7 don’t-miss April events to usher in Springtime to Mt Washington Valley, NH

SHOPPING MEETS SKIING TO USHER IN SPRINGTIME IN MT WASHINGTON VALLEY, NH

Outdoor recreation combines with chili and the arts to create plenty of reasons to visit Mt Washington Valley, NH in April

North Conway, NH – Spring has not yet sprung, the grass has not yet riz, but we know where the great events is this April! With three successive storms delivering more than four feet of snowfall in March alone, the calendar may say it’s spring, but winter skiing conditions will extend the season for Mt Washington Valley’s 13 ski resorts and XC Centers. Ski resort operators applaud the late winter snow and look forward to a strong spring skiing season.

Yet, even with snow on the ground travelers can’t help but feel that spring is in the air while enjoying the annual April events in Mt Washington Valley. From Easter and pond skimming to Chili tasting and Inferno racing, longer and warmer days bring a renewal to the Valley that only springtime can bring. No matter what Mother Nature hands to us, spring is resilient in the Granite State, and soon our 50 shades of green will dominate the landscape.

Easter Weekend – March 30-April 1:

April Fools meet the Easter Bunny this weekend when Easter arrives earlier than usual. Here’s what’s in store at Mt Washington Valley’s ski resorts.

  • March 31: Pond skimming at Attitash: A rite of passage and an great way to celebrate spring. Cross the pond with skis or snowboards. Not sure that’s for you? It’s a great spectator event too. Info here.
  • March 31: Spring Festival at Cranmore: The annual Spring Splash opens the competition to brave participants, competing for prizes and bragging rights. Prizes will be awarded to best costume, best splash, & best skim. Each person will have one run. There will be two divisions for splash and skim, 13 & under, 14+. Click here for rules and info.
  • March 31: 31st Annual Bretton Woods Beach Party & Fujiwhara 4X DH: As the 2017-18 ski season draws to a close, there’s no better time to sneak in the last few runs of the year while soaking up the sweet springtime sun. Spring skiing, live music, tasty food and great friends make this party a day to remember year after year. There will be plenty of beach themed activities going on so grab the sun screen and wear your beach attire because this Beach Party is sure to keep you rocking from first chair to last call! This year’s theme for the Beach Party is Tropic Love! From 10:00-2:00pm, catch the Fujiwhara 4X DH, an on-snow, downhill mountain bike race that will be sure to be a treat for both spectators and participants alike! Click here for all the details and a full schedule.
  • March 31: Easter Egg Hunt at King Pine: Kids 12 and under are invited to meet at the top of the Pokey Pine trail and hunt for Easter Eggs! Easter Eggs can be found all over our Pokey Pine trail beginning at 11 a.m.
  • March 31: Easter Egg Hunt at Shwanee Peak – Open to all little kids. Find eggs in the snow by the sugar shack starting at 10:00am. Bring a basket!
  • April 1: Easter Egg Hunt at Wildcat: Kids 12 and under gather under the Snowcat chair at noon to see what the Easter bunny brought!
  • April 1: Easter/April Fools Ticket Special at Attitash and Wildcat: Tickets are available at least 24 hours in advance online only. Don’t wait. Prices will increase as quantities sell out. This deal is not available at the ticket window, you must order online here.
  • April 1: Pond skimming at King Pine: Skiers and riders attempt to cross the man-made shark-pond at the base of King Pine on the final day of the season. Hawaiian shirts recommended.

April 7: 15th Annual Chili Cookoff and 2nd Annual Feelin’ Good 5K: Another rite of passage from winter to spring, this annual friendly chili cookoff competition will be held at the North Conway Community Center from 11:00am to 3:00pm. Once again this year, the Feelin’ Good 5K will kick-off the festivities. And new this year, Hourglass Adventures will add to the 15th Annual Chili Cookoff festivities, offering attendees an opportunity to participate in an escape game designed specifically for the event. Be one of the first to check it out. All professional chef chili entries will be judged by members from the American Culinary Federation White Mountain Chapter, and awards will be given for Best Chili with first, second and third places acknowledged. Non-profit and home chefs will be awarded People’s Choice Award for Best Chili, selected by all tasters who attend the Chili Cookoff. Both categories will also vie for the Best Cornbread and Best Display prizes too.

