Winter rolled back into the Mad River Valley this week and snow enthusiasts are gearing up for their first runs.
Sugarbush and Mad River Glen are making snow and preparing for the 2025–26 ski and snowboard season.
Sugarbush Resort will open for skiing and riding at Lincoln Peak on Saturday, November 22, with lifts set to spin as soon as conditions allow. Guests can expect early-season turns, and updates on available terrain as the date approaches.
“Opening day is always a special time in The Valley,” said John Bleh, Sugarbush’s communications director. “The Big Kicker is a Valley and Vermont tradition – a chance for our community to celebrate the start of winter.”
The Big Kicker takes place on November 22 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Mount Ellen Lodge in Fayston. The event features live music from 1980s cover band Slam Trans-Am (6–9 p.m.), a rail jam with the Sugarbush PARKS crew and the Red Bull Truck (5–7 p.m.), bonfires, film screenings on a Coca-Cola inflatable movie screen and a raffle for Sugarbush prizes. Admission is free, with food and beverages available for purchase.
Just up the road, Mad River Glen is also gearing up for the season, firing up its snowmaking system earlier this week. Resort officials said the forecast looks promising, with cold and snowy conditions expected in the coming week.
Mad River Glen plans to open for skiing on December 13. Stark’s Pub will reopen for the winter on Saturday, November 29, alongside the Mad Shack, General Store, Rental/Repair, and ticket offices, which will operate from noon to 4 p.m. The pub will serve dinner from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., and the one-day shareholder sale at the General Store will offer deals for the day. The following day, Sunday, November 30, the pub will host brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with rentals and tickets available during the same hours.
Both resorts have webcams aimed at the slopes and folks can tune in to watch the snow get made in real time as the opening days approach.
For updates on snowmaking, events and terrain, visit www.sugarbush.com and www.madriverglen.com.
You might also like
