Yes, the Fourth of July is a day for us all to celebrate the independence of this beautiful nation. But, some Americans definitely celebrate better than others, and if we don’t say so ourselves, skiers are those superior Americans.
Below, take a look at what 11 of our favorite resorts (in no particular order) will be up to over the long weekend. Whether you’ll be skiing at them, biking at them or getting blackout drunk at them, have a great time and try to do it all safely, folks.
Aspen Snowmass
First, we’re going to talk about a place where the beer flows like wine, where beautiful women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano. We’re talking about a little place called Aspen. This charming mountain town does it big every July, and this year will keep that tradition going with a ton of fun options.
Those who aren’t already hungover by the morning of the Fourth can take part in the Boogie’s Buddy Race, a running and walking event that raises money for a youth and family mentoring organization called The Buddy Program. Registration starts at 7 a.m., a five-mile race commences at 8 a.m. and a one-mile Family and Canine Walk gets going at 9 a.m. And, not that it’s about the money, but there’s cash up for grabs in the five-miler.
At 11 a.m., a parade will make its way down Main Street, followed by the Red White and Brew BBQ at one of our favorite Aspen spots, the Sky Hotel. Later on, at 9:15 p.m, fireworks will blow your minds as they burst over Aspen Mountain, and during an intermission at 10:30 p.m., Whitewater Ramble will take to the Cooper Ave. Mall to play some groovy “Dancegrass.”
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Jackson Hole
Jackson has got to be one of the most American towns out there, so it’s no surprise that they totally kick ass on the Fourth of July—mainly with a surplus of fireworks over the course of two days.
The festivities will begin on July 3 in the Teton Village, where Head for the Hills will take the stage at 7 p.m. and play “bluegrass that reaches into indie rock, jazz, hip hop, world and folk to stitch together fresh songs that bridge the divide between past and future acoustic music,” according to their website. Now that’s some music that you don’t want to miss, especially because it’ll be followed by some epic fireworks at 10 p.m.
The next day, a whole lot more live music will go down in the Village Commons. But, feel free to do whatever you please: Mountain bike, hike, rock climb, raft, kayak or just get wasted wearing nothing but a flag. Whatever you do, make sure to show up for the weekend’s second round of fireworks at 10 p.m., also in the Village Commons.
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Killington Resort
Way over in New England, nestled in the wonderful Green Mountains of Vermont, Killington will be partyin’ just as hard as our western friends.
First and foremost, expect a whole lot of fireworks from “The Beast.” The first round will go down at the Vermont State Fairgrounds in nearby Rutland, kicking off at 9:45 p.m. The second round will be on July 3 at Killington’s Summit Pond at sundown. And the grand finale will take place on July 4, also at sundown, at the Killington Rec Center.
On top of this surplus of fireworks, Killington will also be offering two mountain bike races, extended lift hours for accessing incredible dinners at the Peak Lodge and more. (Killington’s bike park is also open to the public 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 10:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday.)
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Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows
Meanwhile in the Sierra Nevada range, Squaw Alpine will prove they know a thing or two about a good ol’ ‘Merican celebration, too. From live music to ‘laxing by the pool to lawn games to beautiful hikes, there will be no shortage of fun.
From noon to 3 p.m., a variety of live music will go down at High Camp, located at the top of the Squaw Valley Aerial Tram. Also up at High Camp, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the pool and hottub will be open with an outdoor barbeque and poolside drink service. And as if that wouldn’t be enough, High Camp will additionally have a ton of free lawn games including disc golf, bag toss, ladder toss, giant Jenga, croquet and even geocaching.
For those looking to get a little more active, free guided hikes will also be going down (and up, and down, and up again), starting at High Camp and proceeding around Squaw Alpine.
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Taos Ski Valley
Taos Ski Valley has got to be one of the most underrated ski resorts in the country, which means you should go ski there as soon as possible. But until then, the whole Taos Valley has you covered with some fun and unique Fourth of July events.
Those looking for a day away from the crowds can ride Chair 4 up Taos and enjoy a relaxing hike down, gazing at beautiful New Mexico views all the while. And those looking for a more social day can head to the Bavarian Lodge—a scenic hotel-restaurant combo located at mid-mountain. It’s truly Austrian-inspired, from the beer to the food to the waitstaff whose work attire is more akin to The Sound of Music than anything else. Volleyball, disc golf, live music, booze, cake and brats will all be present, collectively forming one heck of a party. The party will simultaneously celebrate the Village of Taos Ski Valley’s 20th anniversary, too.
