North Lake Tahoe’s annual SnowFest, a 10-day winter carnival and one of the region’s most popular family celebrations, commemorates its 29th anniversary with a bevy of new events March 5-14.
Squaw Valley’s Cornice Cantina kicks it off after the Opening Night Ceremonies with the inaugural 80’s Retro Dance Party, Friday, March 5, 9 p.m. Guests are encouraged to dress in the neon trends of yesteryear with prizes for the best outfits.
In Tahoe City, the completely renovated Fat Cat Café offers up the Frosty Kitty Snow Party Saturday, March 6 with “wet your whiskers” appetizers and entrees and live music starting at 4 p.m. and running until the wee hours of 2 a.m. Lakeside Pizza, also based in Tahoe City, has the grooving Snow Down Party with San Francisco’s Space Cowboys Saturday, March 6 at 9 p.m.
Are you smarter than a bottle cap? Prove it at the inaugural Tournament of Champions at The Slot in the Village at Squaw Valley Monday, March 8, 5 p.m., when participants are asked to solve the “Mickey’s” puzzle caps in a timed format.
Kings Beach hosts the first-ever Snowman Building Contest Friday, March 12, 3:30-4:30 p.m., at the North Tahoe Events Center. This event is open to all ages, and participants can compete solo or in teams.
Sure to be a favorite is the new North Lake Tahoe Historical Society’s Prohibition Pub Crawl Friday, March 12 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. The festivities begin at one of Lake Tahoe’s best burger joints, the Bridgetender Bar & Grill in Tahoe City, where guests pick up their speakeasy passwords and visit participating gin mills and speakeasies for old-time drink specials – all while learning about the Tahoe Basin’s lawless past and enjoying Tahoe City’s favorite watering holes.
Up on Donner Summit, Sugar Bowl Ski Resort hosts the Silver Belt Banzai Saturday, March 13, when ski-cross action meets downhill speed, with the first three down advancing to the next round. Participants get star struck as ski Olympians Daron Rahlves and Errol Kerr also plan to put the pedal to the mettle in this swift race.
Some of the best homemade tamales you’ll ever eat are being served up at the Food for Thought Tamale Dinner Saturday, March 13, 6-10 p.m., at the North Tahoe Boys and Girls Club in Kings Beach. The event will also highlight traditional Mexican fare with local youths’ photography, film and writing showcased as part of the dinner.
Located along North Lake Tahoe’s historical Crystal Bay casino corridor, the Cal-Neva Resort puts on the Snow Ball Saturday, March 13, a fun-filled dancing evening, with tunes from the 60s, 70s and 80s, in a winter wonderland setting.
For more information about SnowFest and a complete list of events, visit the organization’s official website.