In addition to chili tasting, ticket holders can stroll through North Conway village where participating village businesses will be offering a variety of value-added promotions for those enjoying the tour along the “Red Hot Stops” Route. The accompanying Feelin’ Good 5K is organized by the White Mountain Milers and will kick off the Chili Cookoff event at 9:00am when the walkers division gets underway. This family-friendly 5K race or walk is set to run through the North Conway Village finishing in Schouler Park. Registration and more information about the 2nd Annual Feelin’ Good 5k can be found at here. Registration fees start at $15 for youth/students and $25 for adults and include discounted entry into the chili cookoff for the participating runner/walker. Tickets to attend the Chili Cookoff are on sale now through the Mt Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce at www.northconwaychilicookoff.com or at the door the day of the event. Tickets are $15.00For complete information on the Chili Cookoff and 5K run, click here.

April 7: 2nd Annual Wildcorn Backcountry Shindig at Black Mountain: After you have your fill of chili, head to Black Mountain to work off some of the energy. This event celebrates the produce of the season…corn…as in spring corn snow! This springtime party benefits Granite Backcountry Alliance with live music, BBQ, speakers, games and more. The lifts may be closed, but hearty partiers can skin and ski all day on Black Mountain’s trails. After 5:00pm, the fun begins with the following schedule:

5pm: Live Music begins, Mammut Beacon Park opens, Quarry Dog Corn Hole Tourney gets underway and 40 vendor tables open
5:30pm: Wild Corn Skimo Race
6:30: Granite Backcountry Alliance Updates
7:00: Brody Leven Presentation
7:15: DPS SKIS Sound Stage presents Pete Kilpatrick Band
8:30pm: Raffle items available for pickup
9:30pm: Silent Auction closes
For complete information and sponsors, click here.

April 14: Friends of Tuckerman Inferno Pentathlon Race: The Tuckerman Inferno adventure race started in 2000 as the primary annual fundraiser for Friends of Tuckerman Ravine. Paying homage to the original American Inferno ski races of the 1930’s where originally American Infernos were top to bottom ski races on Mount Washington, the current Tuckerman Inferno includes running, kayaking, biking and hiking to create a pentathlon that is one of the most challenging adventure races in the country. Individuals and relay teams of two or five people compete to see who will be the fastest to cover an approximately 36 mile course that starts at Story Land in Glen, NH and finishes in Tuckerman Ravine after an approximate 3 mile, 2,268 feet total climb. The final leg involves hiking the wall of Tuckerman Ravine and skiing down to a crowd of spectators below. At the end of this five-event race, one Tuckerman and one Tuckerwoman will be crowned champion, along with a relay team too. Talk about an event with bragging rights! . Click here to see video of the snow-packed kayaking leg to get a sense of the competition. Click here to read all about it.

April 15: World Art Day at Settlers Green: Settlers Green become one of the best places to view public art in Mt Washington Valley. As a proud supporter of the arts, both in displaying local artists’ work and in donating to community art projects and non-profits, Settlers Green will celebrate World Art Day with with a tour their eight custom pieces of art on World Art Day and a celebration of local artworks. Pick up a free Settlers Green Art Guide and special print of Rebecca Klementovich’s, “Can We Talk,”
at Customer Service starting at 10:00am while supplies last! Info here.

April 28: Entrain at the Theater in the Wood: After a few year’s hiatus, the Valley’s favorite Entrain will be back to perform at the Theater in the Wood to benefit Believe in Books, the Valley’s literacy foundation. Described as a Funky-World-Jam-Ska-Reggae-Rock Stew With Enough Drums to Sink a Battleship event, the doors open at 7:00 PM. Show starts at 7:30 PM. Tickets ae $18 in advance and $25 at the door. Children three and under are free. Purchase tickets online here.

April 28: Celebrate Independent Bookstores at White Birch Books: Independent bookstores are not just stores, they’re community centers and local anchors run by passionate readers. They are entire universes of ideas that contain the possibility of real serendipity, says White Birch Bookstore owners. In honor of tenacious independent bookstores which have to work hard in today’s digital world to maintain their space among readers, White Birch Books will be celebrating all day with lots of great giveaways, morning story time, kids activities, local authors, staff favorites AND more. Come celebrate the 4th Annual Independent Bookstores Day with exclusive day-of merchandise created especially for Independent Bookstore Day by major publishers and authors. A proponent of the shop local concept, White Birch Books is a member of the White Mountain Independents, a group of locally owned, and operated businesses that have joined together to promote the positive economic, and community benefits of spending dollars locally.

For all the lodging, dining, events and vacation planning resources you need, visit www.MtWashigntonValley.org to plan your April getaway. To talk with a Mt Washington Valley Chamber visitor services representative, call 800-367-3364 OR 800-DO-SEE-NH. For more information on planning a New Hampshire vacation, go to www.VisitNH.gov.

Easter at Bretton Woods. Mark Butterfield Photo
Inferno Pentathlon. Dan Houde -Wiseguy Creative photo
MWV Chili Cookoff. Paula Jones Photo

 

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