Winter Park Village Free Events

Free Events in Winter Park Resort Village

There are many many activities in the Winter Park Village and almost all of them are absolutely free.  The new Village is in its first full year of operation and there are now four eateries up and running:

Goodys is a European creperie offering made to order crepes and homemade ice cream.

Lime is a modern Mexican eatery with great tacos and margaritas.

The Back Bowl Soup Company offers homemade soups, breakfast burritos and fantastic breads.

The Cheeky Monk is a Belgium beer bar with great Flemish food with some of the best beers known to man.

Enjoy all these restaurants and spend a night in Village with some of their free events.  From Mardi Gras celebration to free ice skating lessons there something for everyone in the Winter Park Village.

DISCO SKATE NIGHTS
Thursdays, January 7 & 21, February 4 & 18, 6-8pm

Get down tonight! Grab your skates and come dance to funky disco music! You are sure to have fun with your friends while ice-skating on the Village Ice Rink to a dj playing 1970’s disco music while the disco ball lights up the ice! Bring your costumes!

KIDS’ NIGHT OUT
Thursdays, December 17 – April 8, 5:30-8:30pm

The Village at Winter Park introduces Kids’ Night Out! This fun, activity-filled evening is for 4-12 year olds, and is loaded with activities – including dinner and s’mores by the firepit! Kids’ Night Out is a worry-free night out for Mom & Dad and a convenient alternative to at-home babysitting.

Details:
▪ Kids’ Night Out is held at Kids Ski and Ride School on Thursday evenings from 5:30-8:30pm
▪ Kids’ Night Out is a FREE childcare service offered to parents on the condition that $30 per child is spent in any commercial outlet at the resort during the hours that your children are in the program. We do require original receipts to verify the expenditure. If less than $30 per child is spent, parents will only be charged the difference.
▪ Kids’ Night Out includes dinner from Doc’s Roadhouse and indoor activities such as games, seasonal crafts and movies
▪ Please reserve your child’s space by 3pm on Thursday. Call Winter Park Guest Services at 800.729.7907 to reserve your child’s space. Enrollment is limited and is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

MINI RAIL JAM
Fridays, January 15 - March 19, 4:30-6pm

*No Mini Rail Jam on February 19

Little jibbers come practice and show your tricks! Hit the mini rail park, Bouncer, in the Village for some fun after the mountain has closed for the day. Practice your rail slides and jumps in a training mini terrain park.

Details:
▪ Recommended for skiers and snowboarders ages 6 – 12 years old. Helmets are recommended.
▪ Located at the Bouncer Terrain Park located across from Doc’s Roadhouse and adjacent to the Discovery Center in the Village

FIRESIDE STORY-TELLING

Saturdays, January 9 - March 27, 3:00-4:00pm Join around the Discovery Center Plaza firepit for an animated story retelling the history of Winter Park Ski Resort, the railroad, early settlers and mountaineers. This FREE story-telling series is offered weekly from January through March and will include the stories of Fraser Valley locals such as: Doc Susie Anderson, the Byers family, the Cozens family and David Moffat. A perfect event for the entire family!

COWBOY SING-A-LONG
Fridays, December 18 – April 18, 4-5pm Come and join us by the campfire for our fun Cowboy Sing-A-Long just outside of the Village Gazebo, located at the base of Winter Park Resort. Cowboys and cowgals of all ages will enjoy this laid back and entertaining live show featuring all your campfire favorites! This FREE family entertainment is available Fridays from 4–5pm in the Village Gazebo.

ICE-SKATING LESSONS
Daily*, December 19—mid-March, 4-5pm

*Saturdays are Blade Capades, ice-skating games

Come join a FREE lesson to learn how to “hit the ice” (after “hitting the slopes”) or improve your skills on ice. An instructor and hot chocolate will be provided for each lesson. Bring your own skates or rent skates near the Village Ice Rink.

