Christmas Eve at Copper -- All Was Bright!

​I’ve lived in Colorado most of my life and skied Copper Mountain since I was a kid, but I’d never experienced the crisp, sparkly festivities of Christmas Eve until this season, and it was a definite treat.
As the temperature stood around 7 degrees and white Christmas snowflakes fell, hearts were warm and happy as we enjoyed the fun at Copper’s Burning Stones Plaza. I was especially happy that our sons, 17 and 22, wanted to join us without the usual “Aww, c’mon—it’ll be fun!”

We grabbed some mocha lattes at Starbuck’s just in case we got too cold, and headed out warmly prepared for the night’s events.
Just seeing the village lit up with its bright, colorful lights conjured Christmas carols in my head, then I realized it was DJ Landry spinning familiar holiday standards along with some new, jiggy mash-ups.  Tiny, snow-suited toddlers and dads with said kiddos on their shoulders couldn’t help Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, dancing over the glittering prism of lights.


“Of all the many gigs I do, I most definitely enjoy the holiday parties at Copper because it's the chance to connect with kids and provide entertainment, as well as a dance club atmosphere they may not usually have the chance to see. The joy of seeing a big group of kids dancing around, chasing dance lights and having fun is beyond words,” says Landry.
Landry, a Lift Ops and Tubing Hill Supervisor for the past seven years, has been at Copper for 15 years and he’s been the MC for Sunsation, En Fuegos and many a holiday celebration.

The Kids’ Glowstick Pageant gathered about 300 excited kids and parents near American Flyer lift as they marched from the base of the mountain with colored lights in hand to celebrate the upcoming arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Claus.
Next we ducked in to Incline Bar and Grill to warm up in between events. We weren’t disappointed as we chomped down on our lamb burgers and beet salad (ok, my beet salad, their French fries) and thawed out, enjoying some great conversation together.
We headed outside just in time to watch the awesome Torchlight Parade and the crowd’s hearty cheers for Santa Claus. If you’ve never seen it, it’s a pretty amazing spectacle as 75 Copper Ski & Ride School instructors ski down the mountain carrying flares that washed the mountain in a stunning red glow. The Torchlight Parade has been a Copper Christmas Eve Staple for over 30 years.