Thanksgiving, Okemo Style

THANKSGIVING, OKEMO STYLE

LUDLOW, Vt. – Okemo Mountain Resort will be celebrating Thanksgiving with a weekend full of events and activities.

The festivities begin on Turkey Day, Nov. 26, with lifts opening at 9 a.m. Those first few runs of the season can wear a person out, so skiers and riders should plan to make it a short day and head to Coleman Brook Tavern for a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner Buffet between 3 and 8 p.m. The feast includes chef-carved turkey breast with sage gravy, cranberry compote and cornbread and sausage stuffing. The groaning board will also feature braised lamb sirloin with mint demi-glace, and cider-poached king salmon with a Vermont maple dijon sauce. Diners can ladle up some Vermont farmhouse chowder and pile their plates high with salads, fresh fruit, roasted root vegetable casserole and mashed Yukon gold and sweet potatoes. Pumpkin cheesecake, apple pie and assorted petit-fours round out the repast. Adults can indulge for $29 and children 12 and under dine for $15. Reservations are recommended and can be arranged by calling Coleman Brook Tavern at (802) 228-1435.

Okemo offers a variety of ways to burn off all those Thanksgiving Dinner calories. Lifts start turning at 8 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the season.

On Nov. 28, the Saturday following Thanksgiving, the First Annual Okemo Trot it Off 5k and Tots’ Trot will start at the Jackson Gore Round House. The 5k race is perfect for an avid runner or a family looking to get a little extra exercise on Thanksgiving weekend. The entry fee is $25 for adults and $15 for kids under 12. All proceeds support the Vermont Fuel Dealer Association’s Patch Chit Neighbor-in-Need Fuel Assistance Program. Participants will receive a t-shirt with their entry. The Tots’ Trot, a kids’ fun race, will take place just before the 5k. The course will circle the Jackson Gore Inn with a finish line through the stone archway. A post-race awards ceremony will take place in the Jackson Gore Roundhouse. Registration opens at 8 a.m. The Tots Trot Kids Fun Race begins 9 a.m. The Trot it Off 5k starts at 9:30 a.m.

Also on Nov. 28, skiers and riders can strut their stuff at The Killarney What-I-Learned-This-Summer Rail Jam. This competition, open to skiers and snowboarders of all ages, encourages participants to showcase the new tricks they learned over the summer. The entry fee is $20. Registration is scheduled from 8 to 10 a.m. in the Okemo Clock Tower Base Lodge mezzanine. The competition starts at 11 a.m. and the best trick wins $200.

Okemo Season Passholders will gather in the Great Room of the Okemo Clock Tower Base Lodge later that same evening. Festivities with food, fun and a skiwear fashion show are by invitation only for Okemo skiers and riders who have purchased their season pass for 2009/2010.

More information may be obtained by calling (802) 228-1600 or by visiting okemo.com.