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Spring Bash and Splash: Month-long ‘party’ kicks off next weekend at Winter Park Resort

A skier makes it across the icy pond on Larry Sale trail during last year's 50th Spring Splash Pond Skim at Winter Park Resort. This year's pond skim will be held April 21.
Courtesy / Winter Park Resort

The schedule: Spring Bash and Splash at Winter Park Resort

Saturday, March 30

7 – 10 a.m. Uphill Battle presented by Smith Optics

Noon – 5 p.m. TheBigWonderful at the base of Winter Park Resort

Noon – 12:30 p.m. SNOWga in the Winter Park Village Plaza

12:15 – 2 p.m. Woodshed Red performs free concert at Winter Park base

3 – 5 p.m. Free concert at the Winter Park base with The Lil Smokies presented by Clif Bar

Giveaway: Free Winter Park Resort GoggleSoc to the first 100 people in line at The Gondola

Saturday, April 6 – Beach Weekend

10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Luau at Sunspot presented by Patrón

Noon – 2 p.m. On-snow Spikeball Tournament at the Winter Park base

3 – 5 p.m. Free concert at the Winter Park base with Jerry Diaz & Hanna’s Reef presented by Clif Bar

Giveaway: Free Winter Park Resort “Maui” sunglasses to the first 100 people in line at The Gondola

Saturday, April 13 – Country Weekend

10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Jack Daniel’s Cornhole Tournament at Sunspot

Noon – 3 p.m. High Noon Duel competition presented by Fat Tire on Larry Sale trail (visible from the base)

Noon – 1 p.m. Line Dancing in the Winter Park Village Plaza

Noon – 5 p.m. Mechanical bull-riding at the Winter Park base

2 – 3 p.m. Line Dancing in the Winter Park Village Plaza

4 – 5:30 p.m. Free concert at the base of Winter Park Resort with Buckstein presented by Jack Daniel’s

Giveaway: Free Winter Park Resort flannel to the first 100 people in line at The Gondola

Saturday, April 20 – 80s Weekend

10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. DJ at Derailer Bar

Noon – 5 p.m. Free “Barcade” at the Winter Park base with classic 80s arcade games

2 – 2:30 p.m. Sweatin’ to the Oldies workout in the Winter Park Village Plaza

2:30 – 3:15 p.m. 80s Costume Contest at the Winter Park base

2:45 – 3:15 p.m. Sweatin’ to the Oldies workout in the Winter Park Village Plaza

3 – 5 p.m. Free concert at the Winter Park base with The Goonies, presented by Clif Bar

Giveaway: Free Winter Park Resort fanny pack (in blue, pink, and yellow) to the first 100 people in line at The Gondola

Sunday, April 22

11 a.m. – 4 p.m. DJ at Derailer Bar

11. a.m. Easter Egg Hunt in the Winter Park Village for children five years old and under

Noon – 3 p.m. Spring Splash presented by Red Bull

Winter Park Resort knows how to throw a party — even if it’s a month long.

Four “jam-packed” weekends are on tap at the resort with Spring Bash and Splash, starting March 30, which will see the return of TheBigWonderfulBeerfest along with beach, cowboy and 80s themed weekends all culminating with the popular pond skim at the end of April.

This year will be the event’s second iteration following its debut in 2018. Bash and Splash comes in lieu of the former Springtopia celebration, as both the resort and Winter Park & Fraser Chamber of Commerce look for ways to attract visitors to the area for the entire month of April and avoid the uncertainty of planning a singular event contingent on good weather.



“We really wanted to take that idea and spread it out over the entire month of April,” said Steve Hurlbert, director of communications for Winter Park Resort. “For one, we wanted to have some activation throughout other weekends in April. And two, we just felt like we were putting all our eggs in the closing weekend basket … this allows us to really spread out and do something fun every single weekend.”

TheBigWonderful is a festival with three pillars: beerfest, bluegrass and bazaar. Visitors will be met with a number of Colorado craft breweries, live music and an entire market of artisan goods.



The festival began six years ago in the RINO district of Denver, and is making its second trip to the mountains following last year’s success.

The festival will bring together many Colorado merchants, selling everything from clothing, jewelry, candles, food and much more.

In between runs on the mountain and shopping at the bazaar, guests can also partake in the beerfest portion of the festival. Visitors can purchase a wristband that grants unlimited tastings from several Colorado craft breweries.

Woodshed Red and The Lil Smokies will also perform a free concert at the base for the public March 30.

The following weekend is time to break out the beach attire with Beach Weekend on April 6, which will include a luau at Sunspot, an on-snow Spikeball Tournament at the base and a free live performance by Jerry Diaz & Hanna’s Reef, a Jimmy Buffet cover band.

Get the chaps out of storage April 13 for Country Weekend, which will feature a free, live country music concert from Buckstein, the annual High Noon Duel snowboarding competition, line dancing and even mechanical bull-riding.

The month wraps up, April 20 and 21, with the resort’s final weekend. Its 80s theme is sure to fill visitors with nostalgia.

April 20 will feature a “Barcade” with classic arcade games like Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and Centipede, 80s costume contest and free concert by 80s cover band, The Goonies. The resort will also celebrate Easter Sunday with its annual children’s Easter egg hunt on April 21 in Winter Park Village.

The final event at the resort for the 2018-19 ski season is the uproarious Spring Splash pond skim, returning for its 51st year April 21.

Crowds will watch as skiers and riders, often decked out in colorful costumes, struggle through obstacles on the Larry Sale trail race course then attempt to skim across an icy pond to reach the finish line and post a time. Though, many skiers don’t reach the end of the pond before getting drenched in the ice-cold water.

The annual Spring Splash Pond Skim, presented this year by Red Bull, is Colorado’s longest-running pond skim.

While the resort’s ski season will end that Sunday, April 21, skiers and riders can rejoice as the Mary Jane territory is planned to stay open until mid-May.

After receiving abundant measures of snow this season, the resort announced earlier this month that it will keep its Mary Jane territory, including Parsenn Bowl runs, open until Sunday, May 12. This year’s Mary Jane closing date marks the second latest closing date in Winter Park Resort history, following the May 25 closing of the Jane in 1998.

Exact available lifts and terrain will be released closer to the extension, but the resort said visitors can expect many of their favorite lifts and runs to be open.


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