We have often thought that the best way to enjoy an authentic experience wherever you are traveling is to attend the festivals and events that are often a highlight for the locals that are fortunate to live there full time, and with Baldy Bash coming up in April, this really rings true for your Sun Valley vacation. Celebrating the final weeks of ski season, Baldy Bash in Sun Valley isn’t just any event; it is a day filled with fun, frolic, music, and food, a celebration that was created to help take our mind off the fact that the saddest day of the year has arrived, the last day of Sun Valley skiing. We at Abode Sun Valley have created this guide to the fun and excitement that Baldy Bash brings to our mountain town and to the vacation adventures you will enjoy during your stay in our Idaho retreats.
The End Is Near
There are more than a few reasons for us to dislike the month of April, including taxes and all the rain that may fall on our spring adventures but the biggest reason of all is that the middle of the month is when the gates close on ski season. Fortunately, we know that the next season starts again in just seven short months, and Baldy Bash helps take away some of the pain.
First, There Is Music
Although the official event begins on the official last day of the season (in 2025 that date is projected to be April 27, but that can change as April weather is very unpredictable) but there will be musical events that are still considered to be a part of Baldy Bash, even as they take place before and after that last day. A live concert the day before the official party is usually scheduled to occur at the Warm Springs Plaza, starting at 2 PM, so you may want to cut short your time on the slopes, taking the time to listen, to dance, and to sing along to the songs you love. Every year there will be a different band, so we can’t tell you who will be performing during your visit, but we can assure you the music will be hot, the day will be crisp, and you will be filling chill as the notes fill the air with fun and excitement.
And Then There Is More Music
It’s back to Warm Springs Plaza we go on this beautiful spring day, and even as the snow may be melting at lower heights, the hot music will be playing, and it really will be difficult to feel sad as the music will be that happy. Starting at 2:30, the music may be rock, bluegrass, or even reggae or blues. Local musicians feel your pain at the end of ski season, playing their hearts out so as to keep your heart from breaking and we can tell you from experience that it is impossible to be sad when sharing the plaza with a crowd of music lovers who are singing and dancing too!
Cosplay at Its Finest
Although technically the costume contest may not be considered cosplay, it is still a fun way to bid adieu to ski season and the theme of the Baldy Bash costume contest is retro ski, so grab your Oakley sunglasses, your neon puffy coats, and your animal print ski pants, and strut your stuff. Of course, the retro ski theme is just a suggestion, so feel free to wear whatever costume you feel like as you will see that so many skiers do. In past years we have seen hula skirts and golden stars, Hawaiian shirts, and superheroes with abs of steel, webs shooting out from your fingers, or green musclemen that have burst out of their clothes. No rules, other than keep it clean, will ensure that the next Baldy Bash will be your favorite.
This Party Is Making Me Hungry
Skiing always makes us hungry. It takes a lot of energy to schuss our way down the slopes, and when you add in an afternoon of boogying to the music your appetite may be bottomless, making the Baldy Bash barbecue your favorite part of the celebration. Chow down on fresh grilled meats, protein loading to counter all that exercise and as you eat your fill, dance the afternoon away, and enjoy a wintry spring day in April, you may receive another prize, a bonus week of Baldy Bash when the temperatures drop and a late season snowstorm extends ski season for another week. Of course, your vacation ends this week, so it won’t make that much of a difference for you, as you will be returning home, but we in Sun Valley will be paying homage to the ski gods, grabbing another barbecue sandwich in celebration.
Sip and Savor
The world is full of rules that we often think is unnecessary and one of our least favorite rules has always been the rule that doesn’t allow us to drink outside unless we are in our own backyards. During Baldy Bash, however, rules aren’t rules, they aren’t even suggestions as the outdoor bar encourages you to sip that beer and savor a party you will never forget. The sun will be shining down on you, almost as if it is smiling at all the fun that is being had, the air will be crisp without being too cold, the barbecue will be spicy and full of taste, and the beverages you are sipping? We can almost bet you never taste another that is as refreshing or goes down as smoothly as it did!
Extras You Will Love
April is when the Easter Bunny hops on to the scene (in most years), and what kind of ski resort would we be if we didn’t acknowledge the fun this holiday brings. When you told your kids that you would be traveling over Easter this year, we can guess that their first reaction was gulping sobs and cries about how the Easter Bunny would find them. We hope that you read this before you tell them about the trip because then you will be able to tell them that not only will the Easter Bunny drop by your holiday hideaway with a fully stocked Easter basket, but an Easter egg hunt will take place on the Sun Valley lawn. Mom, or the traditional Easter feast cook, may even cry tears of joy when it is learned that an Easter brunch will be held at the Sun Valley Club.
Dollar Days Pond Skim Shenanigans
One last event, the Dollar Days Pond Skim, will bring this party to its knees as a select group of skiers glide down the mountain as fast as they can with their ultimate goal of skimming across the pond at its base hopefully being achieved. As an audience member your hope will be that they don’t make it and laugh as they sink into the cold and slushy water. This is when the costume contest really pays off, because somehow it is even funnier when a guy dressed as a rubber chicken starts flailing about in icy waters!
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