Susan Greenwood 

Five of the best late-season ski festivals

The best ski resorts never close quietly … from dance farewells to comedians, BBQs and bizarre sports to late powder, we pick the best ways to sign off on the slopes
  
  

Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival in Whistler
Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival in Whistler. Photograph: Mike Crane Photograph: Mike Crane

The Big Snow Festival, Sauze d'Oulx, Italy

25 March–1 April
The Big Snow Festival has found a home in Sauze d'Oulx for 2012, with a lineup including Judge Jules, Eddy Temple Morris and Hot City. So, after days skiing across the 400km of piste hereabouts, make sure you've got some strength left for a lot of dancing.
nomud.com/the-big-snow-festival-overview.aspx, tickets from £95

Altitude Comedy Festival, Mayrhofen, Austria

26-31 March
Not strictly an end-of-season event, but close enough. And if you'd rather face down April with some laughs, as opposed to dance music, this is a corker. Jimmy Carr, Ed Byrne and Marcus Brigstocke are in the lineup.
altitudefestival.com, five-day pass £158, day passes £44

Winter Sessions Weekender, Chamonix, France

30-31 March
Acts include Zero 7 and Norman Jay. The carnival air is stoked with daytime BBQs, snowboard and ski races, bake-offs and other antics as you'd expect at the close of a ski season.
wintersessions.net, £65+ booking fee

Spring Back to Vail, Colorado, US

9-15 April
This lively seven-day event in the Rockies combines live music acts, ski and snowboard competitions (including the infamous world pond-skimming championships), and – if the past few years are anything to go by – spring powder days.
springbacktovail.com, most events are free

Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

13-22 April
This huge 10-day event – a mix of racing, culture and music – means that when the end comes no one is going out quietly. Films, concerts, exhibitions, parties and even a dog parade are some of your options, while the mountains of Whistler Blackcomb have decent spring snow.
wssf.com, variable ticket prices – many events are free

 

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