*Sign up by 3pm at Village Rentals on the day of the lesson

MARDI GRAS CELEBRATION
Saturday, February 13, 12:00-5:00pm

High Altitude Style! Come join the party in the Village to celebrate this New Orleans tradition Winter Park-style! This event features bands, street performers, festive decorations, food and plenty of beads to go around!

Music (in Starbucks Plaza)

12:00pm-1:00pm:  Louisiana Clan Dogs
1:20pm-2:20pm:  Aden Harrell & Friends Jazz Quartet
2:40pm-3:40pm:  Otones Brass Band
4:00pm-5:00pm:  Dikki Du & The Zydeco Krewe
Performers (throughout the Village)

12:00pm-5:00pm:  Salida Circus Performers (includes flame throwers, jugglers, trapeze artists, jesters & unicyclists)
12:00pm-5:00pm:  Face-Painting and Caricature Drawings
12:00pm-5:00pm:  Children’s Crafts – masks and crowns
1:00pm-3:00pm:  Giant Puppetry
2:00pm-4:00pm:  Ear2Ear Photobooth

Food (in Starbucks Plaza)

Jambalaya, crawfish, etouffee, gumbo, crepes, bread pudding and beignets provided by Village restaurants

Lots of things to to do for free at “the Village”.  If you would like to have a free family night out, the Winter Park Village can not be beat.

Winter Park Moonlight Snowshoe and Cross Country Ski

Pole Creek Moonlight Snowshoe

What a great way to spend a Saturday Night: on the links of Pole Creek Golf Club with skis on your feet and the moon lighting the ground below.

Pole Creek Golf Club had their first, of hopefully many, moonlight snow shoe and ski events this past Saturday night and the event was fantastic.  Show up clip on the skis and make a run through the marked course.  On the course is a bonfire with some hearty souls serving up schnapps with hot chocolate.  Finish up the trek and head inside for some wine and dinner.

We hope that they continue this moonlight tradition all year long.  It was a great time and there were a lot of people out enjoying the moonlight and the crisp Colorado air.  Lots of kids, dogs and people of all ages having a great time in the clear moonlight.

Dinner was good, wine was even better.  Service was a bit slow as I don’t think Bistro 28 expected quite as many people to join them for the first running of this event. Better get to ironing out the kinks before the next moonlight snowshoe event.

All in all it was a great night,  ended  with a glass of wine at home and the excitement of a another full moon in thirty days.

New Openings in Winter Park, CO

There are lots and lots of new stores opening up here in Winter Park, Colorado.  Our town just seems to be booming with all the restaurants opening and the Rec Center open for the first day and all this just in time for Christmas.

First we have the Fraser/Winter Park Rec Center open for the very first day to what looks like universal approval here in the Fraser Valley.  We will be visiting this coming week and will let you know how the final product turned out.  From what I have seen it looks spectacular (I can’t wait to steam my old bones in the steam sauna).

Last night Alberto’s had a soft opening to get some of the kinks out before tonight’s official Grand Opening.  I heard that the food was terrific and the space looks just as good.  For those not on the know, Alberto’s is brought to us by the folks that own the Tabernash Tavern.  They have redone the space in Cooper Creek Square that most recently housed the Green Olive Italian steakhouse.  We will try to make it out to Alberto’s in the next week and let your know about their operation.

The Cosmic Dog Mexican Grill is also opening tonight.  I popped my head in today and the space looks pretty cool.  I got a chance to talk to Fernand, the owner, and he says they should be serving up some burritos  tonight.  He also said he was exhausted from their push to get open in time for the Winter Park holiday season.  I can’t wait to have a burrito this week.  Nice work Fernand on the space, it looks great.

Lastly there is Ziggy’s Doughnuts.  Our very own hot fresh doughnut factory located next to Fontenot’s Cajun Cafe in the Kings Crossing Retail Center.  Talked Ziggy today and he says they should be open by the 3rd of January.  Ziggy’s will have coffee, fresh donuts, and some video games set among a cool interior with counter service and tables and chairs.  Would be great if Ziggy could figure out a way to offer some wine and beer, anywho,  I’m am satisfied with hot donuts for now though.

