Ludlow, VT – Okemo Mountain Resort officials are certainly giving thanks this week, for after delays created by an abnormally warm autumn the Vermont ski resort will finally welcome skiers and riders when it opens for the season today, just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. In addition to skiing and riding this weekend, Okemo will host a traditional turkey dinner buffet at Coleman Brook Tavern on Thanksgiving Day, and its annual Trot It Off 5k running race on Saturday.
Okemo’s Thanksgiving dinner buffet is available by itself or as part of a Thanksgiving Dinner and Lodging Package. Executive Chef Scot Emerson is dedicated to providing guests visiting Coleman Brook Tavern with locally produced ingredients, and his holiday dinner will feature locally raised turkeys from SpringMore Farms, local cheeses, cured meats, preserves, beets from Leaning Ladder Farms, Cavendish Farms pork hash, Woods Cider Mill boiled cider glaze, vegetables from Deep Meadow Farms and pies from Westminster Catering and The Southern Pie Company. The Thanksgiving buffet will be served from 3 to 8 p.m. and is priced at $34 for adults and $17.50 for children under 12. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling (802) 228-1435.
On November 28, Okemo’s Trot It Off 5k is a community event that takes place each year on the Saturday following Thanksgiving. This running/walking race is perfect for the avid runner or the recreational walker hoping to burn off some calories from that extra serving of Thanksgiving dessert. Advance registration is $25 per person and proceeds go to the Wendy Neal Scholarship Fund and Black River Good Neighbor Services. All participants will receive an event t-shirt. The Tots Trot, a kids’ fun race for children 12 and younger, will take place just before the 5k. Day-of registration will start at 8 a.m. on the day of the event. The 5k race will start at 9:30 a.m.
Okemo will start its winter season today with skiing and riding on the resort’s Countdown, Link, Upper and Lower World Cup runs, with Nor’easter opening on Wednesday. No beginner terrain is yet available.
Skiers and riders will be able to access the terrain beginning at 9 am via the F-10 Carpet and then the Sachem Quad. The Sunburst Six will also be spinning, giving guests access to the summit. The first 125 skiers and riders today will receive an opening day t-shirt at the lift. Adult full-day lift tickets are reduced today to $49.