The lifts aren’t spinning for skiing yet, but Vermont’s ski areas are busy. Foliage, festivals, strider races, and gear sales are all on the calendar. Below are the events worth planning a weekend around. For the full list, including weekly live music, visit Find & Go Seek’s Vermont Ski Area Events page.
Gear Up: Ski & Snowboard Swaps
Before the first snowfall, check out Find & Go Seek’s roundup of Ski and Snowboard Swaps across Vermont. Swaps are the best way to outfit growing kids without paying full price, and to pass on last year’s gear. T
This season’s list includes:
- Oct. 2-4 — Pico Ski Club Annual Swap & Sale
- Oct. 9-11 — KSC Monster Ski and Bike Sale & Swap
- Oct. 10-11 — Smugglers’ Notch Ski & Snowboard Club Sale
- Oct. 10-11 — Skirack’s October Winter Swap
- Oct. 10 — Demo Ski & Board Sale @ Sugarbush Resort
- Oct. 17 — Annual Frost Mountain Nordic Ski Swap
- Nov. 7-8 — Cochran’s Ski & Ride Sale
- Nov. 14 — Waitsfield Elementary Ski & Skate Sale
Repeating Fall Favorites
Fall Fest Weekends @ Bolton Valley
Saturdays and Sundays, 12–4 p.m., through October 11
Each weekend has its own theme in the base area, along with scenic lift rides, live music, local food, and craft vendors. The lineup:
September 26–27, Oktoberfest Weekend: a costume contest, brats, pretzels, and polka.
October 3–4, Mountain Made Market: local makers and vendors.
October 10–11, Spooky & Spellbound: a costume parade, a haunted hike, a pumpkin carving station, a fortune teller, and a kids’ scavenger hunt. It’s the same weekend as the Strider race, so you can make a full day of it.
Scenic Route Weekends @ Jay Peak
Saturdays: September 26, October 3, and October 10
Tramside hosts sugaring demos from Kane’s Sugaring Outfit, horse-drawn carriage rides, cider pressing, pumpkin painting, guided nature walks, and scenic Tram rides. The northern peaks change color first, so Jay is a good bet for early foliage.
Foliage Weekends @ Mad River Glen
September 26–27 and October 10–11, plus Green & Gold Weekend on October 3–4
Ride the historic Single Chair, the oldest continually operating single chairlift in the country, to the top of General Stark Mountain. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for juniors and seniors, and are sold at the ticket window.
Weekend of September 26–27
Burke Fall Festival, East Burke Village Green
On Saturday, September 26, East Burke’s biggest festival of the year fills the Village Green with a parade, a craft fair of 75+ vendors, live music, a wildlife show, and kids’ games. It’s a classic Northeast Kingdom fall day and it’s free.
Killington Brewfest @ Pico Mountain
Killington Brewfest turns 30 this year. It’s on Saturday, September 26, at the Pico Mountain base area, with general admission from 1 to 5 p.m. and VIP entry starting at noon. For the anniversary, Killington is adding more family-friendly elements like crafts, mini golf, and a bouncy house. Plus, enjoy live music from the band Terrafunk and local vendors. Bring blankets or lawn chairs, since the venue is almost entirely outdoors. A free shuttle loops Pico, Killington Road, and the Grand Hotel from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Outpour @ Sugarbush
On Saturday, September 26, Sugarbush hosts its end-of-summer music festival. Doors open at 2 p.m. and music runs until 8, with proceeds benefiting Habitat for Humanity. Advance tickets are $25, and kids 12 and under get in free.
Weekend of October 2-4
Green & Gold Weekend @ Mad River Glen
Along with Single Chair rides all weekend, Saturday, October 3, brings a free owl presentation at 11 a.m. where attendees meet live owls and hear their calls. A naturalist-guided hike down the mountain follows at 1 p.m. Pre-registration is required for the owl talk.
Oktoberfest @ Mount Snow
Mount Snow’s 28th annual Oktoberfest takes place on two Saturdays, October 3 and October 10, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. There’s a Kids Zone with fall games, so the grown-ups can enjoy the oom-pah music too.
Weekend of October 8–12
This holiday weekend is the busiest of the fall, and worth building a road trip around.
