Spring in Anchorage isn’t just about extra daylight and warmer vibes, it means it’s pond-skimming, costume-wearing, slush-splashing season! Whether you’re planning a getaway or a local spring break adventure, this is how Alaska shows off its playful side. From Girdwood to Anchorage, each of these ski areas sits in the stunning Chugach Mountains, where rugged peaks and ocean views set the stage for all the action. 

Hilltop Ski Area: Sink or Skim Pond Skim — Anchorage 

Right in town, Hilltop Ski Area brings spring to life with its annual Toyota Sink or Skim Pond Skim event, a celebration of ski season’s last hurrah. Competitors in costumes cruise down the hill and launch themselves across a shallow icy pool, hoping to skim across without sinking. Some make it. Many don’t.  

Crowds gather shoulder to shoulder along the entire run, cheering on their favorite thrill seekers. Live music from local bands, food from Finn’s Kitchen, and community turn out make this a favorite local event.

Arctic Valley Ski Area: Merry Marmot Festival — Anchorage 

At Arctic Valley Ski Area, The Merry Marmot Festival mixes ski and fat tire bike races, snow tubing, music, food, and the “Dummy Launch”, where homemade rigs are launched into air for style points and laughs with family-friendly activities, live tunes, and a taco bar!

Alyeska Resort: Spring Carnival & Slush Cup — Girdwood 

This isn’t your average end-of-ski-season party, it’s a rite of spring. Each April, Alyeska Resort transforms into a hilarious playground of weekend events. The highlight? The Alaska Airlines Slush Cup where skiers and snowboarders decked out in wild costumes bomb downhill building speed to fly across a chilly man-made pool. It’s a mix of ski prowess, wild costumes, and crowd cheers as these daredevils either glide triumphantly or hilariously belly-flop into the water.  

But there’s so much more: an “Idiot Swim” where brave souls take a dip in icy water, a vendor village with snacks, live music at the Sitzmark Bar & Grill, and a costume contest the night before that turn the whole weekend into a festival.