REASONS TO CELEBRATE

Face painting and beads are the order of the day for Mardi Gras. Parades, snow sculpture contests at chair lifts, creole food, Cajun BBQ and a free concert by March Fourth Marching Band, Thursday-Tuesday, Feb. 4-9. Embrace the Celtic within you on St. Patrick’s Day and don a little green for the day, Thursday, March 17. Look for drink and food specials across town and on the mountain. Torchlight parade and fireworks at night at the Steamboat Ski Area.

SPRINGALICIOUS

Finish ski season in raucous style with annual wild and wacky events throughout the last week, culminating with a final day free concert, Friday, April 1-Sunday, April 10.

36th Cardboard Classic: Slip and slide downhill in a makeshift vessel creatively made out of cardboard and tape. Take part or watch the craziness from the sidelines. Saturday, April 9.

Splashdown Pond Skimming Competition: Seeing is believing on closing day. Skiers and boarders, dressed in anything from bikinis to fur coats, cause a splash at the base of the ski area. Skill and crowd participation decipher the winner. Sunday, April 10.

BOOGIE ON

Click off skis or unstrap the snowboard and secure a spot at base of the ski area during Bud Light Rocks the Boat Free Concert Series. Bands begin playing at 3:30 p.m. www.steamboat.com / 970-879-6111

Saturday, March 5 – Afrolicious: The live/electronic collective based in the San Francisco bay area mix soulful dance music. Before forming the band they started out as a club night at the famed Elbo Room in The Mission District in 2007. 

Saturday, March 12 – Magic Giant: This indie folk band brings banjo, mandolin, fiddle, upright bass, acoustic guitar and vocals to the stage. 

Saturday, March 19 – Goonies: The four piece ’80s rock band from Boulder has a reputation for phenomenal guitar solos and taking their audience back in time. 

Saturday, March 26 – Jakubi: Australian band Jakubi blends jangly guitars, hip hop beats and sailing synth rhythms in their own experimental style. 

Saturday, April 2 – Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad: Hailing from New York, this American jam reggae band interchanges sounds between lyrically driven to psychedelic roots. 

Saturday, April 9 – Ozomatli: A multi-cultural, Grammy-award winning band, Ozomatli blends electro-cumbia, garage rock, hip-hop and Perez Prado mambo.