8 Reasons to Ski Beaver Creek Resort This Spring! (SpringFest, anyone?)

I have wanted to ski Beaver Creek Resort since moving to Colorado 12  years ago and my family finally made it happen (but not without a few hilarious hiccups along the way as you’ll read here).

This 1,800-acre luxurious resort is comprised of three villages: The main European-inspired Beaver Creek Village, Bachelor Gulch, and Arrowhead to the west, with a bevvy of family-friendly activities and perks. The resort’s closing day is on April 12, 2015. Whether you enjoy their fabulous spring skiing and events or wait until next season, check-out these reasons why Beaver Creek should be on your bucket list.

Beaver Creek SpringFest

Beaver Creek Loves Kids. You don’t need to see these signs around the resort to believe that Beaver Creek caters to kids. Their SpringFest is happening now through April 11 and offers free spring-themed activities, ranging from contests to parades to a carnival to American Juke Box Skate Night at the ice rink to storytime to family kickball to a science tent.  The 23^rd Annual Easter Egg Hunt, featuring over 3,000 eggs, will be held on Saturday, April 4 in Creekside Park. Go here for the full line-up.

Ultimate 4 Ski  or Snowboard Lessons

After several years of attending ski schools in Colorado, my kids are aficionados. Their biggest complaint? Too-large classes.  At Beaver Creek’s Ultimate 4, classes are capped at 4 students, which means more time for instruction on the snow and a parent conference following the class–at a fraction of the cost of a private lesson.  My kids had a blast with one exception: Hadley complained that there were three boys in her “Ivy League of Ski Schools” I told her to enjoy her Ivy League experience where the odds were ever in her favor.

Candy Cabin
Want to feel like a kid in a candy store again? New this year, the Candy Cabin at the top of Strawberry Park Express Lift is an old-fashioned candy store with barrels of taffy, chocolate, hard and soft dispenser candy, custom-made chocolate bars, chocolate snowmen, ski boots, snowflakes and more. But here’s the catch: This cozy cabin is open daily from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. so when you promise your kids you’ll take them after ski school (which ends at 3:30 p.m.), well, you do the math. On the bright side, it is good for children to learn to deal with life’s great disappointments early in life. Cabin Cabin: We’ll see you next year.

Cookie Time Chefs

Do you want to know who the most popular people are at Beaver Creek? Find out every day at 3 p.m. when the Cookie Time Chefs stroll the base area in their white chef hats, distributing chocolate chip cookies from silver platters. More than half a million cookies are handed out every year and our Candy Cabin disappointments were appeased with a melt-in-your-mouth cookie.

Complimentary Boot-to-Slipper Exchange

I had an hour from the time I finished skiing to when I retrieved my kids from ski school. I desperately wanted to explore Beaver Creek Village’s charming shops, galleries and restaurants but I did not want to traipse around in my ski boots (though Beaver Creek’s escalators make navigating the area considerably easier; if you’ve ever tromped up and down stairs in ski boots, you understand). Enter: Beaver Creek’s complimentary Boot-to-Outdoor Slipper Exchange offered every afternoon from 3-6 p.m. I simply dropped by the Guest Service Center and traded in my ski boots for a pair of these light and comfortable village shoes. A perfect solution for après ski!

For next season:

Thursday Night Lights

Thursday Night Lights has wrapped for the season but guaranteed, your kids will have the time of their lives at this complimentary glow-stick parade held Thursday nights. After checking in at the Children’s Ski and Snowboard School, skiers and snowboarders Level 5 (intermediate) and up ride the Buckaroo Express Gondola and ski down with their glow stick. The grand finale is fireworks at the base!

Women’s Social Ski Tour

With my kids happily ensconced in Ultimate 4 Ski School, I even more happily joined this complimentary ski-along dedicated to women. With our two dynamic Ski Ambassadors Carrie and Lindsay, our group of five women bonded as we were given a fun and fabulous tour of the mountain. Offered Tuesdays-Fridays from 10:15 a.m.-12:15 a.m., we were given a small swag bag at the end and I vowed every resort should implement a similar program.

In the interim, I’ll enjoy Beaver Creek’s Women’s Social Ski Tour and their many other offerings.

P.S. Don’t forget to sign up before Memorial Day for Vail Resorts’ new  “Epic SchoolKids Colorado Pack,” the program that provides four days of free skiing and riding at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone. Thanks to Beaver Creek for hosting!