Ski Sundown has never opened on a set date. In 2023 the lifts started on December 26, with 10 of 16 trails running, NBC Connecticut reported. The next year, CT Insider reported the resort was set to open Friday, December 13. Last season, FOX61 reported plans to open Friday, December 12, at 4 p.m. That's a two-week spread in three years, and weather and snowmaking set it every time.
The dates with money attached don't move. Season pass prices go up after midnight on Saturday, October 31. The Sundown Ski Patrol Ski Swap's final pickup cutoff for consignors is 2 p.m. on Sunday, November 8. Both deadlines fall within the same nine calendar days, and both come well before anyone in town knows when the first chair will turn.
The Calendar Between Now and the First Chair
Here's what's on the New Hartford calendar from this weekend through the resort's December events.
| Date | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sat., Oct. 24, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. | Lions Club Can and Bottle Drive, no glass | Puddletown Adventures, 186 Main Street, or the Lions Club Cabin at Brodie Park |
| Fri., Oct. 30, 4–7 p.m. | Pumpkin Walk & Carving Contest, free to enter | Main Street |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | Trick-or-Treat on Main; last day for lower season pass prices | Main Street; Ski Sundown online store |
| Sun., Nov. 1 | Season pass prices go up | Ski Sundown |
| Fri.–Sun., Nov. 6–8 | Sundown Ski Patrol Ski Swap | Ski Sundown base lodge |
| Wed., Nov. 11, 11 a.m. | Veterans Day ceremony | Pine Meadow Green |
| Wed., Dec. 9, 5–7 p.m. | Holiday Sip & Shop | Ski Sundown |
Halloween weekend is the busy one. The Pumpkin Walk fills Main Street Friday evening with carving contests in several age categories, games and music. The next day the town holds Trick-or-Treat on Main, and the cheaper pass prices end at midnight. For a household planning a ski winter, that Saturday matters more than any other date before Thanksgiving.
What Midnight on October 31 Is Worth
Ski Sundown's 2026–27 season pass page lists prices for two buying windows:
| Pass type | Bought by 10/31/26 | Bought 11/1/26 or later | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult, 15–69 | $650 | $750 | $100 |
| Junior, 5–14 | $600 | $700 | $100 |
| Child, 4 and under | $275 | $325 | $50 |
| Senior, 70 and over | $210 | $235 | $25 |
The increase is the same $100 for adults and juniors, so it adds up fastest for families. Two adults and one junior pay $1,900 before the deadline and $2,200 after it, a $300 difference for passes that won't be used until December at the earliest. Each first-time pass also needs an RFID Go Card, which costs $5. The resort calls the October price the lowest available and says the pass "pays for itself in ~10 visits."
For skiers who will mostly come on weeknights, the Weekday 8-Pack is another way to do the math. It costs $275 for ages 5 and up and gives eight uses Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. That works out to about $34 a visit. The uses are nontransferable and can't be used on weekends. Daytime skiing is blacked out December 28–31, 2026, January 1 and 18, and February 15–16, 2027, though weekday night skiing still works on those dates. Two 8-Packs cost $550, which is $100 less than an early adult pass, for 16 weekday visits. The adult pass is still the better buy for anyone who expects to ski Saturdays.
Five Days Later, the Base Lodge Becomes a Gear Market
Pass prices go up on November 1, and five days later the base lodge opens for the Sundown Ski Patrol Ski Swap. The patrol calls it one of New England's largest and longest-running swaps. Local coverage was already calling it an annual event in 2012, when the Hartford Courant included it in its roundup of ski swaps.
Sales hours for this year's swap:
- Friday, November 6, 2 to 9 p.m.
- Saturday, November 7, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Sunday, November 8, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The swap takes credit, debit, cash and checks. Mounting and tune-ups are done on the spot, so a pair of skis can leave the lodge ready to use. Friday sales start at 2 p.m., the same hour consignors start dropping off. Gear goes onto the sales floor from the moment the swap opens.
The Consignor's Rules, and the One That Costs People
Selling outgrown gear at the swap works this way. The patrol checks each item to make sure it can be sold, tags it, puts it on the floor, guards it and handles the payment. When it sells, the consignor gets 80% and the patrol keeps 20%. Drop-off hours are Friday 2 to 9 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The patrol's consigning page lists what it accepts:
- Gently used skis, snowboards, cross-country skis and boots in excellent condition
- Clean ski and snowboard clothing
- Other winter sports items, such as boot bags, carriers, snowshoes and race items
And what it turns away:
- Damaged gear, including bindings more than 10 years old and skis or boards with damaged edges
- Dirty or damaged clothing
- Used poles, helmets, gloves and goggles
- Clothing that isn't for winter sports
Sunday afternoon is where consignors lose money. The patrol suggests leaving items on the floor as long as possible and picking them up Sunday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The final cutoff is Sunday, November 8, at 2 p.m. Consignors have to come in person on the last day to collect both unsold items and their check. The patrol doesn't mail checks, and anything left behind, checks included, is treated as a donation. The check is made out to the name the consignor registered under, so that name needs to be one a bank will accept.
The 20% stays on the mountain. The patrol says the swap is its main source of funding, and the money pays for medical supplies, equipment and other things the patrol needs.
The Quiet Weeks Before Opening
After the swap, Ski Sundown's own calendar goes quiet. The resort's operating hours page lists pre-season hours "to Opening Day" but doesn't give a date. OnTheSnow projects December 4, 2026, and says its projected dates aren't all official and may change. The last three seasons opened or were announced for December 26, December 13 and December 12, so this year's opening could come anywhere from early December to after Christmas.
The town's calendar has one fixed event in this stretch. The Veterans Day observance on Wednesday, November 11, starts with breakfast at Regional 7 School, holds its ceremony at Pine Meadow Green at 11 a.m., and ends with lunch at Town Hall.
Back at the mountain, the Holiday Sip & Shop on Wednesday, December 9, runs 5 to 7 p.m. with snacks and drinks. Passholders with a 2026–27 pass get 20% off one item. Depending on the snow, it could be the first evening of the season or another evening before the lifts open.
The Second Set of Deadlines, for Families With Young Skiers
Lessons and kids' programs have their own deadlines, and they run through the opening window. Mountain Adventures lists registration cutoffs of December 21, 2026 for the December vacation session, December 26 for January and January 30, 2027 for February. Families who sign up for the January and February sessions together in advance get 20% off. The age-three 3s on Skis program closes January registration on December 29, 2026.
On the calendar, December 21 comes about a week after the mid-December opening dates announced for the last two seasons, and the January deadline of December 26 is the same calendar date the lifts opened in 2023. Families who wait to see real snow before signing up may find that registration is already closing.
If you're thinking about selling your home this winter and want to know how New Hartford buyers see a house this close to Ski Sundown, Litchfield County Real Estate can help you plan your timing, pricing and presentation with the season in mind. Contact Us to start the conversation.
