Resorts Prepare for Season Changes
Resorts Prepare for Season Changes
Both Holiday Valley & HoliMont Resorts gear up for autumn adventures and winter snow
Photos Courtesy of Holiday Valley Resort and HoliMont Resort
That’s it my friends, summer is over. School is back in session, the leaves are already changing colors, and the chill has hit the air. But that’s not a bad thing; that just means it’s time for all the fall fun. Halloween is coming, hayrides are starting soon, and pumpkin spice everything is already here!
Both Holiday Valley and HoliMont are getting excited about fall as well; it’s the gateway to preparing for the winter season. That’s enough to get us all excited! What does the fall season at our local resorts look like exactly? Let’s dive in…
HOLIDAY VALLEY RESORT
When asked about the summer activities winding down, Holiday Valley Marketing Director Dash Hegeman said, “It’s been a fast but fantastic summer here at Holiday Valley. Between Sky High Adventure Park, our lodging guests, The Double Black Diamond Golf Course, public pools and the Cabana Bar, summertime events, weddings, and of course all of the conferences that we host, it’s been an action-packed summer. The public pools are now shut down for the season, and since school is back in session, Sky High and the Sky Flyer Mountain Coaster are scaling back to a Friday-through-Sunday schedule. Golfing is still operating daily, and as we head into the fall period, the views while golfing cannot be beat. Our scenic chairlift rides also run on the weekends and are always a fantastic fall activity. So while summer may be winding down, there is still plenty to do here at the resort.”
Holiday Valley crews have continued to stay busy working on various projects to prepare the resort for ski season. Snowmaking upgrades have been taking place throughout the summer; the Mountain Crew has been hard at work digging up old lines in need of repairs and updating them. They’ve also added to the system, resulting in more opportunities to make snow quickly and efficiently. Their lodging guests will be happy to hear that renovations which started last summer at both The Inn and the Tamarack Club are in year two of a three-year project timeframe, right on schedule.
Okay, let’s talk events. Fall Festival is a huge deal around here, and Holiday Valley packs their fair share of entertainment. “Fall Festival is always a fun one here in Ellicottville,” said Dash. “We’ll be running the Mardi Gras 6 lift for scenic chairlift rides, where there will be live music, food and drinks at the top. Chairlift rides will also be available on the Spruce Lake lift for anyone who wants to go walk around the lake or any of the hiking trails.” (Keep tabs for a full schedule at holidayvalley.com as we get closer to the Oct. 12-13th celebration.)
The following month, Holiday Valley will host their Crawl Outta Fall and and Beer & Wine Festival, November 8th and 9th, respectively. It’s their last big hurrah before their planned opening day of ski season on Friday, November 29th. The Crawl Outta Fall is an event that was created last year as a pre-party for lodging guests who are attending Beer & Wine Festival. It kicks off at the Tamarack Club, then invites participants to make their way into the village for a fun night of drink specials at a number of bars and restaurants in Ellicottville. On Saturday, Nov. 9th, Holiday Valley’s staple fall event, Beer & Wine Festival will welcome craft breweries and wineries from all over the region, pouring samples for event-goers in a high-energy atmosphere complete with live music inside the Main Lodge.
For now, Holiday Valley continues to welcome guests and encourages you to come soak up the rest of summer’s sunshine. “We are looking to finish the summer strong and show each and every one of our guests a fun-filled time,” said Dash. “At the same time, we are gearing up for winter and making sure that everything is ready so that when the weather allows, we can maximize our incredible snowmaking system in order to get the entire resort open as quickly as possible. Everyone at Holiday Valley is very excited for the upcoming winter season and seeing skiers and snowboarders back out on the slopes!”
Stay tuned to holidayvalley.com and @holidayvalley on Facebook, Instagram, and X for any updates on what’s taking place this fall, as well as anything pertaining to the upcoming winter season.
HOLIMONT RESORT
Fall at HoliMont hits a little different. Summer activities may be rolling to a close, but some of the best bike riding takes place in September, along with bike-related events. Lift access at the HoliMont Bike Park will continue to operate every weekend through Fall Festival.
What’s happening around HoliMont during Fall Festival weekend? They always offer scenic chairlift rides (open to the public) on Saturday, and their Annual General Meeting (members only) is planned for Saturday evening. HoliMont will be parking cars in the Plum Creek parking lot to benefit the Phoenix Adaptive Program, and they are looking forward to staffing their HoliMont Tent downtown during the festival. The Bike Park will of course be open all weekend, as will their hiking and disc golf course. New this year, HoliMont will hold the inaugural HoliTrot, a Fall Festival 5k trail run which will also include a kids race around Saddle Pond. More details can be found at holimont.com.
As for ski season preparations, Snowsports Director Travis Widger informed us, “We have installed thousands of feet of new snowmaking pipe in preparation for winter, and have upgraded power and pumping infrastructure to ensure we can make the most snow possible in the shortest window possible while making sure it is always top notch snow quality.”
The resort is also currently preparing for the 1st phases of their recently published master plan. This includes creating As-Build Blueprints for their Main Chalet that will be used in evaluating seating and space usage to maximize their space while looking for the best areas to improve and expand in the future. They are also looking to adjust the parking at the resort to ensure ease of flow and maximize space for their membership and guests on weekends in all parking lots. Travis added, “Something neat this season will be the completion of our new “Bully Cab” - a passenger cab that was completely designed and fabricated in-house that will be mounted on the back of a Pisten Bully groomer to allow easier and more luxurious access to Foxwood Cabin for private dinner and parties.”
Travis closed out with, “We are so grateful for the Ellicottville Community. Our local residents, shops, restaurants, businesses, together with Holiday Valley, the visiting guests and seasonal residents make for a vibrant and wonderful community that we are so proud to be a part of.”
Summer might be coming to a close, but don’t write off the fall season when it comes to great ways to spend your time. Visit both our resorts, get outside and enjoy the coming crisp weather before the snow starts flying.
