I'm Dreaming of a Snowmass Family Holiday

Have you been following the monthly Families Dream Big vacation giveaways on MyFamilyTravels.com? If not, they're pretty cool, and this month the Big Dreamy Destination is Aspen Snowmass, Colorado.  If you play along, comment on winter sports, check in on Facebook, sign up for the e-newsletter or visit the partner sites www.TakingTheKids.com or www.TravelingMom.com, you get a chance to win.

But we know some of you are already planning to hit the slopes in Colorado this winter. And if you're lucky enough to be in or near Snowmass by New Year's Eve, here's a helpful roundup of the fun holiday activities -- many of them free or very low cost -- that you can expect when you're off the slopes.

From tree-lighting ceremonies to a torchlight parade to Santa’s magical presence, Snowmass is snow-covered in holiday cheer.

Free Kids Crafts  Every Tuesday & Thursday at 3:30-4:30 pm
Kids make free special handmade souvenirs of a Snowmass vacation including picture frames, pillows, and scarves to holiday ornaments.  Meet at the Treehouse Kids’ Adventure Center. 

Free Kids Sing-A-Longs & Storytelling Every Monday & Wednesday at 3:30-4:30pm
Kids gather around the campfire to hear some of the tallest tales in the West by master story tellers and sing with a guitar strumming cowboy.  Free for all ages.  Free s‘mores.

Letters to Santa  December 6-24
If your children have a last-minute Christmas wish, make sure the jolly old fellow hears about it by dropping off a note in his personal mailbox located on the Snowmass Village Mall. Selected letters are published in the local newspaper, the Snowmass Sun.

Maroon Bel Canto Children’s Chorus Christmas Concert December 12, 6pm
The Maroon Bel Canto Children’s Chorus, now in its 3rd season, performs a Christmas Concert at Snowmass Chapel. There is no charge for this heart-warming concert.

Anderson Ranch Arts Center Open House December 13 5pm to 9pm
For art lovers, there is an Open House & Live Art Auction at Anderson Ranch Arts Center (970.932-3181) which includes a tour of the art studios via candlelit walkways with hundreds of luminaries. The event is free and open to the public. Activities include children’s ornament decorating, a trunk show with personal appearances by artists – jewelry, ceramics, paintings and more, a Live auction of select artwork by nationally and internationally known artists to fund the Ranch's amazing work, and if you book ahead, a wonderful holiday dinner in the Ranch Café priced at $20.

Santa's Village & Carolers-a-Caroling  December 21-24, 2pm-4pm
The North Pole comes to the Snowmass Village Mall and Base Village when Santa’s magical village opens to hear the last minute requests of good girls and boys. Complimentary photos with Santa are offered daily. December 23rd and 24th carolers and a barber shop quartet stroll through the mall and Base Village singing favorite Christmas Carols.

Torchlight Parade with Fireworks  December 28 at 5pm
Whether viewer or participant, the annual torchlight parade down Snowmass’ slopes looks magnificently luminous!  Moms, dads and kids ages 8+ are invited to be part of the trail of light down the mountain. Free fireworks after the parade. For more information, stop by the Guest Services Information Desk in the Ticket Pavilion on the Snowmass Mall or call 970.923.0560.

Holiday Events at The Silvertree Hotel December 6-30
From the Loving Tree Ceremony on December 6th to the New Year’s Gala at the Cabaret Room, the Silvertree Hotel (800/837-4255) is decked out for the season.  Enjoy Holiday music in the lobby from December 12th through the 24th, visits with Santa from the 20th through the 24th and Christmas Eve with stories from Santa by the fireplace.  The kids can decorate gingerbread for free on December 23. Local authors, Jill Sheeley and Johnny Boyd tell stories on December 29th and 30th and the kids can decorate gingerbread cookies for free on the 23rd. Celebrate the festival of lights at The Silvertree Hotel. The Menorah is displayed in the lobby with plenty of dreidels and gelt for everyone to enjoy.

Snowmass Chapel December 24 at 7pm and 9pm
The Snowmass Chapel holds two candlelight protestant services with chamber orchestra, Christmas Handbell and Vocal Choirs on December 24 at 7pm and 9pm.  

New Year’s Eve Events for all Ages
Ring in the New Year in Snowmass with gourmet feasts at local restaurants to rockin’ live music and dancing into the wee hours of the night, Snowmass celebrations abound including: Artisan Handcrafted Cuisine and Sage Restaurant and Bar offer epicurean menus, intimate settings, and the ideal romantic way to celebrate the New Year.  The Silvertree Hotel hosts its 20thth Annual New Year’s Eve Party with party favors, champagne, open bar, music, dancing, balloon drop and pizza buffet at midnight.

Panda Family Flies to Scotland for the Holidays

Talk about holiday surprises.  First it was the Ruby Slippers coming to town for a pre-Christmas showcase at New York's toney Plaza Athenee Hotel.  All done up and polished for a High Tea designed to inspire Mother-Daughter Lovefests.  And perhaps a shoe shopping spree at Manolo, Jimmy and Christian's...

Now it's our favorite cuddly, one we loved on our family vacation to China:  the Panda!

Working in conjunction with the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) and the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) in China, two pandas from Sichuan Province in China are being brought to Edinburgh for the pleasure and admiration of zoo-goers.

To make the trip safe and comfortable for them (and that's a must), our trusted FedEx Express will fly them non-stop from Chengdu Airport in China to Edinburgh Airport in Scotland on a specially-chartered Boeing 777F known as the "FedEx Panda Express."

The traveling panda family includes Tian Tian (甜甜, aka Sweetie), an 8-year-old female and Yang Guang (阳光, aka Sunshine), an 8-year-old male panda from Chengdu's Bifengxia Panda Base.  According to FedEx, who's been charged with loading them onto the world's largest twin-engine aircraft (see video this Boeing 777F being transformed for the flight), this is the first time in more than 17 years that giant pandas will reside in the United Kingdom. The UK's last giant panda, Ming Ming, left London Zoo to return to China on October 26, 1994.





Currently, conservationists estimate that only 1,600 pandas remain in the wild. Both Tian Tian and Yang Guang are part of global giant panda conservation programs, designed to increase the panda population.  These pandas are also part of a lucrative "rental" business between the China conservation groups and Western countries, says The New York Times, who can pay millions to have the crowd-pleasing creatures on multi-year contracts in their zoos.

For now, follow the Panda Family Blog  blog.fedex.com/panda-express at We'll come back to you with more of the load in process, family farewell departure and arrival of these two giant pandas soon...  Will there be bagpipes?