ON-MOUNTAIN FESTIVALS & EVENTS
It often seems that Colorado has nearly as many on-mountain winter festivals as there are snowflakes in the sky. Consider these upcoming on-mountain events when planning your Colorado vacation.
97th Annual Winter Carnival: Steamboat Springs, 02/03 - 02/07/2010
The town of Steamboat Springs celebrates winter with ski-jumping competitions, dual slalom bicycle racing, a snowboarding jam session, a tubing party and a parade featuring the Steamboat Springs high school marching band on skis and the legendary Lighted Man. The Lighted Man is a carnival mainstay, and has been part of the festivities in one way or another since 1936. Today, a brave soul puts on a suit weighing 70 pounds and festooned with fireworks, including 32 Roman candles, and 12 sky rockets. In addition to watching a veritable human torch ski down the mountain, visitors are also entreated to extreme skijoring. During this event, contestants fly down the snow-covered main street while on skis or a snowboard, all the while holding a rope being pulled by a galloping horse. Jumps and obstacles add more challenge to this annual tradition. This event is held every year, with the main purpose of bringing the community together to revel in the festive winter season.
Map It: Downtown Steamboat Springs, Steamboat Springs, CO 80487
Phone: 877-754-2269
Website: Steamboat-chamber.com
Snowscape Winter Carnival/Parade of Lights & Ceremonial Bonfire: Silverton, 02/13 - 02/16/2010
This winter, the town of Silverton will again host what is arguably its biggest winter event. The Snowscape Winter Carnival, Parade of Lights and Ceremonial Bonfire will feature such crowd-pleasers as a broomball tournament (like ice hockey, but played by average Joes with brooms), the Annual High Altitude Snowshoe Race 5K and 10K Backcountry Loops and an immense snowball fight. Visitors also enjoy a fireworks display, a party at the Grand Imperial Hotel and the chance to cheer the competitors during Silverton's Alley Challenge Cross-Country Ski Race.
Map it: 414 Greene Street, Silverton, CO 81301
Phone: 970-387-5654
Website: Durango.org
Frozen Dead Guy Days: Nederland, 03/05-03/07/2010
The townspeople of Nederland were faced with a question: What do you do when it’s discovered that a resident is keeping his cryogenically frozen grandfather in a shed in his backyard? The solution was simple: flaunt it, don’t hide it, and throw a festival dedicated to the oddness of it all. The event is complete with coffin races, a polar plunge and a parade.
Map it: Downtown Nederland, Nederland, CO 80466
Phone: 303-258-3936
Website: Nederlandchamber.org
Discover other Colorado events and festivals at Colorado.com/events.aspx.
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