With hundreds of spectators surrounding the Day Lodge and hundreds more watching from the surrounding ski slopes and parking areas, White Pass Ski Area held its 40th annual Winter Carnival festival last weekend in East Lewis County.
The ski resort’s annual Winter Carnival is held over the span of two days where night skiing sessions are available, a giant snow castle is constructed that children can tube through, and a special fireworks show and torchlight parade is held.
White Pass Ski Area spokesperson Kathleen Goyette explained the Winter Carnival is held every year to give local community members the opportunity to celebrate winter.
“I’ve been working here for 37 years, so I’ve missed a few (carnivals),” Goyette said. “To be able to see it grow to this epic proportion has been amazing. The point of Winter Carnival for us as a company is to celebrate winter, for everybody. You don’t have to be a skier or a snowboarder. Just our community. We want to celebrate and invite everyone up. And as you can see, everyone showed up today.”
While the Winter Carnival may be over, the snow castle will remain and be reshaped into the foundation for White Pass Ski Area’s next event, the Castle Jam freestyle trick competition, Goyette added. The Castle Jam competition will begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 7.
“Practice starts at noon, and it’s very exciting to watch. I highly recommend people come up for that,” Goyette said.
For those looking to throw down their best tricks and compete, pre-registration is available on the ski resort’s website for $25, with registration going up to $45 the day of the event. To register, visit https://skiwhitepass.com/events/castle-jam.
Following the Castle Jam, the next day, on Sunday, March 8, is The International Freeskiers and Snowboarders Association’s (IFSA) Great White Get Down — where young skiers and snowboarders can showcase their skills and abilities on the Mahre Run, Execution and Lower Roller Coaster ski runs in this IFSA junior freeride competition.
“That’s our big mountain skier event. It’s pretty exciting because they come off the front side. They start at (the) North Peak (ski run), come right through Execution and then all the way down Mahre Run,” Goyette said. “It’s a judged event, and a national qualifier, so we’re expecting a lot of high-level skiers to be here. A lot of them double up and do both days, so it’s worked out really well for us to do these events back-to-back. This will be our third year running that.”
To learn more about the Great White Get Down, visit https://skiwhitepass.com/events/great-white-get-down.
Other upcoming events during the remainder of the ski season at White Pass include:
• The High Camp Lodge Prom, Saturday, March 28, where skiers and snowboarders are invited to wear their fanciest clothes and masks for their chance to be crowned prom king or queen at the High Camp Lodge, located along the Basin Boulevard ski run.
• Easter at White Pass, Sunday, April 5, where skiers and snowboarders are invited to celebrate the holiday on the mountain starting at 8:45 a.m. to look for Easter surprises.
• The Party Park Send It Session 2026, Saturday, April 11, where skiers and snowboarders are invited to the Rib Eye terrain park from noon to 2 p.m. to hike the features, lap the park and stomp their best tricks for a chance to win prizes.
• The High Camp Lodge Beach Party, Saturday, April 11, where skiers and snowboarders are invited to sport their beach attire for some spring skiing at the High Camp Lodge, located along the Basin Boulevard ski run.
• The White Pass Ski Area Pond Skim, Saturday, April 18, where skiers and snowboarders can end the ski season with a wild ride across the “picturesque” White Pass Pond behind the Day Lodge from noon to 1:30 p.m.
To view the White Pass Ski Area’s snow report, visit https://skiwhitepass.com/the-mountain/snow-report. The NWS forecast for the ski area can be found online at https://tinyurl.com/5n7hhbsv.
Lift tickets for the ski resort can be purchased online at https://estore.skiwhitepass.com/.
