Next month, students can look forward to DU’s 58th annual Winter Carnival, sponsored by the University of Denver Programing Board (DUPB). Winter Carnival will take place from Feb. 4 to 10 and will include numerous activities on campus and at the Keystone Resort. Feb. 4 to 7, DU’s community members can participate in free events every day on campus such as the Chili Cook-Off and carriage rides. For students who would like the experience of going to the mountains from Feb. 8 to 10, discounted tickets for Keystone Resort can be purchased for skiing and snowboarding ($37 Early Bird pricing before Jan. 21, $56 regular pricing after Jan. 21), tubing ($15), ice skating ($10) and breakfast burritos ($8). DUPB offers transportation ($3 bus tickets for undergraduates, $20 for graduate students), and housing costs range from $145 to $399.
Although much about Winter Carnival will be the same as in years past, DUPB has made some changes. For one, they are working with Graduate Student Government (GSG) this year to also bring discounted ticket prices to grad students. Additionally, DUPB is connecting with Car2Go to provide another transportation option up to the mountain. Finally, the organization is planning to partner with Slope Threads, which is a start-up founded by Sarah Laughlin, a graduate student here at DU. Slope Threads is part of Project X-ITE, and it provides winter gear rentals to students. Through this company, customers can pick out ski gear, have it shipped directly to them and return it after their ski trip. Project X-ITE is a new entrepreneurial organization on campus that provides programming, events and strategic global partnerships for like-minded students.
Despite these changes, many students agree that Winter Carnival remains as a great opportunity for everyone to foster a sense of community on campus. “Everyone should get pumped for Winter Carnival because it is one of the hallmark traditions of DU, engraved in our culture. It’s one of the few times when a significant amount of the DU population is all together to make memories and feel part of something bigger,” Montrell Nickerson, DUBP representative, said.
Tickets for some of the events sell quickly for this special event, so make sure to register soon. Prices and registration can be found in the student engagement website.
