Shred, Chill, Repeat: DU Gears Up for Winter Carnival 2025
With the snow piling high and midterms looming, students are ready to let loose and make memories across campus and on the slopes.
A much-loved tradition since 1961, Winter Carnival promises students a perfect mid-quarter blend of cold-weather campus events and mountain fun at Winter Park.
The weeklong event has endured as a hallmark of DU community spirit, with only three interruptions in its decades-long history: a snow shortage in 1981, extreme road conditions in 2020 and a pandemic in 2021.
This year’s Carnival, set for Feb. 3-9, is shaping up to be better than ever, with the most robust lineup in years.
“This is the most events we’ve had planned for a Winter Carnival since 2020,” says Sydney Gutierrez, president of the DU Programming Board (DUPB), the student organization that puts on the event. “We’re trying to bring it back to what it was like pre-COVID.”
To make the Carnival more accessible, DUPB offers scholarships to cover costs for bus transportation, lift tickets and tubing passes, ensuring every student has the chance to participate. Applications for financial assistance can be submitted through Feb. 3.
The weekslong celebration, and especially the weekend getaway at Winter Park, are the perfect place to unwind, hit the slopes and enjoy Colorado’s snowy winter, Gutierrez says. Whether it’s conversations sparked when you’re stuck in line for a chairlift or packing into a room with old friends from freshman year, “you’re all a lot closer by the time you get back,” she says.”
Winter Carnival schedule
On-campus festivities kick off Monday, Feb. 3. The rest of the week includes:
Tuesday, Feb. 4: Live music, chocolate fountains and charcuterie at the Snowflake Social.
Wednesday, Feb. 5: Inflatable hamster ball racing, cookie decorating and more at the Baller Bash.
On Friday, Feb. 7, students will pack up and head to Winter Park for three days on the slopes. If you’re not already a skier or a snowboarder, it’s the perfect time to try it out, says Gutierrez—but if that’s not for you, there’s still plenty to do on the mountain, like her favorite activity, tubing.
Students, faculty and staff can get lift tickets for $80 and tubing tickets for $10 on CrimsonConnect.
On mountain, students can also go to a Friday evening showing of “The Breakfast Club,” make gingerbread houses, and see DU Hockey take on Arizona State University at the Saturday night watch party.
Students who stay on campus can enjoy activities like Saturday’s sip and paint and Sunday’s open skate with the club Figure Skating Team.
Getting to Winter Park
DUPB has a limited number of bus tickets for students traveling to Winter Park. Check Crimson Connect to see if you can still grab a spot.
Alternatively, students can:
Ride the Bustang: Look for the Craig-Denver Outrider Line to Winter Park. Tickets are $11, and the bus runs daily.
Take Amtrak: For $19, the Winter Park Express departs from Union Station and is ADA accessible. The train runs Thursdays through Mondays, and lets you off at the base of the mountain.
Carpool: Riding to the mountains with your friends is a great way to save a few dollars, and it’s way more fun than doing the drive alone.
Where to stay
Students can book accommodations at discounted rates at the Vintage Hotel or the Zephyr Mountain Lodge or Fraser Crossing, which are located at the base of the mountain—and are a perfect way to spend every minute you can on the slopes. Alternatively, grabbing an Airbnb or other rental with a couple of friends is a great way to stay close to the mountain without breaking the bank.
For more information on events, financial assistance or to register, visit DUPB on CrimsonConnect. Check out DUPB on Instagram for updates and more.
