Lots happening as season wraps up at area ski hills

Photo: Andrew Jay, Big White Ski Resort

The AltiTunes Music Festival at Big White Ski Resort is Canada's biggest mountain music festival. It will go April 5 and April 6. at the resort.

As the 2023-24 winter season winds down, ski hills in the Southern Interior are gearing up to finish with flair, especially during spring break from March 15 to April 1.

Here's the busy schedule at Big White Ski Resort:

• March 15-17—12th annual Big White Fire Department Rooftop Campout. BWFD members camp out on the roof of the Kids Centre, engage in fun games and sell 50/50 tickets in support of ALS Canada and ALS Society of B.C.

• March 15, 3:15 p.m.-5 p.m—Junior Chef Challenge at Happy Valley Day Lodge. Presented by Big White’s executive chef Boddie Macklin Shaw, it has three skill-testing challenges for children aged five to 13 years of age, with the top three in the finale,trying to replicate one of Shaw's delectable dishes.

• March 16-17 and 27-28—The Moose Cruz, a mountain quest to win prizes.

• March 21 and 28—Teen movie night at 5:30 p.m. at the Kids Centre.

• March 23—RCMP free ski and snowboard engraving day, outside Dizzy's in the Big White Village, courtesy of the Big White community policing office.

• March 23-24—Slopeside Pride at 10:30 a.m. on March 23, Discover@Pride introduction to skiing and snowboarding The cost is $120 for half-day lesson, beginner ticket and rentals. Also at 10:30 a.m. will be Card Sharks, which involves exploring the mountain collecting playing cards. At 2:30 p.m., the annual Pride Parade will start in the village centre, followed by a dance party at 3:30 p.m. with DJ Ur Girl Meems at the Tube Park. Big White will accept donations for The Bridge in support of its Kelowna youth program, and for Etcetera's social activities. There will be discussions and special events for LGBT2Q+ youth aged 11 to 18.

• March 29-31— The 25th annual Neil Edgeworth Memorial Banked Slalom. Check-in party at Happy Valley Day Lodge from 7 p.m to 10 p.m. on the Friday, a banquet dinner at 6 p.m. on the Saturday and the awards at 4 p.m. on the Sunday.

• AltiTunes Music Festival—From noon April 5 to 11 p.m. April 6 in Happy Valley. Canada's biggest mountain music festival, a 19-plus event, the will feature Elderbrook, Vandelux, Evan Giia, Milky Chance, X Ambassadors, Jessia and special guests, including DJ Invisible, Vin Bogart, Featurette, JGirl, Wes Please and UrGirlMeems. For full details, go to: altitunesmusicfest.com.

• April 7-14—Retro Days. The final week of the season will celebrates Big White's 60th anniversary. The details are being finalized.

The weekly Saturday fireworks shows will conclude April 13 (weather permitting).

Weekly events—Big White offers games and entertainment suitable for all ages, including a bonfire and hot chocolate on Tuesdays at Happy Valley skating rink (weather permitting) plus bingo nights and trivia challenges on Thursdays. Fridays and Saturdays feature live music by local artist Jon Bos at Happy Valley Day Lodge, plus Kids' Craft Corner and Moose Tube Time. Saturdays offer Kids Culinary Corner at Happy Valley Day Lodge and carnival nights in the Village Centre Mall. Sundays have Happy Valley Sunday lawn games for indoor fun.

•••

At Apex Mountain Resort:

• March 16—Retro Day. Ski in style with your favourite vintage ski and board outfit. There may be a prize for the best dressed as well.

• March 17: St. Paddies Day. Wear your greenest outfit and hit the slopes. Prizes will be available if you catch the crazy-fast leprechaun on the hill who is also carrying chocolate gold for kiddies.

•••

At Baldy Mountain Resort:

• March 10—Elleboard Snowboard Day for female and gender-diverse athletes, coaches and mentors with multiple skill levels through Canada Snowboard. The will be a $30 fee.

• March 16-17—Slackcountry Cup 10 celebrating a decade of “Slack,” one of the most anticipated celebrations of snowboarding in B.C. For more info and to register, go to: slackcountrycup.ca.

• March 24: Season pass appreciation pancake breakfast. Free pancakes will be served to season pass holders.

Baldy has also extended its season for and extra weekend to April 7. It will be closed April 2 to April 4, then the Eagle chair and Magic Carpet will operate April 5 to 7. The annual Dummy Downhill isset for April 6, and the annual Slush Cup will go April 7.

•••

At Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre:

• March 10—It might be confusing, but to celebrate International Women's Day on Friday (March 8), Sovereign has free day tickets for all who identify as female, and rentals for all women and girls will be 50% off today (March 10). Proceeds from all day tickets purchased today, as well as any donations, will support the Okanagan Girls Club which "envisions a world where girls with neurological/developmental differences feel celebrated, included and connected – where they make and enjoy friends.” Bring loonies and toonies for a chance to win great prizes.

• March 16-22—CANSI Level IV Course information at: https://www.cansi.ca/index.php/en/xc-courses/xc-instructor-level-iv. Registration at: https://www.cansi.ca/index.php/en/xc-courses/xc-instructor-level-iv

•••

At Revelstoke Mountain Resort:

• March 10-17—2024 Yeti Natural Selection Tour at Revelstoke Mountain Resort and Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing. Twenty-four of the world's best snowboarders go head-to-head at the resort's side country and in the Selkirk Tangiers' backcountry for the Naturals Selection title.

• March 10 and April 7—Locals’ Days with $20 lift tickets and 50% of proceeds will go to the Revelstoke Foundation. $10 standard rental of ski/snowboard package, 50% off high-performance rentals and $20 group lessons from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. for those aged five and up, levels 1-3. Call 250-814-5060 to book.

• March 10-17—Apres in the Plaza from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. The DJ lineup includes: March 10- Benanas (Calgary), March 11-DJ Nibbs (Revelstoke), March 12-DJ Wesside (Revelstoke), March 13-HuwsHuw!? (Revelstoke), March 14-Civillian (Vancouver), March 15- Metafloor (Calgary), March 16- DollaHilz (Revelstoke) and March 17-Ray Ray (Revelstoke).

•••

At Telemark Nordic Centre:

March 10—Adventure Immersion Lab winter adventure race series will conclude with a half-day race for solos and pairs on cross-country skis and snowshoes. Collect as many checkpoints as you can. Some points will only be accessible on skis and some only on snowshoes. If you want to collect them all, you will need both sets of equipment.

Photo: Andrew Jay, Big White Ski Resort

Big White Ski Resort will hold its Junior Chef Challenge at Happy Valley Day Lodge March 15..

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.