaxation. Come check out our favorite local spa this Thursday, November 5th for Open House. The Bella Vita Wellness Spa and Salon is located in the Alco shopping center in Fraser (right across from Safeway). From 4-7 pm there will be refreshments, a raffle, and special deals on spa services for attendees. Another bonus for coming out Thursday night is a free 35 minute thermal massage. 

Remember, when you book your ski vacation lodging with Winter Park Lodging Company, you’ll get an additional discount on some great services at Bella Vita. Make sure to ask us at the time of booking!

New Years Eve in Winter Park, Colorado

New Years Eve Celebration in Winter Park, Colorado

Come celebrate the end of 2009 with some high country fun in Winter Park Colorado.  Spend the day skiing and then head to Hideaway Park in the Town of Winter Park and be treated to some free sledding, rail skates, hot chocolate, human bowling and some warm fire pits with fireworks going off at 10pm.  Great fun for the whole family and if you take it easy on the booze get up early and hit the slopes and start a perfect 2010 by making some turns down the Winter Park Resort slopes.

If the family thing is not your cup of tea there is the Grand County Blues Society New Years Eve Celebration that will be held up at Silverado II Resort and Event Center.  Bring in the New Year in style, blues style! Great food, company and dancing music with champagne toast.  Featured artist is Nick Moss & The Flip Tops with Lurrie Bell.  Time is still to be announced for the the blues celebration.

If blues and the family thing both are not what you are looking for then head out to one of the hopping restaurants at the resort or in town.  I recommend the Cheeky Monk, Tabernash Tavern or the Sushi Bar.

New Years Eve comes once a year.  Don’t waste the one night with a lame night out down in the city.  Make a special evening with special memories and have a Winter Park, Colorado New Years Eve.

The SIA is finally Headed to Denver and Winter Park

After being hosted in Las Vegas for the last 35 years, the SIA Snow Show (ski industy association) is finally coming to Denver and the new convention center. It is held from January 28 – 31 and then all the attendees are coming to Winter Park for 2 days of On Snow Demos and a Free Ride Fest. January 1 and 2, from 9-4pm, retailers will be able to test any equipment imaginable.  Alpine and snowboard equipment will be available at Winter Park Resort and cross country and snowshoe equipment will be available at Devil’s Thumb Ranch in Tabernash.  For more info on the demo fest, check out the SIA web site. Winter Park Lodging will match the rates for like properties currently offered by the resort, plus you will receive for free our fantastic customer service.

Winter Park Resort To Host 42nd Annual Nastar National Championships

Nastar Championship at Winter Park Resort for 2010

NASTAR ski race owner Bonnier Mountain Group, also publisher of Skiing magazine, SKI magazine, Warren Miller Entertainment and owner of NASTAR, the world’s largest recreational ski and snowboard race program, announced that Winter Park Resort in Winter Park, Colorado, will be the official host site for the 2010 Nature Valley NASTAR National Championships March 25 – 28, 2010.  The national championships had been held for the past four years at Steamboat Ski Resort in Steamboat Springs, Colorado where over 1,000 racers competed each year during this multi-day event. This winter, NASTAR will celebrate its 42nd Anniversary and 1,300 racers are expected to compete in the Nature Valley National Championships. Racers qualify for the National Championships by earning a top-three ranking in their age division at any of the 120+ Nature Valley NASTAR ski resorts throughout North America. In 2009, competitors age 3 to 90 from 43 states as well as Canada, Australia, Chile and England competed in age and gender categories in alpine, telemark, snowboard & physically challenged categories for the chance to win a National Title. President and Chief Operating Officer of Winter Park Resort, Gary DeFrange, stated “Winter Park Resort is extremely
excited and proud to be partnering with NASTAR to host the National Championships this March. With so many people anticipated to attend this year’s event, winter sport enthusiasts will enjoy Winter Park Resort’s tremendous value coupled with our close proximity to Denver. It seems only fitting that we celebrate our 70 anniversary with such a long standing event and hope the racers and their families enjoy the many recent additions to the resort including the Village at Winter Park, four new lifts, new terrain and lodging.”