So our little enclave of heaven up here in the Colorado Rockies just seems to be booming with all these openings.  It looks like the economy is tuning around and vacationers ans skiers are starting to return to the hills.  We got some unexpected snow the last few nights and everyone here in Winter Park is getting ready for Christmas.  All seems well in the Winter Park part of the world.

Deno’s Mountain Bistro Winter Park, CO

Vino at Deno’s Winter Park

I got my first chance since we had the twins to hit the town in Winter Park without the wife and kids.  Sarah and the boys were down in Denver visiting the grandparents and doing some Christmas shopping and I was able to paint WP town red.

Met a couple of friends at Deno’s Mountain Bistro for the Vino at Deno’s.  This is Deno’s tasting flight of two wines paired with appetizers for the nice price of $10.  The wines were a Vouvray paired with an artichoke bruchette and Pinot Noir paired with shrimp on a rosemary skewer.  Very very tasty and the presentation was low key and accessible as it should be here in Winter Park.  Teddy, Deno’s son and now owner, was the host with the  heavy pouring hand and had some very good knowledge of the wines we were enjoying.

After the tasting I had the Chicken Marsala that was awesome!  Tender chicken breast in a Marsala wine sauce with mushrooms over a bed of pasta with spinach.  Deno’s is now making homemade bread that was also fantastic. Must have come straight from the oven.

Check out Deno’s Facebook page for deals and specials.

We ended the night at Ullr’s the new bar that took the Silver Bucket’s space in the Conoco shopette.  That is for another post though.

Thanksgiving Dinner on the Winter Park Slopes at Sunspot

Is the photo to the left about how your Thanksgiving goes? Well, we here at Winter Park Lodging Company will give you a free turkey if you stay with us over the Turkeyday holiday but if that is not your thing there are options.

Winter Park Resort is doing a Thanksgiving Buffet at the top of the mountain at Sunspot Lodge.  The ride up is a beautiful gondola ride to the top of the Zephyr lift.

The buffet menu:
Salad Station – chef tossed to order Caesar and/or field green salad w/ champagne vinaigrette and ranch dressing. Served w/ fresh bread & butter.
Chef carved turkey and prime rib w/ a jus and horseradish sauce.
Mashed potatoes w/ giblet gravy and sweet potatoes.
Butternut squash soup w/ crème fraiche & toasted pumpkin seeds.
Herbed stuffing.
Sautéed baby carrots and green beans.
Desert Bar – pumpkin pie, apple pie, chocolate trilogy and assorted mousses.

Thanksgiving Dinner at Winter Park Sunspot Lodge Pricing:

• $49.95 Adults
  
• $19.95 Children 10 and under (Buffet Only)

Price includes gondola ride, buffet, non-alcoholic beverages, & dessert. Sales tax and gratuity will be added. Alcohol, Specialty beverages are additional.

If cooking a turkey is not your thing on Thanksgiving then there is not a better way to spend the evening than up on the hills eating some bird.  After dinner head down the gondola and have a nightcap at The Cheeky Monk in The Winter Park Village.

Get your Sunspot Thanksgiving dinner reservations at 970-726-1446.

Winter Park Veteran Rally | Our Sweet Land of Liberty

August 14th to 16th is one of the biggest weekends of the summer in the Winter Park, when the Annual Salute to American Veterans Rally rolls into town. Thousands of veterans, bikers & patriots gather together to honor America’s fallen heroes and active military. It is the largest and longest running veteran/motorcycle event in the Western US and is tons of fun. Check out some of the highlights below. In addition, there will be free live music all weekend!

• The Vietnam Veterans Traveling Memorial Wall is on display in Fraser.
• Veterans Parade with military flyovers in Winter Park.
• Remembrance Ceremony with former US Air Force Fighter Pilot Brigadier General Steve Ritchie.
• POW/MIA Recognition Ride with thousands of bikers riding from Granby to Winter Park.

Check out the full Veterans Rally Schedule or see our full calendar of events on our website.

