Throughout December, the holiday spirit settles over Sun Valley Resort, transforming our Village into a picturesque Winter Wonderland…

You can hear it in the melodies sung by the Sun Valley Carolers as they stroll through our European-style Holiday Market stalls, and you can see it sparkle in the ceremoniously lit Christmas Tree. The holiday spirit glows in the torchlights that parade down Dollar Mountain on Christmas Eve and ring out in the fireworks that signal the coming of Christmas Day. From photo-ops with Santa Claus to festive movie nights at the Opera House, experience the timeless magic of the holidays at Sun Valley Resort.

Memorial Day Ceremonies Scheduled in Ketchum and Hailey

Memorial Day ceremonies scheduled in Hailey and Ketchum on Monday are set to bring valley residents together to honor men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.

The 23rd annual Hailey Memorial Day Ceremony is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. on Monday, May 27, at the Hailey Cemetery. A memorial wreath will be placed on the Blaine County Veterans monument in the Hailey Cemetery, and flags from the individual branches of the armed services will fly from dawn to dusk.

The Mountain Home Air Force Base Honor Guard and the Idaho Army National Guard will be in attendance for the event, and pilots from the 124th Fighter Wing, stationed in Boise, will conduct a flyover. Members of the Caritas Chorale and The Boise Highlanders bagpipe band will perform music for the ceremony, said Geegee Lowe, a member of the Hailey Memorial Day Committee.

“Memorial Day is a reminder to always set aside time in our lives to honor the great sacrifices that the men and women of the Armed Forces made and continue to make to defend our way of life,” Lowe said. “We must never forget and work to be worthy of the sacrifice they made and continue their dream they fought for.”

Light refreshments will be served after the event from 1-2 p.m. at the gazebo.

The American Legion David Ketchum Post 115 will also host its annual Memorial Day ceremony at the Ketchum Cemetery on Monday at 11 a.m. Sun Valley Mayor Peter Hendricks will be its guest speaker.

On Bald Mountain, 85 years of world-class ski racing

U.S. Alpine Championships return to Sun Valley for fourth time in last decade

For the fourth time since 2016, locals and visitors will have the thrill of watching America’s most competitive skiers carve turns down Bald Mountain in the U.S. Alpine Championships.

The racing event—the culmination of a two-year contract between U.S. Ski & Snowboard (USSA) and Sun Valley Resort—will draw spectators to the Warm Springs side of the mountain March 20-24. For many athletes, it will be their final chance to claim spots on the U.S. Ski Team.

The three disciplines on display this year are slalom, giant slalom, and super giant slalom, or “super-G.” Slalom competitors will attempt to finish two shorter runs with gates closely spaced, while giant slalom competitors will aim for two mid-length runs with gates placed further apart. Super-G competitors will take one longer, faster run from Upper Warm Springs to Upper Greyhawk through gates spaced further apart than they’d be on a giant slalom course.

https://www.mtexpress.com/wood_river_journal/special_sections/on-bald-mountain-85-years-of-world-class-ski-racing/article_2122cd9e-e1d3-11ee-b910-0f787ea3ca6d.html

 The 2023 Sun Valley Jazz and Music Festival dates are October 18 to 22! Five days. Forty Bands. One Million Smiles Attendees from all fifty states, every Canadian province, and several foreign countries gather each October to celebrate live performances of America’s music. The Sun Valley Jazz & Music Festival was birthed out of a love and appreciation for jazz music by Tom & Barbara Hazzard and is held mid-October each year in Sun Valley, ID. Become One of the Thousands of Jazz Fans Who Have Been Delighted Since 1990! This experience of telling the story of “American” music is our passion. Amazing isn’t it? We all get to be part of this history while it’s still in the making. The names that ring through eternity—Armstrong, Ellington, Fitzgerald, Beiderbecke, Goodman, Holliday, Basie, Shaw, Miller, and so many more—have created a legacy of delight that lives on through those of us who participate in this jazz festival. The history of this music echoes the history of twentieth century America. This jazz event is held this year because of your continued support and encouragement. You tell people how much fun it is and that they need to come to Sun Valley.

Saturday, September 2nd, the city of Ketchum will hold its annual Big Hitch Parade, one of the largest non-motorized parades in the Pacific Northwest. This beloved event celebrates the town’s mining history with an impressive display of horse-drawn buggies, carriages, carts, and stagecoaches.

The parade got its start in 1958 as a way to honor Ketchum’s heritage as a mining town in central Idaho. In the late 1800s, large draft horses were vital for hauling heavy ore from the mines scattered throughout the surrounding mountains. The Big Hitch Parade commemorates this by featuring teams of horses pulling a variety of wagons and carts. Some rigs require up to 32 horses all working together!

One of the highlights is the stagecoach, an iconic symbol of the American West. Stagecoaches were essential for transporting people and mail to remote mountain towns like Ketchum in the late 1800s. Visitors can see these preserved coaches pulled by a hitch of six horse teams just as they were over a century ago.

