Okanagan Ski Season 2026–27: Opening Days & Events

Opening week

• Big White Opening Day 2026/27 (Big White, Thu Nov 26): Big White's 2026/27 winter season opens on November 26. Opening depends on snow conditions, so check bigwhite.com for the latest before you book.
• SilverStar Alpine Opening Day 2026 (SilverStar, Fri Nov 27): the first day of lift-served skiing and snowboarding on the mountain, when SilverStar opens its alpine terrain for the winter.
• Sovereign Canada Cup Cross-Country Ski Races (SilverStar, Nov 27 – Nov 29): Canada's top cross-country skiers open the domestic race season at Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre: a classic individual race, a freestyle sprint and a 15 km mass start. Free to watch from the trailside.
• Welcome to Winter at Big White (Big White, Sat Nov 28): Big White's season-opening celebration in the village, with family activities and festivities to kick off winter 2026–27. It runs 5:00–7:05 pm.
• Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival Night at SilverStar (SilverStar, Sat Nov 28): an opening-weekend night of adventure and nature films from the VIMFF tour at the NATC Auditorium, starting at 7 pm. Tickets are $10, popcorn and drinks are on sale, and proceeds go to the SilverStar Bear Stewardship Society.

Early December: rally cars, red wine and light-ups

• Big White Winter Rally (Big White, Dec 4 – Dec 5): rally cars compete on winter roads in the Big White area, presented by the West Coast Rally Association. Check the official spectator guide for viewing spots, road access and the schedule.
• Big Reds at Big White (Big White, Sat Dec 5): a red-wine festival on the mountain. The VIP private tasting runs 6–9 pm in the Kettle Valley Steakhouse ($150), and the Grand Tasting runs 7–9 pm in the Happy Valley Day Lodge ($100). Tickets go on sale Nov 1.
• SilverStar Annual Light Up (SilverStar, Sat Dec 5): the village is lit up for the holiday season, and everyone is invited to come and help switch on the lights.
• Big White's Twinkling Trail Light Up (Big White, Sat Dec 12): the season's first lighting of the Twinkling Trail, an illuminated walk through the forest from the Adventure Park trailhead in Happy Valley. Meet at 5 pm.

The holidays

• Santa's Workshop (Big White, Dec 18 – Dec 24): Santa is in the Village Centre daily from 11 am, with a free photo, elf crafts and storytime from 3:30 to 4 pm (Dec 18–23). On Christmas Eve it's photos only, 11 am to 1 pm.
• Comedy Hypnosis Show at SilverStar (SilverStar, Sun Dec 20): comedy hypnotist Gavin Hooper brings his clean, interactive show to the NATC auditorium, where volunteers from the crowd become the stars. Doors 6:30, show 7; drinks on sale.
• SilverStar 12 Days of Holidays (SilverStar, Dec 21 – Jan 1): twelve days of holiday programming in the village over the Christmas break. Check the resort's events page for the daily schedule.
• Vaz Art Paint & Sip at SilverStar (SilverStar, Mon Dec 21 + 3 more dates): a two-hour guided painting class in SilverStar's Town Hall, where you paint and take home a scene inspired by the mountain and the Okanagan. $55 includes supplies and a glass of wine or a non-alcoholic drink.
• Big White's Christmas Eve Festival (Big White, Thu Dec 24): Christmas Eve in the Village Centre from 4:30 pm, with booths, a Loose Moose dance party and fireworks at 7 pm. The Glow Stick Parade needs pre-registration, a lift ticket and a helmet (ages 6+).
• Ski with Santa (Big White, Fri Dec 25): meet Santa at 10:30 am in front of the Big Chair, ski Sun Run together, then warm up with hot chocolate at Santa's Workshop.
• The Loose Moose Challenge – December (Big White, Dec 26 – Dec 27): a family scavenger hunt on the slopes. Pick up an adventure card at the Events Tent in the Village Centre, follow Lucy Moose's riddles across Big White's blue runs to find hidden letters, then return your card on the second afternoon for a sticker and a chance at prizes.
• Salomon Holiday Rail Jam at SilverStar (SilverStar, Sun Dec 27): skiers and snowboarders show off on a custom setup while a DJ plays, with U16 and open categories. Free to watch; competitors pay a small entry fee.
• SilverStar New Year’s Eve (SilverStar, Thu Dec 31): ring out the year in SilverStar's village with an evening of festivities on the mountain.

