The dates of Gay Ski Week vary by resort, but one thing is consistent across the board — the word “ski” is used very loosely in practice. You can hop on one or two planks and hit the mountain as much as you wish — there’s always a group of diehards ready to hike the bowl if that’s what you’re into — but the real action begins with the après-ski scene around 3:00 PM and stretches deep into the evening. Parties last anywhere from a few days to a full week, but you’ll learn on night one why dancing, drag, and fine dining are better at altitude. Here’s everything you need to know about the best gay ski weeks.
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Aspen Gay Ski Week
Photo: Aspen Gay Ski Week
Aspen is the cornerstone of Gay Ski Week, hosting its annual, week-long, ticketed event since 1977. Don’t show up unless you’re ready for a full-on throwdown. The event is a three-way mashup of a festival, conference, and drag party, complete with an opening cocktail reception at the W Aspen, plus town-wide décor that would make artists from San Francisco’s Castro District proud.
Photo: Aspen Gay Ski Week
The event offers guided on-mountain tours of Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, and Snowmass throughout the week, nightly dinners, and après-ski events, but what you really come for is the parties. The legendary AGSW Downhill Costume Contest takes place during the week, and there are dance parties and after-hours events daily.
When: January 11 — 18, 2026
Where to stay: The five-star Little Nell ski-in/ski-out hotel, or the environmentally conscious and centrally located Limelight Hotel.
Utah Gay Ski Week, Park City, Utah
Photo: Elevation Utah
Elevation Utah returns to Park City for its annual Gay Ski Week celebration, bringing a lively mix of skiing, socializing, and nightlife to one of America’s most storied mountain towns. Park City’s combination of world-class ski terrain and a thriving après-ski scene makes it an ideal setting for a long weekend centered on community and celebration.
Elevation Utah’s 16th annual event runs from late February into early March and features a packed schedule of guided ski gatherings, themed parties, VIP receptions, and late-night club events. Highlights for 2026 include the welcome après-ski, the Neon & Neoprene party, the GEAR party, a VIP Wine Reception, onesie night, and a Sunday drag brunch. Elevation sells multi-event weekend passes, offers Utah resident discounts (ID required), and you can also buy individual nighttime event tickets.
When: February 25 — March 1, 2026
Where to stay: The official host hotel is the Hotel Thaynes in Park City, with plenty of other centrally located options near Main Street, where most après-ski and nightlife events take place.
Mammoth Gay Ski Week, Mammoth Lakes, California
Mammoth Gay Ski Week is Elevation’s West Coast counterpart to its Utah event and has grown into a standalone draw for skiers and riders who want a heavier party schedule than Aspen offers. It runs in March and attracts a largely California-based crowd, with strong turnout from Los Angeles and the Bay Area.
The week combines full ski days at Mammoth Mountain with a dense lineup of après-ski events and nighttime parties. Expect themed dance nights, costumed slope-side gatherings, and multiple organized events each day, including social meetups, comedy programming, and a Sunday drag brunch.
Mammoth’s late-season snow is a major reason the event lands here each year, but the social side is the focus. Most activity centers around the base area and The Village, where skiers and non-skiers move between daytime meetups and nightly events without needing to travel far.
When: March 18 — 22, 2026
Where to stay: The Village Lodge is the most convenient option, with direct gondola access and walkability to many après-ski meetups. Westin Monache Resort sits next door to the Village and offers a more traditional hotel setup while keeping you close to event traffic without being slopeside.
Winter PrideFest, Bend, Oregon
Winter PrideFest is Bend’s annual winter pride event, held across downtown Bend and at Mt. Bachelor. The four-day schedule combines organized ski and snowboard gatherings with ticketed events at venues throughout town.
Ski and snowboard meetups at Mt. Bachelor run on set days during the weekend. The rest of the schedule includes drag shows, dance parties, comedy events, and bingo hosted at established venues in Bend. Snow Ball, the festival’s White Party, is typically the largest single event of the weekend.
Unlike destination resort ski weeks that stay contained within a base village, Winter PrideFest spreads activity across Bend itself. Most events take place at downtown venues rather than at the mountain.
When: March 5 — 8, 2026
Where to stay: Waypoint Hotel is close to many downtown event venues. Campfire Hotel is another reliable option nearby and is commonly booked by PrideFest attendees.