In addition to the horse-drawn vehicles, the parade includes marching bands, dancers, classic cars, and more. Make sure to arrive early to get a good viewing spot along Main Street as the parade steps off at 1 PM. After the parade, stick around for live music, food vendors, and activities for the kids. Spend the weekend exploring downtown Ketchum and Sun Valley, with an array of shops, restaurants, and outdoor recreation just steps from Main Street.

The Big Hitch Parade is a can’t-miss tradition for visitors and locals alike. If you find yourself in Idaho this August, be sure to stop by Ketchum for this beloved annual event that offers family-friendly fun and a glimpse into the area’s pioneering past.

The well-known Sun Valley ice rink has welcomed skaters of all abilities for decades. It first opened in 1936 with the rest of the resort. It has appeared in movies, hosted the world’s most famous figure skaters and is a place many Idahoans have taken a lap (or a tumble).

But this winter, the ice is gone – both on the outdoor rink, as well as the indoor rink next door where the Sun Valley Suns usually play.  No triple axels. No sow cows. No nervous kids learning to skate. But, the rinks will return.

Cooling down

“We are replacing the entire mechanical refrigeration system that services both rinks as well as the floors beneath each ice surface,” Scott Irvine, Ice Operations Manager for Sun Valley Resort, said. “The scope of the project is extensive and we’re thrilled to have it underway.”

The resort closed the rinks in September, according to the Idaho Mountain Express, which forced the cancellation of the final planned outdoor ice show of the summer season. But the paper said the upgrade was already planned to start the next month. The rink reopened for a time in January when the outdoor temperatures were cool.

The work, as viewed late last month by BoiseDev, appeared extensive – with the concrete surface of the outdoor rink entirely removed and work crews preparing the surface for new equipment.

Irvine said the refrigeration and piping system for the outdoor rink date to 1956. The indoor rink opened in 1975. The upgrades should make the year-round outdoor rink, as well as its indoor sister, more energy efficient.

“Modern refrigeration systems are much more energy efficient and reliable than their predecessors,” Irvine said. “Our new system is also capable of providing more refrigeration capacity, which will help us maintain more consistent ice in the warmer months.”

Central Idaho recorded $18.9 million dollars in air transportation from visitors.

KETCHUM, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — The Idaho Tourism Economic Impact Committee gathered Wednesday in Ketchum, to discuss the upcoming fiscal year budget.

“What they do is they look at our marketing programs and they look at what we’re projecting FY-23 year. More importantly it also gives an opportunity for us to reflect on our successes and what direction we’re going for 2024,” said Tourism Manager – Diane Norton.

In Central Idaho, which includes Blaine County, travel spending generated just shy of $408 million dollars, up $78 million dollars from 2020. And 39 million of that went to state and local tax revenue.

“We also try and support our other regions, and sister communities, whether it’s Shoshone, Twin, Jerome or heading north. We get a lot of traffic going through Hailey and we have a welcome center in downtown Hailey. That’s going up to Stanley – going up to Salmon – going up to Middle Fork, we not only like to help promote our community, but give advice to those people coming and going about the cool things going on in Twin or Stanley,” said Mike McKenna – The Chamber of Hailey and the Wood River Valley.

Central Idaho recorded $18.9 million dollars in air transportation from visitors.

The Friedman Memorial Airport in Hailey provides flights to six different cities during peak summer and winter seasons.

“We are one stop to the world because you can fly from Sun Valley to another city to another international destination, we like to say we’re nonstop to six different cities and one stop to the world,” said Carol Waller from the Fly Sun Valley Alliance.

PARK CITY, UTAH (October 10, 2022) – U.S. Ski & Snowboard confirms a two-year deal with resorts in Sun Valley, Idaho, and Waterville Valley, New Hampshire to host the Toyota U.S. Alpine National Championships and the Toyota U.S. Freestyle National Championships through the 2024 season.

“Sun Valley and Waterville have a proven track record of hosting competitions and we could not be more excited to have them on board for the next two years,” says Eric Webster, Director of Events at U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “U.S. Ski & Snowboard is excited to support the organizing committees and look forward to cheering on the athletes, many of whom are currently on the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team rosters.”

From April 2-5, Sun Valley Resort will host the 2023 Toyota U.S. Alpine Championships with both men and women competing in slalom, giant slalom and super-G events. The course in Sun Valley has a storied history of alpine racing, along with technical and challenging terrain, and will feature local U.S. Alpine Ski Team athletes such as Ryder Sarchett, Jack Smith and Dasha Romanov.

“As the first destination ski resort in North America, we are proud to be a location where history and memories are made. We last hosted the U.S. Alpine Championships in 2018, and we are looking forward to welcoming back athletes to our beautiful community, where people have come to enjoy the incredible terrain and experience since 1936,” said Sun Valley Resort Director of Marketing & PR Bridget Higgins. “Sun Valley’s history is steeped in unifying competition and team camaraderie, and we’re looking forward to seeing friendly and healthy competition foster incredible performances. We are so proud that three Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation members are on the team.”

FULL STORY HERE