Salute to American Veterans Rally in Winter Park

The weekend of August 14-16 is one of the biggest during the summer in the Fraser Valley and Winter Park. The towns host the Annual Salute to American Veterans Rally where thousands of veterans, bikers, and patriots gather together to honor America’s fallen heroes.  It is the largest and longest running Veteran/ Motorcycle event in the Western US. 

The Vietnam Veterans Traveling Memorial Wall will be displayed August 13-16 in Fraser at the ball fields. The wall is a 3/5 replica of the Vietnam War Memorial Wall located in Washington, D.C.  It is 6 feet tall at the center and over 300 feet long. It proudly holds the names of those men and women lost in Vietnam. There is no charge to view the wall.

Also taking place at the Fraser ball fields will be the Remembrance Ceremony.  Speaking at the ceremony will be Vietnam Veteran and United States Air Force ACE Fighter Pilot Brigadier General Steve Ritchie.  As a pilot, Ritchie flew 339 missions for over 800 flying hours in his F-4 Phantom fighter. Ritchie returned home after his second tour to become the only ACE pilot of the Vietnam War. Performing the national anthem, as well as other patriotic favorites, will be Harmony in Motion, a United States Army singing group.

Other events taking place Saturday morning in Winter Park are the Veterans Parade where all 4 military branches will be represented. There will be air support from both civilian and military sectors. 

Another big highlight of the weekend is the POW/MIA Recognition Ride. The ride started in 1987 when a few people rode their motorcycles through Colorado Springs with POW/MIA flags waving in an effort to raise awareness for those lost in battle. In the last 22 years the event has grown to include thousands of bikers, both vets and civilians, who still show their support for the POW’s  and those who are MIA. The ride begins in Granby and ends in Winter Park. What a site to see.

Show your INK!! The 14th annual High Altitude Tattoo Competition will be held on Sunday afternoon at the Pub in downtown Winter Park. Great prizes will be given out for the best ink. Also, to be noted, the Pub offers VIP bike parking out front!

Music is also a big part of the weekend.  Many homegrown Colorado bands will be performing  in Hideaway Park throughout the weekend.  You’ll enjoy everything from rock-a billy  and blues to good old fashioned rock and roll.  All daytime music shows  and events are free.  Be sure to check out the Brethren Boys at the Pub in downtown Winter Park for an extra show on Saturday night.

• Jake Loggins Band                                    
• Missing Stateside
• The Usual Suspects
• Lost Canyon Band
• The Inman Brothers
• Harmony In Motion
• Brothers of the Son
• Patty Stilson
• Peggy Mann
• Brethren Fast

Keep an eye on our Blog as we will update it with information as it is released.

Winter Park Village | Woah, Bikes Slow Down!

We took our 21 month old twins down to the fantastic new Winter Park Village today and we were very impressed with all the new shops, flowers and  attractions that have been installed for their first summer.  As you can see in the photo, Mr. Willem was very concerned with who yeilds to who and  what 3.5 MPH really means.  Nicholas Nut on the other hand was busy chasing the bicycle that whizzed by him.  Seriously, the village is great for kids of all ages and adults.  Come on out and see all the new Winter Park Village attractions and events.  The highlight of our trip was getting the twins on the cabriolet (mobile tea cups as you can see below).  For all the kids there is the new ice cream/creperie shop, Goody’s, that served up a great cotton candy shake (tasted very much like strawberry) and a scoop of cookies and cream ice cream.  For the aduts there is the Cheeky Monk and Lime.  There is also the Winter Park alpine slide and all the attractions that have returned from years past.  What a great way to spend a beautiful day in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. 

If you haven’t seen the village yet you should make a point to get up to here to Winter Park and check it out.   All your Winter Park Resort Lodging can be found with Winter Park Lodging Company.  Winter Park Lodging Company now has 28 properties at the base of Winter Park Resort.  From studios to four bedroom luxury condos all can be found in our listings.

Come have some fun in Winter Park, Colorado!

