Celebrate snow, suds and sasquatches at Fernie's 6th Annual Kokanee Snow Dreams Party and festival.

Known to be the "Apres Ski Party of the Rockies" and voted one of the "Best Deck Parties in North America," Kokanne Snow Dreams will welcome tons of snow-bunnies and powderhounds, January 30-31st, 2010. In honour of an epic snow season, Fernie Alpine Resort and Kokanee combine forces to offer live music, glacier fresh beer and the chance to show off your best sasquatch mating call.

The party will take place on the Kokanee deck of Griz Bar, also known as Fernie's #1 place for Apres ski since 1962.

Whether you're looking to carve through fresh powder, dance the night away or mingle with the Kokanee Glacier Girls; Kokanee Snow Dreams is an alpine celebration you can not miss!

Need accommodation for your trip to Fernie. Check out Fernie vacation rentals booked directly from the Owner.

There's only 16 days until jolly ol' St. Nick visits - unless you meet him early! The big man in red will be stopping by a number of BC's top resorts leading up to Christmas this year, so don't miss your opportunity to meet him in the flesh!

Here are some of our top Christmas-related event picks:

Whistler

December 19
Not just one, but 50 Mr. or Mrs. Claus's will be shredding the pow on Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains and you could be one of them! The first 50 people who show up at the Garibaldi Lift Company at 8:30am, dressed in a full Santa suit (or Mrs. Claus) will receive a free lift pass for the day.

Find Whistler Accommodation

Sun Peaks

December 22
Skate with Santa - Tickets can be purchased at the skating rink for only $5.

December 23
Sleigh rides with Santa - Reserve at the Adventure Centre for rides departing at 4, 5 or 6 pm. Adults $30, Children $25, Under 3 free.

December 23 and 24
Ski with Santa - Meet Santa at 11:00am or 1:00pm from the top of the Sunburst Express.

Find Sun Peaks Accommodation

Big White

December 20 - 24
Get your pic taken with Santa for FREE in the Village Centre Mall.

December 24
Enjoy a traditional Christmas Eve celebration at the Village Centre Mall, complete with church service, caroling, torchlight parade, fireworks, hot chocolate and a visit from the big guy himself!

December 25
Meet Santa in the Village at 10am and head out for a Christmas Day run!

Find Big White Accommodation

Silver Star

December 24
Celebrate Christmas Eve either watching or participating in a torchlight parade resembling a giant glow worm winding down the Milky Way. The parade wraps up with a fireworks display and bonfire at the base. Pay $5 to participate or just watch for free.

After the parade, meet Santa in the Village for hot chocolate, cookies and a present! It's only $10 for children 12 and under to participate and $5 extra for a photo on Santa's knee.

Find Silver Star Accommodation

Fernie

December 23 - 24
Ski with Santa down the slopes accessed from the Mighty Moose, Deer and Elk Chairs. When you're done for the day, get your picture taken with Santa and emailed to you for free!

Find Fernie Accommodation

Fernie is pumping with adrenaline and vibes this Saturday, July 11th.

The Annual Lost Boys Lungbuster Mountain Bike Hill Climb is the ultimate challenge for hard core downhill mountain bikers!

Beginning at the base area, the event then takes you up, up and away to the top of the Timber Express Chairlift - 2100 vertical feet! Everyone is welcome - spectators and competitors. Joining in on the fun, spectators with a valid lift pass may load the Timber Chair, straight after the race is on it's way.

Race Details

The race begins at 9:30am with a scrumptous brunch and awards ceremony to follow at the Lost Boys Cafe. Brunch is included in the registration fee for competitors and spectators may join in for $9.99+tax.

Live Music

Energy levels are sure to be kept high with live music by Rick Voisey from 11:30am - 2:30pm.

Fernie Accommodations

Stay in Fernie accommodation this weekend, featuring a 2 bedroom +den at the base of the mountain for as low as $150 Cdn per night!

Across Canada, skiers are shedding their outer layers and the snow has begun to return to its liquid form. For the snow bunny, its time to lapse into temporary hibernation. However, as you stuff your winter gear beside that dusty exercise equipment, just remember: summer is here! Snow may be seasonal, but many Canadian ski resorts are open year-round.

It's not too late to visit one of Canada's fabulous ski resorts for a plethora of summer activities!

Why Summers are Spectacular at Ski Resorts

Many ski resorts offer year-round activities and events to suit all summer adventurers, sightseers and sports enthusiasts.

Here's a taste of why vacationing at a ski resort in the summer is unbeatable:

Discounted Accommodation Rates: Find your own mountainside get-a-way in a number of luxurious properties for much lower rates than during ski season.