Telluride Gay Ski Week, Telluride, Colorado
Photo: Telluride Gay Ski Week
Aspen gets all the glamour. Not only is the town the spitting image of all things expensive and chic, but it also gets the cheesy movies, the iconic writers, and, lest we forget, the most notorious gay ski week. It may not seem fair, but don’t go booking that private jet just yet.
There’s a small town down in southern Colorado where you can dress up just as provocatively, play just as hard, and spend at least as much money for accommodations. That town is Telluride, which knows how to throw a killer party now and then. Plus, the on-mountain experience is better than Aspen’s, proven beyond a doubt by the selfie you’re bound to take as you ski right by Oprah’s mountain home.
Photo: Telluride Gay Ski Week
Telluride Gay Ski Week continues under the direction of SBG Productions. Expect a week full of events, happy hours, meet-ups, live music, a pool party, and heaps of time to explore Telluride Ski Resort.
When: February 28 — March 7, 2026
Where to stay: Mountain Lodge is a luxury condominium property with studio units, two- and three-bedroom condominiums, and luxury private cabins. Another great option is The Peaks Resort & Spa, which has ski-in/ski-out access and award-winning dining and spa facilities.
European Snow Pride, Tignes, France
Photo: European Snow Pride
European Snow Pride is the largest gay ski week in Europe, drawing thousands of skiers and riders to the French Alps each March. The event takes over Tignes for a full week of skiing, organized meetups, and nightly parties, with an international crowd that includes travelers from across Europe and North America.
Skiing takes place across the Tignes–Val d’Isère area, one of the biggest linked ski domains in the Alps. Off the slopes, the schedule includes large parties, pool events, social competitions, and a Pride march through the resort. This is a full-scale production, closer in scope to Aspen than to smaller regional ski weeks, and it rewards committing to the entire week rather than dropping in for a night or two.
Most of the action is concentrated in Tignes Val Claret, where official events, meeting points, and package hotels are clustered. Many attendees book through European Snow Pride’s lodging-and-pass packages, but independent bookings work fine as long as you stay in the same area.
When: March 21 — 28, 2026
Where to stay: Hotel Village Montana is a reliable choice in Val Claret with walkable access to lifts and event areas. Les Suites du Montana, also in Val Claret, is a popular option for groups booking apartments while staying close to the core of the festival.
Whistler Pride and Ski Festival, Whistler, BC, Canada
Photo: Whistler Pride and Ski Week
Whoever said “everything is bigger in Texas” clearly hasn’t been to Whistler. Whistler Blackcomb has over 8,000 skiable acres, making it North America’s largest ski area, and the parties in the three villages that make up the resort’s extensive base area are equally as huge.
Whistler Pride and Ski Festival, the town’s annual winter pride celebration, takes over the village each January. The festival blends guided ski and snowboard groups — alternating between Whistler and Blackcomb — with a full slate of après-ski events and nightlife. Expect everything from comedy shows and social mixers to large-scale dance parties, capped by a high-energy closing celebration at the end of the week. Festival passes and individual event tickets are available, with multiple ticket options.
When: January 25 — February 1, 2026
Where to stay: Book at the Aava Whistler Hotel, a longtime festival partner located within walking distance of Whistler Village, slopes, and nightlife. Festival lodging packages and ticket bundles are typically offered through the event.
Arosa Gay Ski Week, Arosa, Switzerland
Photo: Arosa Gay Ski Week
Arosa basically pioneered the gay ski week concept before there was even a label for it. Its location in eastern Switzerland is more than worth the trip because the resort is hands down one of the world’s most gay-friendly ski areas. The flag flies here all season — literally — not just in January — so if you’re a skier looking for the right moment to make a jaunt overseas, this might just be it.
Arosa Gay Ski Week is not only a celebration but also a full-on rite of passage for Europe’s gay skiing community. The fact that you’re partying above the treeline with the Weisshorn and Rothorn in the background only amplifies the awesomeness.
A top-tier event pass for the week runs roughly $325 and offers access to the full schedule of parties, demos, and private get-togethers. The event is known for its disco parties but also leaves plenty of time to sunbathe in the Tschuggen hut, relax over cocktails in the base area, play a game of ice hockey, and maybe even get some skiing in.
When: January 21 — 28
Where to stay: The festival lists a wide range of accommodation options, from five-star properties like the Kulm Hotel & Alpin Spa to self-catering apartments and more affordable three-star hotels such as Hotel Alpensonne.