HarvestFest Weekend @ Stratton, Stratton Mountain
October 8–12
Stratton’s HarvestFest is five days of family fun over the long weekend. Ride the gondola to the summit and hike to the fire tower for 360-degree foliage views, or catch the last bike park laps of the season. Kids can join the daily Mountain Bike Camps (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), and the indoor CLIMB gym is a good backup if it rains. The Farmers Market runs Saturday and Sunday, and Sunday afternoon brings free live music in the base area. Saturday’s Brewfest is the main event, with live bands, a Chili Cook-Off where everyone can vote, and beer sampling for the grown-ups. Tickets are limited, so buy them in advance.
Autumn Strider Bike Race @ Bolton Valley
The last strider race of the season is Saturday, October 10, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Registration starts at 9 behind the Base Lodge. This year there’s also an adult strider race right after the kids finish. Bring your camera.
Harvest Faire @ Killington
On Saturday, October 10, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Snowshed Base Area hosts a free fall festival with pumpkin painting, a bounce house, kids’ games, live music, an outdoor BBQ, and a vendor village.
Community Day + Demo Ski & Board Sale @ Sugarbush
Community Day on Sunday, October 11, runs 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with live music, face painting, a caricature artist, a community market, and scenic lift rides. The demo sale runs October 10–11 alongside it, with skis or snowboards plus bindings starting at $150.
Fall Into Winter @ Okemo
From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on October 11 at Jackson Gore, Okemo marks the switch from foliage season to ski season with hayrides, live music, an apple cider bar, BBQ, and pumpkin decorating.
Also this weekend: Sugarbush’s Oktoberfest on October 10 and the second Saturday of Mount Snow’s Oktoberfest.
Weekend of October 17–18
Seasons at Stowe Harvest Festival, Stowe
On October 17, Stowe Mountain Resort hosts a free community festival with live music, food from local Vermont producers, and family activities. It’s a good way to enjoy stick season.
Halloween Happenings (October 24–31)
Halloween Boo Bash @ Smugglers’ Notch, Jeffersonville
On Saturday, October 24, from 3 to 7 p.m., Smuggs throws a Halloween party at FunZone 2.0. Free admission to the Ozone includes pumpkin painting, face painting, candy bag decorating, a family scavenger hunt, Halloween movies, and popcorn. For more excitement, there are arcade and Laser Tag specials and reduced rates on the Go Zone. Costumes are encouraged. Bring socks and sneakers so the kids are ready to play.
Massacre Mountain @ Sugarbush, Warren
The Friday, October 30 costume party runs 7–10 p.m. with the band The Grift. It’s an evening dance party, so it’s probably better for older kids or a parents’ night out.
Halloween @ Okemo Adventure Zone, Ludlow
On Halloween night, Saturday, October 31, from 4 to 9 p.m., the Jackson Gore Inn Courtyard turns into a glow-in-the-dark party. The Spooky Coaster and Glow in the Dark Mini Golf both run at reduced rates. Unlimited coaster rides are $18, mini golf is $10, and a $48 family pack covers a round of mini golf for four plus unlimited coaster rides. It’s a fun stop before or after trick-or-treating.
Looking Ahead to Winter
The Big Kicker @ Sugarbush
On Saturday, November 21, from 5 to 9 p.m., Sugarbush kicks off the season with live music, a rail jam, bonfires, and food. Seeing the first park laps is a great way to get the whole crew excited for winter.
Warren Miller’s “Days Off” Tours
Warren Miller’s 77th film follows host Katie Burrell on a day off with the pros. There’s no competition or agenda, just skiing from Deer Valley and Canada to Japan, Chamonix, and Alaska. The annual ski film screening is a longtime pre-season tradition, and a great way to get kids excited for their own first day on snow. [Various dates and locations, including Stowe, Nov. 20 and Burlington, Nov 21.)
Sarah Wojcik is the founder of All Mountains Mamas, starting it in 2012. Becoming a mother in 2017, she grasped the opportunity to share her passion of skiing and snowboarding with families across the U.S. and came on as a contributor and manager. Formerly the Director or Marketing and Communications for Ski Vermont, and a wearer-of-many-hats at Ski Area Management magazine, she writes with great knowledge of the ski industry in Vermont and beyond, and from the point of view of a mother with two kids in tow. She is also the proud owner of Vermont’s #1 family fun resource, FindandGoSeek.net.