LGBT-Focused Winter Events
Check out a few fun winter activities geared toward gay and lesbian travelers, including Telluride Gay Ski Week, QUAC Ski-n-Swim and Winter Pride in Whistler.
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This is the most popular gay ski week in the US. Every year, Telluride, CO, plays host to 100s of gay and lesbian skiers. The ski town is surrounded by the majestic San Juan Mountains. It’s the perfect setting for the White Night Party and the Wig Run, where skiers, donned with big wigs and afros, hit the slopes for fun. This fun-filled ski week benefits the Telluride AIDS Benefit.
Celebrate LGBT WinterPRIDE in Whistler, British Columbia. Enjoy fun activities including snowboarding, inner tubing, the Up Yer Kilt Party, the Echo Valley Ranch Cowboy/Cowgirl Party, a tasting tour of fine food, the Gender Bender Drag Ball, a comedy show and a beer tasting event.
It’s the perfect weekend getaway for outdoor enthusiasts, providing gays and lesbians interested in skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, swimming, and yes, even a relaxing trip to a spa. Queer Utah Aquatic Club (QUAC) Ski-n-Swim is usually hosted in Salt Lake City, UT, during the third weekend in February.
This popular ski week, hosted in Blowing Rock, NC, is the Southeast’s premier winter and travel event. Don’t know how to ski? Common across most ski destinations, you can take skiing and snowboard lessons for $12. There are usually 3 host lodges skiers can choose to stay during the week. Some of Summit: N.C. Gay Ski Week’s activities have included the Snowball dance party, WET-The Pool Party and Summit Live!, a show featuring popular comedians.
Head to Aspen Gay Ski Week if you enjoy skiing, snowboarding, dining, shopping, music and comedy. In addition to these fun activities, gays and lesbians can unwind and celebrate the best of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, at decade-themed parties. Prizes are given to the best costumes. This ski week is usually scheduled during the second week in January, and money raised goes to support various charities of gay and lesbian interest in Colorado.
MJW Adventures has organized Winter Rendezvous in Stowe, VT. It’s 5 days of wintry bliss with hundreds of LGBT enthusiasts from across the country and beyond. Snow sledding, cross-country skiing, a downhill drag race, snowshoeing, spa treatments, shopping, dining, dancing and an outdoor pool party, are just a few things to keep you busy during the week.
Head to Arosa, Switzerland, for this gay ski week that started in 2005 with more than 350 participants from around the world. It’s now 1 of the top Gay Winter Events in Europe. Held during the second week in January, Arosa Gay Ski Week provides gays and lesbians with opportunities to enjoy a curling game with friends, Swiss fondue night, night sauna, single table, live concerts, cocktail parties and sunbathing on the Tschuggenhütte.
Plan a relaxing winter getaway to northern Minnesota, with help from Adventures in Good Company. This LGBT tour company plans trips to Lutsen and Tofte, popular spots for dog sledding, skiing and snowmobiling. Take a day trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness via the scenic Gunflint Trail; get a spa treatment at WatersMeet Spa and Wellness Center ; or go for a sleigh ride with your significant other to enjoy the great outdoors.
It’s not quite as popular as Colorado’s other big gay ski festivals in Aspen and Telluride, but it’s slowly become a key destination for gay and lesbian travelers. The annual event, organized by Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals, include après-ski socials, an opening-night celebration, a “spa, wine and robe” party, Vail bar tours and plenty more to keep you busy.
This gay pride weekend, in Hemsedal, Norway, is usually scheduled for the first weekend in April. The Hemsedal Ski Center, the host resort, is Norway’s best ski resorts, nestled in the Hallingdal Valley, northwest of Oslo. Although this pride weekend is not during the winter, it is a hot spot for winter-weather lovers, who enjoy skiing, snowboarding and other winter activities. Participants, who pay for the festival pass, have access to all the events, including a hike, the shows, gala dinner and mixers.