The Biggest Party of the Ski Season is Here!
The Biggest Party of the Ski Season is Here!
Holiday Valley’s Winter Carnival and Ellicottville’s Mardi Gras Parade This Weekend
It is without a doubt one of the most fun and zany events you’ll experience in Ellicottville. Mardi Gras Weekend delivers a New Orleans style celebration with a ski town twist. This weekend, March 10-12, Ellicottville will host its annual Mardi Gras Parade and Holiday Valley no doubt has a full schedule of fun planned for their Winter Carnival celebration.
“Mardi Gras Weekend always brings a great crowd of families, friends, locals and visitors out for a couple days of festive flair and superior fun,” said Jessica Wallace, Business Development Manager at the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce. “From all the themed activities on the slopes to the high-energy vibe downtown, Ellicottville comes alive for three days of costumes, color and lots of live music.”
We can’t think of a better way to close out winter than with a wild, village-wide costume party! Pull out the masks, break out the beads, and let’s get prepped for Ellicottville’s Mardi Gras Weekend…
First stop - your hotel. We suggest driving in Thursday afternoon so you can unpack, unwind and get settled, because this is the calm before the storm. Grab yourself a glass of wine (you can pick up your favorite bottle at E-Ville Spirits or the Winery of Ellicott-
ville on your way in), and sip away while you plan your weekend warrior rounds at all the downtown hot spots. Because after all, Ellicottville knows how to throw one helluva party, and you can count on live music just about anywhere you go!
LET’S BREAK IT DOWN
1. THE MUSIC: It. Will. Be. Everywhere! Go to Balloons Friday and rock out with the Girls of Grosh. Experience The Brass Machine Saturday at Villaggio. Finish out the weekend Sunday with The Chillbillies at the Gin Mill. Find a full schedule at ellicottvilleny.com. Whatever you’re music style, you’ll want to hit them all up. Mardi Gras takes bar hopping to a whole new level!
2. THE BEADS: Word on the streets is that Ava Grace Fashions has ordered an ungodly supply of Mardi Gras beads and will be handing them out to customers with every in-store purchase. If you haven’t shopped Ava Grace yet, do yourself a favor and pop over there Saturday afternoon. No doubt you’ll walk out with a cozy sweater, a fashionable bandana or a trendy puffer bag (to fit all your Mardi Gras party favors in), and of course, claim your complimentary Mardi Gras beads in the process.
3. THE PARTY: If you’re looking to crash a party, swing into ERA Team VP Real Estate during Saturday’s Mardi Gras Parade. Don’t worry - they encourage it! Everyone’s invited to meet the ERA team, enjoy some festive refreshments, and take in the parade from their doorstep (it’s perhaps the best spectator spot in town!) Skeptical on a real estate company throwing a bash? Wait until you see the transformation of their office into a New Orleans-inspired venue. These agents know how to throw a party!
4. THE PARADE: Speaking of parade, this year’s Mardi Gras Parade will be Grand Marshaled by none other than Punxsutawney Phil. The REAL Punxsutawney Phil! Get downtown early so you can watch the zaniest walking groups, motorized floats and who knows what else will make their way down Washington Street to the Gazebo. Remember The Brass Machine (mentioned in #1)? Before they take the stage at Villaggio, they’ll actually take the stage IN THE PARADE! Jam out to this lively group of musicians as they “float” their way down the main drag. Talk about entertainment!
5. HOLIDAY VALLEY’S WINTER CARNIVAL: The resort has a ton of activities going on all weekend. But perhaps two of the most anticipated ones are the Costume Parade down Mardi Gras slope on Sunday (usually led by the King and Queen from Saturday night’s Mardi Gras Parade), followed by the Dummy Downhill race. Yes, it is exactly how it sounds. Handmade dummies of all sorts, strapped to skis and sent flying down the lower portion of Yodeler. Grab a beer at the Snobar, manned by Holiday Valley’s own snowmaking crew.
It’s always a bitter sweet feeling when Sunday morning rolls around. Pack up your bags, get some hydration at Thrive IV Lounge (book your chair at thriveivloungewny.com), and head back to the mountain where you can enjoy one last hurrah before returning to reality. The work week sure does sneak up on you quick, doesn’t it?
Want more? Ellicottville always has something on the docket. Go to ellicottvilleny.com for a year of festivals to choose from. We guarantee you’ll be back! Because one trip to Ellicottville is never enough! Cheers!
