Sandpoint, ID – Schweitzer Mountain Resort will be hopping with events this Labor Day Weekend. The Idaho ski and snowboard resort’s 19th annual Fall Fest Celebration, this Saturday and Sunday, will feature a festival record of over 40 Northwest microbrews, wine tasting and free live music from seven bands including Marcy Playground.
Saturday will also mark the grand opening of Schweitzer’s new zip line. The zip line starts just outside the village and travels over 700 feet towards Lake Pend Oreille, ending just below the resort’s Musical Carpet. With two side-by-side lines guests will be able to race their friends from top to bottom. The zip line will have weight restrictions and require closed toe, closed heel footwear. The cost is $12 for a single ride and $20 for two rides.
Microbrews from eight states and more than 20 breweries will be available. For the best beer selection show up on Saturday then stick around for Marcy Playground on Sunday. Festival Favorites such as Rogue’s Hazelnut Brown and Deschutes Conflux No. 2 typically sell out Saturday or early Sunday.
Discounted lift tickets will be offered for the mountain’s last summer weekend. An unlimited day pass will be offered at the price of a single-ride ticket of $10 per adult.
“Fall Fest feels like an over-due reunion every year” said Mary Weber-Quinn, Schweitzer’s Events and Activities Director. “Summer friends and winter friends converge for this goodbye summer, hello winter celebration. Nothing beats a summer sendoff like barbecues, microbrews and free live music with your best friends.”
Festivities will kick off at 11 a.m. on Saturday with a barbecue and arts and crafts vendors in the village until 6 p.m. The Great Escape Quad and zip line will also open at 11 a.m. and run until 6 p.m. Saturday’s concert will start with Troubadour at 11 a.m., followed by Loose Cannon at 1 p.m., and closing with Milonga from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday kicks off with Tami & Dave Gunter at 11 a.m., Psycho Cadillac at 12:30 p.m., Floating Crowbar at 2:30 p.m., and closing with the festival headliner Marcy Playground from 4:30 to 6 p.m.
This will also be the last weekend to play Schweitzer’s mountain-top disc golf, take a guided horseback ride, cruise down lift-access mountain bike trails, and simply enjoy the summer scenery from the top of Schweitzer before it is covered in snow. All hiking and biking trails will close for the season on September 6.
Admission to the festival is free. Beer tasting packages range from $10 to $35. Wine tasting packages range from $15 to $25. Soda sampling is $7 for a 12oz mug with three samples. Single beers, wine, and soda options are available as well.