On Friday, hundreds of DU students headed to Winter Park for the 64th annual Winter Carnival. First celebrated in 1961, Winter Carnival is a weekend getaway with a multitude of activities and discounts for students and faculty alike, put on by the DU Programming Board (DUPB).
“DUPB has a long-standing relationship with Winter Park,” said Ellery Nakahara, a member of the organization. Nahakara told the Clarion that Winter Park is “very accommodating to DU.”
In response to a question about whether she sees the location changing anytime soon she responded with a resounding “No.”
“We have no plans to change this tradition. Our relationship with Winter Park is something we value,” Nahakara said.
DUPB starts planning Winter Carnival just five weeks into the Fall quarter. “It is one of our biggest events of the year,” Ellery said. “Definitely up there with [Hockey Night Lights] and Musicfest.”
During the week leading up to the event, DUPB hosted on-campus events to build up excitement.
Monday kicked off the festivities with “Chill and Thrill,” where attendees participated in building from air dry clay, slap shot hockey, magnet making, ski waxing and inflatable skee-ball while being treated to apple cider and snacks.
Tuesday was taken over by “Snowflake Social.” This event consisted of live music, a photo booth, puzzles and board games with prizes, a charcuterie board, mocktails and most importantly, a chocolate fountain.
Wednesday brought the “Baller Bash,” which included hamster ball racing, make-your-own snack mix, cookie decorating, donuts and hot cocoa bombs.
For the people who did not stay up near the resort, DUPB hosted a “Sip n’ Paint” activity on Saturday evening on campus. During the event, participants painted step-by-step with an instructor while sipping on winter-themed drinks.
They ended the week of events on Sunday with a “Slumber Skate,” which took place in Joy Burns Arena and invited people to skate in their pajamas for a warm, cozy and fun experience.
There were many DU-themed events as well for those who did stay up at the mountain. Not only were lift passes discounted for students and buses running daily, but DUPB also provided snacks and hand warmers in the village lodge.
With subpar skiing conditions on Friday, this simple event really helped to bring up morale for the weekend.
Luckily these conditions did not last long as Winter Park received about eight inches of snow over Saturday and Sunday, so the skiing was truly incredible.
The weather also helped. With sunny days and unbelievable conditions, it felt like someone could ski forever. On Saturday night, some students headed up for nighttime snow tubing.
“Tubing was the most fun I’ve ever had,” said first-year Coco Colley.
She went to the mountain at 7:30 p.m. and got to the top of the hill via magic carpet. She and her friends were all bundled up in their ski clothes and helmets. They either rode in double tubes together or single ones, ending the night with s’mores and hot chocolate.
On Saturday, DUPB also hosted a watch party in the Vintage Hotel for the DU hockey team when they faced off against the Arizona State University Sun Devils, who broke DU’s perfect record earlier in the season.
Sunday night ended with Fraser’s Fire and Ice Festival. Starting at 4 p.m., the festival included hot air balloons, bonfires, ice sculptures and fireworks.
With the fresh layer of snow and all the events, this weekend retreat felt more like a vacation. DUPB truly succeeded in making inclusive and fun activities and it will be interesting to see what they do next.