“There’s little doubt that Winter Park will prove to be a tremendous host,” said Bill Madsen, director of operations for
NASTAR. “The resort and the town itself have a great ski racing heritage and will be a terrific destination for NASTAR
competitors of all ages. Winter Park is truly excited to showcase all that they have to offer with the NASTAR community. Next season’s NASTAR National Championships will be an event not to be missed.” Kicking off in mid-November at 120+ resorts throughout the country, ski and snowboard enthusiasts racing NASTAR will
have the opportunity to qualify for the NASTAR National Championships through season-long resort rankings. The
three-day competition will take place March 25 – 28, 2010 at Winter Park Resort and will bring together top recreational ski and snowboard racers of all ages and abilities from across the country to compete for national titles while enjoying three days of spirited competition, first-class skiing, warm western hospitality, partying and fun.
Developed by SKI Magazine in 1968, NASTAR (NAtional STAndard Race) is the largest recreational ski and snowboard
race program in the world. Since the program’s inception four decades ago, more than six million racer days have been
recorded by NASTAR. Last season alone, over 220,885 NASTAR racer days were recorded and a record 553,808
starts.

Winter Park Resort is Colorado’s oldest continually operated ski resort and the closest destination resort to Denver International Airport. Spanning 3,078 acres, Winter Park Resort is comprised of four distinct areas – Winter Park, Mary Jane, Vasquez Cirque and Vasquez Ridge. Winter Park Resort recently celebrated the opening of The Village at Winter Park Resort, a new Village Cabriolet and six years worth of on-mountain enhancements.

To get your lodging for the NASTAR championships check out the  Winter Park Lodging Companies selection of condos, homes, cabins and town-homes.

Winter Park Colorado in September | Changing of the Colors

Winter Park in September

It is getting to be Fall up here in Winter Park, Colorado.  September is my favorite month with the changing of the colors and the cool, crisp mornings and evenings.  It doesn’t get any better for scenery and it is the best time of year for mountain biking.

A perfect day is waking up to a nice hot cup of coffee to be enjoyed on the deck followed by fresh pancakes and eggs.  Off to mountain biking up behind Rendezvous for a few hours and then a good soak in a pool or hot tub.  Evening comes around and it’s a great dinner at Tabernash Tavern or the Cheeky Monk followed with a bottle of good wine sitting around the fire on the patio.

It is the time for all the aspens to change colors also.  The last couple of weekends are when we get the most colors from the aspen.  Nothing more fun than a drive up to Grand Lake a trip through Rocky Mountain National Park to see the changing of the colors.

Come and get your Winter Park, Colorado lodging for the September activities going on.

And there are still lots and lots of events up here in the Rocky Mountains for September:

Winter Park Parade of Homes

The Winter Park parade of homes will be taking place on two weekends this September.  September 12th and 13th and the 19th and 20 come up to Grand County and tour twelve beautiful homes.  The event is free and the architects and builders will be on hand to answer any questions you may have.  Check out the Parade of homes website.

September is awesome up here in Winter Park.  The aspens start to change and there is a very relaxed atmosphere.  It’s a little chilly in the mornongs but you can wear shorts in the day and at night the fire or hot tub feels very good.

Get your Winter Park Colorado lodging and come visit Winter Park the best time of year!

Winter Park Events | Colorado Chili Cookoff

Saturday and Sunday August 22nd and 23rd the Winter Park Resort is hosting the return of the

Famous Flamethrowers High Altitude Chili Cookoff

This is a free event for spectators and a fun time to sample some chili, salsa, guacamole.  Sampling will cost some $$ though.  Times and schedule is as follows:

Time
7:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Location
Winter Park Ski Resort

AM
7:30-9:00 Set-up and Registration
9:00 ICS Salsa assembly may begin
9:45 Cooks Meeting in Plaza-mandatory (head Judge)10:00 ICS Traditional red preparation/cooking begins
ICS Chili Verde preparation/cooking begins
11:00 GUAC OFF – Guacamole Judging (Saturday only)

PM
12:00 ICS Salsa judging begins
1:00 ICS Chili Verde (green) judging begins
2:00 ICS Traditional Red division judging begins
4:00 Awards Ceremony – all divisions

Note: Public sampling will begin once samples have been submitted to the judging area in each division (12:00, 1:00, 2:00). “Taste Tickets” will be sold to guests at the Cookoff entrance. Taste tickets are 2 for $1 and sampling will begin at noon.

If you would like to enter as a chef see the rules at Winter Park/Fraser Valley Chamber site.