By Kate Bartlett
Many rang in the New Year at Holiday Valley at their NYE celebration with fireworks and champagne toast at midnight. This calendar year, Holiday Valley will host a variety of events on the slopes, with something for everyone.
College Days – (Jan 7-9) – Designed for college students to spend winter break at Holiday Valley with special lodge and lift package this fun, energetic vibe attracts college and university students from all over. This 3 day, 2-night package includes arrival gift, hosted parties, tastings and a full itinerary of events throughout the weekend. First time skiers and snowboarders get a free 1.5 hour lesson, rental equipment and beginners area lift ticket. Guests can look forward to an exciting, fun, energetic weekend of skiing and socializing both on and off the slopes. Complete with continental breakfasts, cookouts, snacks and shuttle service, it’s like spring break in the winter with better views. “This is the perfect getaway for students on their winter break,” says Dash Hegeman, Marketing Director at Holiday Valley. They stay at The Inn at Holiday Valley, which has a heated pool and outdoor hot tub as well as very easy access to the slopes. They can get a lot of skiing in during the day and then take part in some fun parties that the Holiday Valley team puts together with the help of our great College Daze sponsors: Red Bull, Fireball, and Intense Milk,” says Dash.
Your Turn Women’s Clinic – January 24-25 – Led by Lisa Ballard, a widely acclaimed coach and ski racer along with several of Holiday Valley’s women’s instructors, is a 2-day clinic is for women looking to take skiing to the next level. “This group always brings a lot of energy and camaraderie to the resort,” says Dash. “It’s great seeing a large group of women out here learning from Lisa Densmore Ballard, who has rightfully earned a reputation of being one of the top coaches around. Her ability to get people feeling comfortable while also pushing their comfort zones is truly impressive.” The clinic includes breakfast and lunch both days, video analysis, equipment info, demo equipment, door prizes and dinner with presentation on Wednesday. Attendees with connect with other women skiers with similar goals and mindset on the slopes.
As a member of the US Ski Team in the late 1970’s and a six-year veteran of the Women’s Pro Ski tour in the 1980’s, Lisa Densmore Ballard has competed in ski racing for most of her life. Today, she is a standout on the international master’s circuit. She brings her experience and expertise to Holiday Valley to teach and motivate women to reach their maximum ski potential.
Penguin Paddle (February 24, 11-2) – A much anticipated event of the ski season, is an all-day event and the major source of funding for the Lounsbury Adaptive Ski Program (LASP). Every February, hundreds of penguin paddlers flock to Holiday Valley to participate in the paddle races. They ‘make like penguins’ and side down the slopes in large black garbage bags on their bellies. Complete with buffet cook-out lunch, silent auction, wine fall, and raffle. The silent auction features over 150 items including gift baskets, ski and outdoor gear, home decor and gift cards from many local restaurants and businesses.
UppenOvr (Mar 16) – Join in this inaugural event going ‘up and over’ the slopes of Holiday Valley, over to HoliMont and back again to benefit Roswell Park Cancer Institute. The event was the brainchild of Jane Eshbaugh, who competed in a similar event, winning her age group, and sought to bring a similar event to Ellicottville. Choose your method, equipment, and embark on a 3-mile journey up, over, and across the breathtaking terrain. This event is designed for all skill levels with two divisions: Competitive and Just for Fun. It’s all about enjoying the winter landscape in good company at your own speed. “Uphill is a very popular activity right now and we saw this as a fun opportunity to engage the local community who loves to earn their turns”, says Dash. “It’s going to be exciting to see this new event take place and I think it’ll be a popular one with the local uphill enthusiasts.” Celebrate completion with after party at Yodeler Lodge with entertainment, live band, costume contest and prizes.
Pond Skimming (Mar 24) – This annual event is great for those looking for a refreshing and exciting event, or to spectate those willing to skim across the ice water filled pond. According to Dash, this is an event not-to-be-missed. “Whether you are a contestant or a spectator, Pond Skimming is an experience! Watching people try to make their way across a large body of chilly water is the pure definition of “thrills and spills”. It takes speed, skill, precision and sometimes just a little luck to stay dry. But the crowd shows up to see the spills so the participants who make the biggest splash are always the crowd-pleasers. A lot of people who take part will come dressed up in fun costumes, which just ads to the party atmosphere.”
Rail Rider Jamboree Music Festival (Mar 23) – Back for its 3rd year, this music festival is sure to be a hit. Organized by nationally renowned festival producer Jennifer Brazill, the past 2 years have been sell-outs with a lineup featuring a talented variety of local and nationally known bands. The day long festival features non-stop music with Buffalo Brass Machine will be traveling throughout the crowd playing New Orleans Style party music to keep the Mardi Gras vibe alive. Past years featured vendors with local merchandise and food trucks on site. More details regarding lineup and event schedule will be posted closer to the event, along with lodging packages.
Holiday Valley is also hosting a variety of one day events throughout the ski season including Telestock (Feb 23) hosted by City Garage, a day of peace love and telemark skiing with tele demos, Tell a Friend Tour (Feb 15), an opportunity to meet up and tour the resort with some very skilled pro freeriders and have fun in the terrain park, and the Boardroom Banked Slalom (Mar 3), a timed snowboard race through a series of fun, banked turns to see who is the fastest rider of them all , with cookout and great spectating. Also watch for more information about the Winter Carnival (Mar 9-10) with fun for the whole family.
For more information regarding Holiday Valley Events visit www.holidayvalley.com/events and follow on social media @holidayvalley.