Spring festivals and events draw in the crowds at B.C's mountain resorts

SNOWSEEKERS

The last few weeks have been amazing for B.C.'s ski resorts. Heaps of fresh snow have piled up to create the best spring skiing season in years. Take advantage of the long days, bright skies and warm weather and then join in on the many festivals and events.

You're invited to jump in on the fun or just take it it easy and watch as athletes test their skills on the slush ponds, the jumps and the trails. Take a look at what’s in store.

Kicking Horse Mountain Resort – From maple syrup lollypops to the annual Slush Cup, spring gets a sweet start here. 

Until the end of the season, people of all ages are invited every Friday and Saturday from 4 to 7 p.m. to the Learning and Adventure Centre for after-hours fun at The Horse. Each night there will be different events.

March 25 – 26 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., practice your French and head over to Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. Or should we say “Bottant Cheval.” The Plaza will be the centre of the action with a celebration of Quebec traditions, including how to use maple syrup in cooking and make maple syrup into icy taffy lollypops. Then kick off the ski boots and get ready to dance to Quebec folk music – all at the Sugar Shack in the Plaza.

Did someone say BREAK?! Kicking Horse offers a kid’s camp March 27-30.

The jump at the base of the hill is ready. Is your dummy? Construct your best one on skis and send it sailing at the Dummy Downhill on April 15.

On April 16, celebrate Easter with a sunrise service on top of the world on the terrace of the Eagle’s Eye Restaurant for a 7:15 a.m. service. The little kids can enjoy the day with an Easter egg hunt at the Learning and Adventure Centre.

Head to The Plaza for 12:30 p.m. on April 16 and either watch or participate in the annual Slush Cup. Let’s see if any of the costumed skiers and snowboarders can cross the 75-foot-long pond of chilly water without taking a BURRRR bath!

Get a preview of the resort fromSnowSeekers' writer Leigh McAdam and find out how she finds fun at Kicking Horse

Kimberley Alpine Resort – There will be plenty of good times to cap off another stellar season here. 

On March 18 at 11 a.m.take in the annual Northstar Ski –Mo Race. Anyone with telemark skis or split boards is welcome to toe the line in the Plaza then race up to the Kootenay Haus, turn around and head down through the gates before completing the obstacle course in the Plaza. It doesn't look easy, but there are prizes to be won and that can bring out the bravado in all of us.

It gets wet and wild in Kimberley on April 8. Yes, it's time for the annual Pond Skim Challenge. Do you want to enter? Perfect bring your costume and your nerve. For the rest of us, we'll bring our lawn chairs to watch the action starting at 9 a.m.

April 9 marks the last day the resort is open and that means it’s time for the Dummy Downhill. Create your dummy to compete and let 'er rip down the hill. Will it make it to the jump? Will it fly? Will it land? Better start that aerodynamic design now.

Kimberley Alpine Resort is is the perfect place for exploring. Find out more from SnowSeekers' writer Dax Justin here.

Big White Ski Resort goes blue and green with great events.

Big White is big on entertainment and the calendar is choked with hot chocolate parties, carnival nights and tubing parties. Here are some to consider this spring.

Challenge your crew to do the Cruz the Blues at Big White from March 14 to 15 during spring break. You've got two days to cover as many blue runs as possible. Get your pass book stamped and bring it back to the Happy Valley Day Lodge to win prizes – and we mean lots of prizes.

Big White is going green! Here is your chance to dress as green as you can for St. Patrick’s Day and build the most outrageous green snowman you can dream up. That means you can go crazy with as much green food dye as you want on March 17.

Think you're fast on your skis? But how fast is the question. Test yourself against other athletes during the Western Canada Ski Cross Finals. The competition is on from March 31 to April 2.

Dax Justin spotted his first snow ghost at Big White. Learn more about his adventures here.

Sun Peaks Resort is in party mode.

March Madness is on at Sun Peaks. Come for the music and the events including the Tight & Bright Party at The Club on March 25. Get out the lime green Lycra for that one. Or, wait a week and come for the toga party on March 31.

April 6-10 the Coors Light Snowbombing music festival is on tap. This is the debut in Canada for Europe's biggest music festival on snow. Go skiing and boarding in the mornings and then enjoy big acts the rest of the day.

Steal away to Sun Peaks resort this spring. Find out more here.

SilverStar Mountain Resort goes all out with the Throwdown Hoedown.

You could call this telemark skiing on steroids. The Springloaded Festival from March 25-26 is a series of clinics aimed at ramping up your telemark skills. Learn to parallel ski, jump and control those crazy skis - then put your skills to the test or race head to head in tele skis. Or, slap on your skinny skis and join the XC 105 Weekend using the trails at both SilverStar and Sovereign Lake. What's with the 105? That's how many kilometres there are to ski over the weekend.

Come for the Showdown Throwdown Hoedown, from March 31 to April 2. This slope-style competition promises to deliver amazing athletic- and physics- defying tricks. The terrain park will be the place to be. You can watch the action from the beer garden, featuring an ice bar and DJ cranking out the tunes. Beer, ice bar, tunes, crazy entertainment at the terrain park - it'll be the place to be.

Slush Cup shenanigans happens on April 8. Compete or just come for the fun. The event goes all day with prizes going to the best - or should we say -worst finish.

Slope-side fun awaits at SilverStar. See what Seekers' writer Crai Bower got up to during his visit to the mountain.

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