The snow is falling, the lights are up and Santa’s elves are hard at work. The holidays at Stratton are all about spending time in the scenic Green Mountains with your family. Keep your mini-shredders active, excited and entertained on and off the slopes with our family-friendly holiday events, beginning this weekend and continuing into the new year.
Holiday Activities for Kids
Santa Claus and his elves are coming to visit Stratton on December 23 and 24 from 2-4 pm. Bring your kids to the Base Lodge for photos and last-minute Christmas present requests.
If your little ones love cookies, crafts and movies, check out some of the kid’s holiday activities taking place in the Homeowner’s Lounge. The kids Gingerbread Cookie Decorating is on Saturday, Dec 21 from 4:30-6:30 pm, bring the whole family to decorate cookies in preparation for Santa’s visit.
Ornament Decorating happens the next evening, Dec 22, from 4:30-6:30 pm, while supplies last. Wind down after a day on the slopes with our Family Holiday Movie on Thursday, Dec. 26 from 7-9 pm.
Before the holiday sugar rush ends, join us for Kids Night Out on Friday, Dec. 27 from 5-7 pm. Enjoy your own night out and drop the kids off to paint a ceramic holiday figure of their choice, enjoy an open ice skating session and have delicious pizza and drinks. Kids must be ages 7-14 to participate and the event is limited to 20 children.
If you and your family are visiting Stratton to ring in the new year, we’ve got you covered. Work up an appetite on the slopes and then treat the whole family to a New Year’s Eve dinner buffet in the West Wing of the Base Lodge. Dinner will take place from 6-8 pm, finishing just in time to catch our 8:30 pm firework show. Prices vary depending on age.
Kid-friendly outdoor activities off the ski slopes include ice skating and tubing, our favorite festive options. Ice skating is located at the Mill House, a picturesque venue with festive lights and decorations. Enjoy music and a fire under the stars or during the day. Ice skating is free with your own skates or $15 per person plus tax to rent skates, which are available for all ages.
The Coca-Cola Tube Park is located in Stratton’s Sun Bowl and features four lanes of lift-serviced snow tubing as well as a warming hut with light refreshments and fire pits. Play by day or under the lights at night. Tubers must be at least 5 years old and 42″ to ride a tube. Tickets are sold in 1-hour time slots at $25 per person plus tax. Both ice skating and tubing are projected to open on Dec. 26.
Holiday Hiking
Enjoy Vermont’s gorgeous winter wonderland of trees, snow, mountains and wildlife by foot this holiday season.
Start your morning off with a beautiful Sunrise Snowshoe Hike, a guided tour on our nordic trails. Warm coffee, tea, hot cocoa and light snacks are included. Hikes begin at 7:30 am but it’s recommended you arrive 15 minutes prior. The cost is $60 per person plus tax, with or without snowshoe rentals. The Sunrise Snowshoe Hike takes place every Sunday that the Nordic Center is open, including 12/22, 12/29 and 1/5, continuing through March.
For the best view of fireworks on New Year’s Eve, try our Fireworks Hike to mid-mountain. This intermediate-level guided snowshoe tour begins in the Courtyard and takes you up to the Mid-Mountain Lodge to view the fireworks from above. The cost is $60 per person plus tax, with or without snowshoe rentals. This firework-viewing hike is also offered on Saturday 1/18 and Friday 3/13. Please bring water and extra layers, a headlamp is also recommended and available at First Run in the Village.
For more festive evening fun, come join us at our newest event, Light the Night. The Nordic Center will light up 5K of trails for snowshoeing and cross country skiing from 5-8pm, open to all ages. This event will take place on Saturday 12/28, Wednesday 1/1, Sunday 2/16 and Saturday 3/7 for $25 per person with rentals and $15 per person without.
Spending the holidays with your pup? Sign up for the Doggie and Me Hike, a guided hike from the Base Lodge to the Mid-Mountain Lodge, presented by The North Face at Stratton. All participants will receive a free gift & exclusive in-store discount. The next hike will take place on Sunday, Dec. 29, with more available dates continuing through April.
Indoor Holiday Events
Your holiday experience doesn’t have to stop when you reach the door. After a fun day out on the snow, take a little break and warm up inside. We’ve got a variety of indoor events this holiday season from live music, dining, yoga, painting and chapel services. There’s something for everyone, even if that means spending the whole day observing the snow from the comfort of the fireside.