Develop a New Summertime Hobby: Most ski resorts offer summer activities for all fitness levels and interests. Try horseback riding, mountain biking, bungee jumping, white water rafting, canoeing, hiking, sightseeing, wilderness tours, and much, much more!

Avoid the Ski Season Crowds: Visit and explore Canada's ski resorts in the summer without the large winter crowds.

Admire the Views in the Sunshine: Canada's magnificent mountain ranges never go out of season. Journey to new heights to breathe in fresh mountain air and soak in the natural beauty of your surroundings.

Partake in a Special Summer Event: Most ski resorts never close their doors to visitors. This means year-round events to match every season. Special events for 2008 include the Pemberton Festival (Whistler), Kokanee Crankworx (Whistler), Tremblant International Blues Festival (Mont Tremblant), Canada Day Celebrations and wine festivals (Silver Star, Sun Peaks).

Discover Summer Activities at These Resorts:

• Whistler
• Sun Peaks
• Kicking Horse
• Panorama
• Silver Star
• Fernie
• Mont Tremblant

Find Summer Ski Resort Accommodation Deals

Search or browse through hundreds of summer accommodation options in Sun Peaks, Silverstar, Mont Tremblant, Whistler, Fernie, Panorama, or Kicking Horse. Book on-line with property owners, save time, and get back outside to enjoy the sunshine!

Now that flowers are blooming again and the skis are buried in the back of the closet for a few months, perhaps it's time for a bit of nostalgia about the 2007-2008 Canadian ski season. Do your memories capture a winter of epic proportions? Or did the powder fail to live up to your expectations?

The statistics tell a varied story. Some mountains received a little more than usual, some mountains saw a little less, and others were just right. Here's a graph with a few mountain's snow stats this year, but only from those mountains that reported a final cumulative snow total this year.

While this season seems to have been rather humdrum in terms of snow, mountains south of the border in Colorado received record dumps, with eight mountains breaking all-time snowfall records.

But for at least one local, the pleasure of the season isn't measured in centimeters. The writer of a (very detailed) blog chronicling Whistler weather said that in his five years in the area, "This is the best season since I have been living in Whistler."

It's still too early for accurate predictions of next season's weather, but we'll certainly welcome your wild guesses.

What's colourful, big, and descends on Fernie for the first time ever this upcoming Canada Day weekend?

It's the First Annual Fernie Fest! Held in the new Riverside Park, the festival aims to celebrate music, the arts, culture and Fernie, over three full days of summer partying.

Like all good ideas, the festival was born when someone brought up the question "Why doesn't Fernie have a summer music festival?"

Soon thereafter, a group of interested individuals got together to cultivate the idea; resulting in the Fernie Fest starting this Friday.

Visitors can book Fernie accommodation in town or the ski resort, or buy a camping pass for any number of nights. Tickets are available online for $35 and up, and kids under 12 are free.

Thinking of attending? Here are a 6 reasons why you won't want to miss the party:

1. The best Kids Zone ever

FernieFest will be featuring plenty for the children, including scavenger hunts, drum building, puppet shows, mask making, face painting, and the comedic stylings of PT the Clown.

2. You can support the local community

Events like these are all about celebrating the local community: the culture, the flavours, and the artistry. In this age of globalized society and homogenization, it's nice to be able to experience the unique qualities everyone has to offer.

3. Group yoga sessions along the river

Relax after a morning of hiking the Fernie forests with some group yoga along the stunning Elk River. Afterwards, don't miss the Dunk Tank, Sumo Wrestling, and a variety of other bizarre and entertaining activities.

4. Hear artists perform Celtic, Funk, Folk, and Electronica

FernieFest will be featuring 16 great artists from throughout BC, Canada and the Kootenays.

A few artists include Third Eye Tribe, who "fuels his audience with his lyrical drive-bys of socially conscious rhymes" and Emaline Delapaix, who sings about "everything from dodgy jobs to hard hitting world issues, secret love affairs between musicians, and lust on the dance floor under a spinning mirrorball."

Check out the full lineup here.

5. Friday Night Pub Crawl

After the Block Party in downtown Fernie during the day (with lantern making, a street fashion show and more) participating Fernie pubs & bars come alive, showcasing a variety of live entertainment and specials until the wee hours of the morning.

6. Pancake Breakfast

The only thing better than fresh pancakes...are fresh pancakes that raise money for a good cause. (All proceeds towards the Canada Day Breakfast finance 12 Fernie Secondary Students to the Student Leadership Conference in Ottawa).

So there you have it. Plenty of reasons to attend the first annual FernieFest. For more info, visit the official website.