The fall and winter holidays hold a big piece of our hearts in their festive celebrations, and as the nights grow longer, the temperatures drop further, and all the stores begin to fill with Halloween and Christmas wares, the holiday spirit runs rampant in our mountain hometown of Winter Park. By Thanksgiving, the first snows will have already fallen, and the ski resort will have opened, bringing its own brand of excitement to the area, and if you are contemplating taking your celebration on the road to winter, a stay in one of our Winter Park Escapes holiday hideaways will bring you a joy you had forgotten you could feel! Spend your day schussing down the slopes, your evening celebrating with a turkey feast, and your nights luxuriating in the comforts and luxuries found in our Thanksgiving festive sanctuaries and discover why the best holidays are enjoyed in Colorado. This guide to Winter Park Thanksgiving 2023 will ensure that you and your entire family have everything to be thankful for!
Thankful for Snow
The ski season begins right before Halloween this year, and as always, we are thankful for the snow and all it brings to our mountain town, adding an element of excitement to the holiday that isn’t often found anywhere else. Spend your days on the slopes of Winter Park Resort, which happens to be open on Thanksgiving, allowing you and your family to “schuss off” some of the excess calories consumed at the holiday meal later in the day. But even if you aren’t up for skiing on this gorgeous November day, the snow can still provide many ways to add wonder to your holiday. From the simple moments of sitting at the dining tables of our Winter Park Escapes vacation sanctuaries, sipping coffee and watching it fall to the ground outside as a roaring fire in the fireplace keeps you cozy and warm, to the more childlike enjoyment of tubing down a snow-covered hill at the Coca-Cola Tubing Hill (also open on Thanksgiving). The snow brings with it a serene peace as it also adds excitement to your adventures. Thanksgiving is a popular time for skiing and tubing, so we recommend purchasing your tickets well in advance of the holiday!
Sip and Savor
If you were at home, chances are the days and nights leading up to turkey day would be filled with shopping, cleaning, and other mundane chores, but while on vacation in Winter Park, those same days are a clean slate, just waiting to be filled with fun and relaxation! Adventures Decanted offers a way to fill in some of those excess minutes of your evening, offering their Natural Wine Tasting with Sommelier Shelby Peterson experience on November 19 from 5 to 7 PM. Offering a taste-full experience that could help you find the perfect wine that goes with turkey, this educational evening will make you appreciate learning something new, especially as the rewards, the silky and tasty natural wines, will add a soft glow to your “holiday preparations!” Costing $50 per ticket, this experience takes place at 37 Cooper Way, Suite 315, and snacks are included.
Happy Feasting
The best part of Thanksgiving is, of course, the meal that is the center point of the festivities, and because vacationers don’t often prefer to partake in any chores while they are traveling, there are always a few restaurants in town that are open for business and happy to prepare, serve, and clean up your favorite turkey dinners! For a sophisticated munch, Vertical Bistro, 130 Parry Peak Way in Winter Park Village, has been offering a fine Thanksgiving meal over the last few years, and their attention to detail will take the meal to the next level of fantastic. Deno’s Mountain Bistro, 78911 US-40, has been a local hot spot since 1976, operating out of a building that was originally a stagecoach stop for weary travelers, and the atmosphere of this historic building will add an extra element to your Thanksgiving feasting experience.
Thanksgiving at Home with Winter Park Escapes
Of course, the air is thinner up in the mountains, and you may still be tired from your travels and adventures, or you may simply want to stay home and experience the amenities our holiday havens have to offer, making staying home the perfect way to celebrate. Fully equipped kitchens offer family cheer and homey vibes at no extra cost, ensuring that meal prep will be fun, and the state-of-the-art televisions that face the comfiest sofas in town will offer crystal-clear pictures of the Macy’s Winter Park Thanksgiving Day Parade and all the football games you will be watching—in between naps, of course! Fireplaces add a cozy warmth and cheer to your celebrations, and as you start dreaming of Christmas adventures while sleeping in cloud soft beds, you can pat yourself on the back for embarking on this holiday adventure in our winter paradise. Reserve your favorite escape today!