Send’er November at Winter Park Resort: Start the Ski Season in Colorado
There is something special about the beginning of a ski season in Colorado. The mountain has not yet settled into the rhythm of winter, the first turns of the season still feel new, and there is an unmistakable sense that something is about to begin. At Winter Park Resort, that feeling comes to life during Send’er November, a series of weekend events designed to celebrate the opening weeks of the ski season with skiing, competition, music, giveaways and plenty of mountain personality.
In 2026, Send’er November takes place across three November weekends, from November 14 through November 28, giving skiers and snowboarders several opportunities to make their first laps of the season more memorable. Rather than being a single one-day festival, the event unfolds throughout the month, with different activities scheduled for each weekend.
The setting is Winter Park Resort, 85 Parsenn Road, and the event is listed as free. That makes Send’er November an especially interesting option for travelers who want to combine their first ski days of the season with a little more energy and entertainment on the mountain
What Is Send’er November?
Send’er November is essentially Winter Park’s way of saying that winter has arrived — even if November in the Colorado Rockies can still feel like a transition between seasons. The event combines skiing with playful competitions and activities that give the early season its own personality. In 2026, the program includes the Poker Run, the Pass Holder Lounge at Sunspot Mountaintop Lodge and the Mini Mary Jane Moguls Freeride. Each brings a different element to the weekend, from skiing and competition to live music, giveaways and a more social atmosphere around the mountain.
For visitors, that variety is part of the appeal. You can come to Winter Park primarily to ski, but you can also build an entire weekend around the atmosphere of the resort. November is often about rediscovering the mountain after the summer, seeing what terrain is available, meeting friends for the first runs of the season and enjoying the anticipation of the winter ahead.
And because the event takes place over three weekends, you do not necessarily have to fit everything into one visit.
Send’er November 2026 Schedule
The first weekend begins on November 14, with the Poker Run and the first Pass Holder Lounge.
The Poker Run puts a distinctly Winter Park spin on the traditional card game. Instead of sitting around a table, participants ski the mountain while building their poker hand, combining laps with a little friendly competition and the possibility of cash prizes. The resort describes it as a family-friendly event, making it an accessible way to add some competition to an early-season ski day. The Pass Holder Lounge also begins on November 14 and continues on Saturdays throughout the month at Sunspot Mountaintop Lodge. Season pass holders can participate in drawings, listen to guest speakers and live music, sample new culinary offerings and take advantage of complimentary ski and snowboard waxing.
The second weekend falls on November 21. The resort currently lists the Pass Holder Lounge again, while noting that another Send’er November event for that Saturday will be announced.
Then comes the final weekend on November 28, when the focus shifts toward Mary Jane. The Mini Mary Jane Moguls Freeride invites skiers to take on the mountain’s famous moguls in a playful competition built around style, throwback fashion and personality. The emphasis is not simply on who can ski the bumps fastest; it is about bringing your best run, your best outfit and your best attitude to the mountain.
That gives Send’er November a nice progression: early-season skiing, social activities and competition at the beginning of the month, followed by a celebration of Mary Jane’s unmistakable character toward the end.
Why November Is an Interesting Time to Visit Winter Park
For travelers who normally think of Colorado skiing as a December-through-March experience, November can be an entirely different kind of mountain trip. The season is just getting started, and conditions can vary considerably from one year to another. That is part of the reason an event such as Send’er November works so well. It gives visitors another reason to come to Winter Park at a time when the resort is transitioning into winter and the atmosphere is building toward the heart of the ski season.
It is also a good time to experience the destination before the busiest holiday periods arrive. Instead of waiting for Christmas or a major holiday weekend, travelers can make an early-season trip around skiing, mountain activities and the events taking place throughout November.
If you are planning to attend, however, it is worth checking the resort’s latest operating information, snow conditions and event details before traveling. Mountain conditions can change quickly in Colorado, and the exact terrain and operations available during an early-season visit depend on weather and snow.
Planning a Trip to Send’er November
A November ski weekend in Winter Park is about more than getting to the mountain. Where you stay, how you arrive and how you move around the area can make a noticeable difference in the experience. Winter Park Resort is located at 85 Parsenn Road, and visitors staying in Winter Park, Fraser or nearby mountain communities have several transportation considerations during the winter season. Snow, traffic and changing road conditions can turn what looks like a straightforward mountain drive into a much longer trip, particularly during busy weekends.
For travelers flying into Colorado, private transportation from Denver International Airport to Winter Park can be an attractive alternative to renting a vehicle and handling the mountain drive themselves. A private SUV or car service allows the group to travel directly to its accommodations and arrive ready for the weekend rather than beginning the trip behind the wheel.
For families or groups carrying ski equipment and luggage, the convenience becomes even more noticeable. Instead of coordinating multiple vehicles, parking and winter driving, private transportation can take the group directly between the airport, hotel and Winter Park Resort.
Getting Around Winter Park During Send’er November
Once you are in the area, transportation becomes part of the overall trip planning. Winter Park and the surrounding communities are connected by local transportation, but visitors staying outside the immediate resort area may still prefer private transportation when they need a direct trip to the mountain, especially when traveling with ski equipment or a larger group. For visitors arriving from Denver or Denver International Airport, Winter Park limo service and private transportation can also be arranged around the timing of the trip rather than around a fixed shared shuttle schedule.
That can be particularly useful when the goal is to arrive at the resort early, spend the day skiing and return to your hotel or vacation rental without worrying about driving mountain roads after a full day on the slopes.
Make Your November in Winter Park Count
Send’er November captures something that is difficult to recreate later in the season: the excitement of getting back on the mountain.
There is the first morning when you put on your ski boots again, the first chairlift of the winter, the first run down freshly prepared snow and the realization that another Colorado ski season has finally arrived. Add a Poker Run, a mountain-top gathering, live music, giveaways and a mogul competition on Mary Jane, and November becomes more than simply the beginning of the season.
It becomes part of the experience.
Whether you are traveling to Winter Park for your first ski weekend of 2026–27, meeting friends for the opening weeks of winter or simply looking for something different to do in Colorado in November, Send’er November offers an opportunity to experience Winter Park at the moment when the mountain begins to come alive again. And if you are traveling from Denver International Airport, Denver or another Colorado destination, arranging your transportation in advance can make the journey to Winter Park considerably easier.
Winter Park Limo Service
Great Divide Transportation provides private transportation to Winter Park Resort, hotels and accommodations throughout the area, allowing you to focus on the reason you came in the first place: getting onto the mountain and making those first November laps count.
Private Transportation to Winter Park, Colorado