Heavenly celebrates the holidays with 13 days of festivities

For 13 days, Heavenly Village will be teeming with the sights, sounds and smells of the holidays as Heavenly Holidays 2011 from Dec.19-31 treats guests to a variety of festive events from ice skating and sculpting to a uniquely Heavenly countdown to the New Year.

“The holidays are a special time, as family and friends gather to celebrate and partake in traditions that are meaningful to them,” said Pete Sonntag, vice president and general manager of Heavenly. “With a great lineup of events and the best skiing and snowboarding Lake Tahoe has to offer, we hope that Heavenly Holidays will become an integral part of families’ traditions.”

Backed by the West Coast’s largest snowmaking system and the world’s largest fleet of Prinoth Bison X and Beast grooming machines, holiday revelers can expect the finest snow surface conditions on the most open terrain at Lake Tahoe. In addition to its clear advantage in terms of skiing and snowboarding terrain, Heavenly has also put together a holiday program that will keep families coming back year after year.

Ripperoo Parades – December 17-March 24
Each Saturday, starting December 17, Ripperoo, Heavenly’s loveable mascot, will give children the chance to star in their own parade, as they play music, sing songs, and march through Heavenly Village. The Ripperoo Parade will begin at 4:30 p.m. at the base of the Gondola and will end with hot chocolate and photos with Ripperoo.

Santa’s Workshop Snow Globe – December 19-25
The holiday merriment will kick off on December 19 with Santa’s Workshop Snow Globe, a 16-foot interactive snow globe where children can have their photos taken on Santa’s lap as they to tell him their wish list. The family-style atmosphere will be complete with an on-site disc jockey playing holiday music. On Christmas Eve, special musical guest the Dickens Boys will provide live holiday music using string and wind instruments.

The Dickens Boys will return to the Snow Globe on Christmas Day, as families will have the opportunity to take family holiday portraits at the venue. The Snow Globe will be open December 19-25 from 12:00-5:00 p.m.

Heavenly Holidays Concert Series – December 26-29
The jovial mood continues the week between Christmas and New Year’s, as the Heavenly Holidays Concert Series is set to showcase a different band daily from 2:00-4:30 p.m. The series features: Jelly Bread (Dec. 26), Lavish Green (Dec. 27), The Trey Stone Band (Dec. 28) and Tragically White (Dec. 29). Each band will perform live on-stage under the Heavenly Gondola adjacent to Bellamy Court.

Ice Skating Show – December 29-30
Taking to the ice on December 29 and 30, professional ice skaters will perform a 20-minute Ice Spectacular Ice Skating Show at the Heavenly Village Ice Rink at 7:00 p.m. and will showcase the talents of Jeb K. Rand and his wife and skating partner, Jennifer.

Ice Sculpting Exhibition – December 30
On Dec. 30, an Ice Sculpting Exhibition will take place from 3:00-3:30 p.m. with lit ice sculptors being displayed throughout Heavenly Village. At 6:30 p.m., the excitement will continue as “Fear No Ice” performs a thrilling ice sculpting show adjacent to the Village ice rink.

A Heavenly New Year – December 31
All the holiday events will cumulate on December 31 with a Heavenly New Year Celebration that includes interactive games and experiences such as snowboard simulators, one-of-a-kind photo experiences, and face and body painting from 6:00-9:00 p.m.

Loaded with music, lights, pyrotechnic effects and crowd interaction, the “Fear No Ice – Rock N Roll Show” from 6:00-6:30 p.m. will be an exciting show unlike any ordinary ice sculpting exhibition. “Band X” will perform an exciting New Year’s Eve concert from 6:30-8:55 p.m. that will be an inspiring countdown to the Gondola Ball Drop. A beacon in the dark sky, a brightly-lit Heavenly Gondola car will descend from the top of the mountain until a stopping-point above the Village crowd at 9:00 p.m., coinciding with midnight on the East Coast. The dropping of the ball will signal the beginning of a dramatic New Year’s fireworks show from the Gondola parking garage.