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It’s Time to Spring into Party Season

by Dan Giesin | March 20, 2018

Today being the vernal equinox, it’s time to put your party hats on.
And what better way to celebrate the arrival of spring — other than sweet corn and slush bumps, sunny days and cold beer — than to attend some on-mountain blow-out. Preferably one that lasts more than a single day.
Well, we have just what the doctor ordered for spring fever, a triad of ski resort festivals that will have you hoppin’ and boppin’ in the cool mountain air.

WinterWonderGrass Tahoe

Squaw Valley again is the site for the 4th edition of this annual brews-and-tunes get-together, which this year takes place April 6-8.
With the musical emphasis on bluegrass and acoustic roots music, some of the biggest names in the genre will grace Squaw’s main stage, including The Devil Makes Three, Railroad Earth, Elephant Revival, The Infamous Stringdusters and Steep Canyon Rangers.
Also on tap, if you pardon the pun, will be tastings of the region’s finest brew masters, including Sierra Nevada, Bay City, Fifty Fifty, Knee Deep, Lagunitas, Sudwerk, Great Basin and Altamont Beer Works.
There are several ticket options, including a basic 3-day pass for $179 and a 3-day VIP pass for $339. Single-day passes are available for $79. Prices do not include lift ticket.
Check out winterwondergrasstahoe.com for complete details.

Spring Fest @ Thin Air

The Snowsports Industry of America is more than a trade association for all facets of the skiing and snowboarding industry.
It’s also a pretty good party host.
The SIA’s third annual Spring Fest @ Thin Air will take place at Park City on April 5-7, and will feature the usual mashup of food and drink, music and comedy and speakers from a broad spectrum of the tech, finance, healthcare, snowsport and outdoor recreation world.
Highlights include a free concert featuring Citizen Cope, a welcome home parade for U.S. Winter Olympians and such speakers as comedian Sarah Colonna, entrepreneur/philanthropist Vipe Desai, Princeton women’s basketball coach Courtney Banghart and U.S. Ski and Snowboard team media guru Tom Kelly.
Tickets for the 3-day affair are $250 before March 31 ($300 after); there’s also a $25 rate for college students. Complete information can be found at thinairparkcity.com.

World Ski and Snowboard Festival

Art, music, photography and filmmaking collide with mountain culture in this annual 6-day blowout that returns to Whistler Blackcomb on April 10-16.
Billing itself as the largest such festival in North America, if not the world, WSSF certainly delivers the goods: A Tribe Called Quest and Jazzy Jeff will pump up the athletes — and the crowd — during the big air competitions; climber John Long, mountain biker Hans Rey, adventurer Ted Baird and others will regale audiences with their tales of daring-do, and famed and unheralded photographers and filmmakers will compete for honors in their respective media’s showdowns.
Oh, yeah, the famed Saudan Couloir Ski Race Extreme, the steepest such race in the world, makes its return after a 15-year absence.
Further information and a complete schedule of events can be found at whistler.com/events/world-ski-snowboard-festival.

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