No matter how you spend the day in Taos, make sure to cap it off at Salazar Road Extension, where fireworks will put on by the Town of Taos Volunteer Fire Department around 9:15 p.m.
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Sun Valley
Idahoans have a whole weekend of fun to look forward to in the Sun Valley area, catering largely to those who really want to get the most out of their Saturday.
At 8:45 a.m. on July 2, a complimentary yoga session at the River Run Day Lodge will kick things off peacefully, followed by another session at 10 a.m. for late-risers. Meanwhile, starting at 9 a.m. and ending at 3 p.m., free bike demos will be offered in the Sun Valley Village. Much later on, at 11 p.m., the Village will see a stellar firework show to officially ring in the big weekend.
Go do what you please on the 3rd and 4th, whether that be exercising your body or exercising your liver, and cap off the long weekend with another fireworks show in nearby Stanley, Idaho. That’ll get going around sundown at Pioneer Park on the 4th.
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Stowe Mountain Resort
Also focusing largely on the weekend (opposed to the actual Fourth on Monday) is Stowe, who’ll be offering a couple of quaint events that align perfectly with Vermont’s laid-back nature.
July 2 will see six-time Grammy-nominated folk musician John McCutcheon, who’ll play at the Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center. Then, on July 3, the Spruce Peak Independence Day Bash will go down at Stowe’s base area. Comedian Rusty Dewees will get folks fired up at 4:30 p.m., local food vendors will be dishin’ out, a beer garden will keep the buzz alive and a fireworks show will conclude it all once the sun goes down.
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Copper Mountain
Way up in the Rocky Mountains, where the elevation is high and some snow still exists, Copper will—believe it not—offer skiing on the Fourth of July weekend (July 2 and 3).
To be more specific, they’ll be offering their “Big Island Park,” a massive pile of snow left over from the 2015-16 season. The park has been available for a couple of weeks now, but it’s still the perfect place to escape the heat and slide around a bit. It’s also going to be open every weekend until September 25.
Nearby Frisco will be the stomping ground for the rest of Copper’s Fourth of July offerings. At 12:30 p.m., Main Street will be swarmed with the annual Fourth of July Parade, followed by live music at 1:30 p.m. and even more live music at 7:15 p.m. Last but not least, Lake Dillon—right next to Main Street—will see an awesome fireworks show that starts at 9:30 p.m.
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Mammoth Mountain
No teases here, folks. Mammoth will actually be offering full-on skiing on the Fourth of July. Yeah, you read that right. Make your way up to the hill, click in and enjoy what will perhaps be the most patriotic turns in your life.
The gondola and Facelift Express will be spinning with access to Cornice Bowl, Climax and Saddle Bowl, but only from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., so plan accordingly. And if you need a little extra umph, at 12:30 p.m., Mammoth is giving out 100 free beer tickets at the summit for an aprés party at Yodler, which kicks off at 1 p.m.
All of this will go out with a bang at 9:15 p.m. with a fireworks show at Crowley Lake.
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Mount Snow
Southern Vermont’s Mount Snow, home to the famous Carinthia Parks, will follow in its fellow Vermont resorts’ footsteps with good food, beer and fireworks.
On July 2, nearby Wilmington will host a stellar fireworks show to get the weekend off on the right foot. Then, on July 3, the real festivities begin, all happening in front of the Grand Summit Hotel at Mount Snow. There’ll be a barbeque from Reuben’s Smokehouse, local beer, ice cream, lawn games and a fire pit with free s’mores all day. Then, go hear live music by rock/blues/soul band Rolling Nectar, followed by another fireworks show at about 9 p.m.
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Whistler Blackomb
Yes, we know Whistler is in Canada. But we also know that Whistler is one of the best mountains in the world, and that Canada Day is on July 1, so they deserve a shout out, too.
Good ol’ Canada Day will be highlighted at noon, when the Canada Day Parade makes its way through the Whistler Village. It’ll start at the Whistler Olympic Plaza, and eventually make its way to Mountain Square. Following the parade, at 1:15 p.m., there will be a cake-cutting ceremony supplemented by free Lucia Gelato to keep sugar levels high for the day’s remainder.
From there on out, there’s an overwhelming amount of stuff happening in Whistler: A crafts and LEGO station at the Town Plaza from 1:30 to 7 p.m.; live tunes from indie/reggae/rock band The Funky Snow Monkeys at the Town Plaza from 3:15 to 4:15 p.m.; and three more days of so much more.
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