Well we’re just under 4 weeks out from this year’s rendition of Castle Mountain Resort’s Huckleberry Festival; our 22nd annual at that! We’ve been getting lots of questions and comments about the changes to this year’s festival, so we thought we’d highlight a number of them to prepare you for what’s to come!
Huckleberry Chair to spin both Saturday and Sunday
While locals have been making a weekend out of Huckleberry Fest for years, we’ve enhanced our programming so that there’s something to do from Friday evening, straight through to Sunday afternoon. This year the Huckleberry Chairlift will be uploading guests from 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM both Saturday and Sunday; double your berry picking pleasure!
Take a hike!
This spring, our resort teamed up with the Castle Mountain Community Association to mark a number of hiking trails that have been popular with locals for years! Enjoy signed / marked routes to popular locations such as Paradise Lake and Haig Lake, or challenge yourself with a romp to the summit of Gravenstafel Mountain (our main mountain). On Sunday morning, at 10 AM, you can even join a local hiking lead who will show you the way to Haig Lake tucked beneath the awe-inspiring summit of Haig Mountain. Learn more about our trail network and download our trail guide with a quick click.
More live music
With an extra day of spinning the chairlift, it was only natural that we bolster our live music program. This year we’ll take in music from Elk, Run, & Riot, Tin & The Toad, The Tumbleweeds, and Erin Ross. Live music gets underway at 9:00 PM on Friday night at the T-Bar Pub & Grub, with the last act finishing up at 3:00 PM on Sunday afternoon.
Breaking down barriers w/ the “all-access pass”
While accessing the festival grounds is still completely free of charge, we’ve got a brand new option for those who are looking to really maximize their Huckleberry Festival experience this year. Enter the Huckleberry Fest “all-access pass”! Starting at $49 (children 6 – 12) and only $69 for adults (13+) you can enjoy unlimited rides on the Huckleberry Chair, a slew of meals, and a souvenir pass. When you’re done, throw it up on the bulletin board next to all those Castle season passes you’ve had since back when neon was “in”. The all-access pass is a limited time offer, available online, in advance ONLY. Once they’re gone, they’re gone! Buy it here.
Family friendly as always
Huckleberry Fest has always been lauded for it’s family friendly nature. We’ve booked the bouncy Castle for an extra day and continue to book musical acts which are decidedly “PG” in nature. Face painting is also back and spans both Saturday and Sunday. Alpenland will be having a Summer Sale here at their on mountain location on both Saturday and Sunday. They are bringing their friends from Specialized Bicycles along to let you demo some of their amazing E-Bikes. Stroll our vendor marketplace with the kids on Saturday and grab them a snack at one of our food truck partners on Sunday. After a day of berry picking and snacks, we’re pretty sure they’re going to sleep like a rock!
For a full run down of Huckleberry events, download the Huckleberry Festival 2017 Schedule.
I have a question. Will there be already picked Huckleberries available at some kind of market at this festival?
If so, do you have to buy the pass to get to these already picked huckleberries?
Hi Jo-Ann,
Great question! Generally there are no huckleberries available for purchase at the event; it’s up to each individual to get out there and pick for themselves. The all-access pass is not required to enjoy our market or base area activities but can be beneficial if you’re looking to enjoy meals and scenic chairlift rides. You can click on https://store.skicastle.ca/ItemList.aspx to purchase, if you’d like!
All the best,
Cole
How high on the mountain does the chairlift go, and do you have to hike back down? Asking because we will have little kids with us.
Hi Dana,
Great question! The Huckleberry Chairlift (the only lift in operation this weekend) takes you to the base of Haig Ridge, which is an elevation gain of a bit more than 1000 feet. In reality this is less than half of the height of the tallest point of our mountain but it would still be a 2 km hike back down to the base. Hiking is not your only option though as downloading on the chairlift is also possible! The choice is yours; hike it down or ride the lift!
We hope to see you this weekend!
Cole
Hi, can we use our season pass to ride up the mountain for the fest?
Hi Maja,
Thanks for your message. Unfortunately season passes do not include Huckleberry Fest lift access. Single ride tickets will be available both Saturday and Sunday and uploading hours for the Huckleberry Chairlift are from 10 AM to 2:30 PM each day. Adults (13+) are $19, children (6-12) are $14, and children 5 and under are FREE!
Hope to see you here!
Cole
Is the event dog friendly?
Hi Jamie,
It sure is. However, please ensure your dog(s) are leashed at all times, should you come up this weekend!
Hope to see you here!
Cole