January to March

• Jr. Chef Challenge (Big White, Wed Jan 13 + 1 more date): a cooking contest for ages 5–13 on the top floor of the Happy Valley Day Lodge; contestants assemble at 3:15 pm. Tickets go on sale in November.
• The Loose Moose Challenge – January (Big White, Jan 16 – Jan 17): a village scavenger hunt. Pick up a card at the Events Tent in the Village Centre from 9 am, then return it the next afternoon (Jan 17, 2–4 pm).
• 2027 Special Olympics BC Winter Games: Snow Sports (Big White, Feb 5 – Feb 7): athletes from across BC and the Yukon race in alpine skiing at Big White, with cross-country skiing and snowshoeing at West Kelowna's Telemark Nordic Club. The Games qualify athletes for the 2028 national Winter Games in Kelowna, so come out and cheer.
• Over The Hill Downhill 2027 (SilverStar, Feb 5 – Feb 7): Canada's longest-running recreational downhill ski race returns for a weekend of racing on SilverStar's slopes.
• The Loose Moose Challenge – February (Big White, Feb 13 – Feb 14): the village scavenger hunt again: pick up a card at the Events Tent in the Village Centre from 9 am, then return it the next afternoon.
• TELUS Kelowna Cup at Big White (Big White, Sat Feb 20): a family-friendly snowcross race at TELUS Park for skiers and snowboarders of all skill levels. Racers try to match their first-run time on a second run, and the closest match wins; there's a Best Dressed prize too. It supports the Powderhounds, the adaptive snowsports program of People in Motion. Big White says full details are coming soon.
• Mission Hill Chef Collaboration Dinner (Big White, Thu Feb 25): chefs Boddie Macklin-Shaw and Patrick Gayler cook a dinner paired with Mission Hill wines in the Kettle Valley Steakhouse. More details to come from Big White.
• Mountain Glow: Women's Ski Day with Kelsey Serwa (Big White, Sat Mar 13): a women's ski day with Olympian Kelsey Serwa: skiing, a wine lunch, spa extras and champagne après, supporting the Kelowna Women's Shelter. Full details to come.
• The Loose Moose Challenge – March (Big White, Mar 20 – Mar 21): the last village scavenger hunt of the listed season: pick up a card at the Events Tent in the Village Centre from 9 am and return it the next afternoon.

Apex and Baldy

Neither Apex nor Baldy has events listed yet for 2026–27, so there are no dates here. For lifts, lodges and where to eat on both hills, see our Apex & Baldy ski guide. These are the places to know for a day on either one.

• Apex Mountain Resort (Apex): Penticton's home mountain, about a 30-minute drive from town, with 2,000 vertical feet and 85 runs. Friday and Saturday nights are its signature: from 4 to 9 pm the T-bar and Magic Carpet run under lights for night skiing, and Friday nights come with half-price lift tickets and rentals. A winter shuttle runs from Penticton on weekends.
• Tim Hortons Tube Park – Apex (Apex): at the base area beside the beginner slopes, running on weekends and holidays through the season and under lights on Friday and Saturday nights. 2026/27 tickets are sold in two-hour blocks: $30 for adults, $20 for juniors aged 8 to 12, a $15 Friday Night Special for all ages and a $75 family rate for up to six.
• Adventure Skating Loop & Shinny Pond – Apex (Apex): a kilometre of Zamboni-smoothed ice looping through the forest, with the Shinny Pond beside it for pickup hockey. For 2026/27 a full-day skate pass is $15 for ages 13 and up and $7.50 for 12 and under; it's weather-dependent natural ice.
• Baldy Mountain Resort (Baldy): the South Okanagan's ski hill: a small, friendly, family hill with short lift lines, famous for its tree runs. New this winter is cat skiing from the top of the Eagle Chair to Baldy's upper terrain, Friday to Sunday. The Magic Carpet stays open until 7 pm on Friday and Saturday nights for tubing and beginner skiing under the lights. Winter tyres are strongly recommended for the road up.
• Baldy Snowshoe Trails (Baldy): about 13 kilometres of marked trail through the high forest around the day lodge, with snowshoe rentals and guided tours. An easy add-on when only some of your group wants to ride the lifts, with the Corduroy Cafe for the warm-up afterwards.

Quick picks

See more: Big White & SilverStar ski guide, Apex & Baldy ski guide, Holiday events guide, Sports & recreation events

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