Free Friday Music, Movies and More at Winter Park Resort

Kick off the weekend with some evening mountain biking, free live music, an outdoor movie and more. New for this summer, all of these activities are on Fridays from 4pm to 7pm at the base of Winter Park Resort.  

FREE Music & Movies
From 4:30 to 7:30 pm, you can enjoy free live music in front of the Discovery Center in The Village. After the music, get cozy under the stars with a free outdoor movie starting at 8pm. Check out the line-up below:

• July 10th
  • Music by Grand County’s own Hunker Down 
  • Movie is Journey to the Center of the  Earth
• July 17th
  • Music by Empty Suits (Denver & Local)
  • Movie is Hotel for Dogs
• July 24th
  • Music by Rockin’ Jake from New Orleans, LA
  • Movie is Mamma Mia
• July 31st
  • Music by Healing Force of Denver
  • Movie is Kung Fu Panda
• August 7th
  • Music by Thick As Thieves (Denver & Local)
  • Movie is Madagascar II
• August 14th
  • Music by Peter Karp of Englewood, NJ
  • Movie is Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
• August 21
  • Music by Johnny O Band of Denver
  • Movie is Monsters Vs. Aliens
• August 28
  • Music by Dikki Du & The Zydeco Krewe of Lawtell, LA
  • Movie is Horton Hears A Who
• September 4
  • Music by Tempa & The Tantrums of Denver
  • Movie is Night at the Musuem 2

Evening Base Area Activities
Now you can hang out a little longer at the base of Winter Park to play an extra round of miniature golf or to take a sceninc evening ride on the chairlift. From 5pm to 7pm, a round of mini golf is $10/round or a scenic chairlift ride is $15/person.

Sunspot BBQ Dinners
Hungry after a long day of mountain biking & alpine sliding? You don’t have to go far from the Winter Park base to enjoy a yummy BBQ dinner – just 2000 feet on the Zephyr Express Chairlift!  Take a beautiful ride with amazing views of the Continental Divide, then enjoy a beef rib eye steak, pork spare ribs, beef brisket, BBQ chicken or grilled portabella mushroom steak. All entrées include corn on the cob, Texas toast, ice cream dessert and choice of sides featuring potato salad, coleslaw or baked beans. Every Friday through Sept. 4th  between 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.  The cost is $24.95/adult, $19.95/children (10 and under), which includes includes the round-trip chairlift ride, live entertainment, and dinner.

Mountain Bike Madness
Can’t get enough biking in or just can’t make it up during normal lift hours? Then the extended hours at  Trestle Bike Park are sure to please.  The lift pass for three extra hours on Fridays from 4pm to 7pm costs only $15, plus you can get a sweet deal on a sweet downhill bike and protective gear rental – starting at $29.99. 

Trestle Bike Park Evening Race Series
Have you ever wanted to try out competing in a bike race, but just haven’t mustered up the courage? Well, the new Trestle Bike Park Evening Race Series could be the perfect place to start.  There are races for gravity and cross-country riders of all ages. A great way for new riders, even kids, to give mountain bike racing a try.  For more information, including registration fees, evening race times, and course details, visit www.trestlebikepark.com or call 970-726-1590.

Winter Park Jazz Festival Poster

Check out the 2009 official Winter Park Jazz Festival poster.  Pretty cool!  You can get your poster by contacting the Winter Park/Fraser Chamber of Commerce. 

Lodging for the WP Jazz Festival is filling up.  We only have a few condos left for the weekend so if you would like to see the biggest event of the summer up in Winter Park you should book your lodging today.  Remember to mention Winter Park Lodging by Owner’s Jazz Festival blog and get 15% off your accomadations.

There is an after show event planned up at Winter Park Resort that you Jazz lovers should not miss:

Saturday, July 25 8pm-2am - After hours Jazz show at Winter Park Resort.  Join us for the Winter Park Jazz Festival official after party hosted by Becky Taylor at Winter Park Ski Resort in the West Portal Building. Tickets and line up will be announced shortly.

We will keep you updated on tickets for the after show event.