Photo courtesy of Chris Wellhausen

Winter Park Resort will open summer operations this Saturday, June 16 with a big kick-off weekend that includes the 9th annual Winter Park Chocolate Festival and the opening of Trestle Bike Park.   

Starting at 10 a.m., the Winter Park Chocolate Festival, which will include 20 different vendors, is a must for chocolate lovers and sweet-tooths of all kinds, with chocolate tasting, chocolate pairings, and even chocolate eating contests.  The festival, which is located in the Village at Winter Park, also will feature live music and entertainment for the whole family throughout the day. Sample tickets are just $1 apiece and are sold in groups of 10 or 20. Tickets are good for samples of truffles, fudge, and liquid chocolate.  

Meanwhile, Colorado’s premier mountain bike park, Trestle, will open for the season with a variety of trails for riders of all abilities.  Thanks to the tireless work of the Trestle Trail Crew, 85% of the bike park will be open and for the first time in six years, Opening Day will feature top to bottom riding.  Open trails will include favorites like Green World, Long Trail, Shy Ann, and Rainmaker as well as new trail Dirty Dozen. With the ongoing replacement of the Zephyr Express lift, Trestle Bike Park will be serviced by both the Gemini Express and Eskimo Express lifts.

As if that weren’t enough, all of the Winter Park base activities will also be open for the summer, including the state’s longest Alpine Slide, the 18-hole putting course, Leaps & Bounds Bungee, scenic chairlift rides, and the human maze, just to name a few.  Restaurants and shops in the Village will be open as well, providing plenty of options for eat and drink.

The weekend is the just the start of a busy summer at Winter Park that includes popular events like The Village Uncorked wine festival, Whiskey & Wings, and a brand-new on-mountain Oktoberfest. For a complete list of summer events and lodging deals, visit www.winterparkresort.com.