Sugarloaf Reggae Fest turns 25
Sunscreen and sunglasses go together like spring skiing and Sugarloaf's Reggae Fest. The biggest on snow music event in Maine, and New England for that matter, turns 25 this year. For a quarter of a century, this northern ski resort has transformed into Jamaica North, with island bands playing live music all day and night, Rastafarian dress, sunshine, and soft snow. It's a rite of spring that rocks for skiers. The lifts spin, the bands and beer flow, folks dressed in tie dye and dreadlocks dance, and there is a "one world" vibe at this one mother of a mountain.
Reggae Fest predates social media, facebook, and instagram. Back in 1992, a few 100 people listened to a band on a deck. Now the mountain music festival draws over 10,000 people, and eight big-name bands that play day and night, April 11-14.
To commemorate this silver anniversary, Sugarloaf is giving a free trip to Reggae Fest to one winning photo in their #RoadtoReggae promotion. In this social media show down, Sugarloaf will award one Reggae Fest getaway for four people including a two-day ski and stay package with lift tickets and concert tickets.
Want to go to Regga Fest free with your three bffs? Enter the #RoadtoReggae giveaway by posting a photo to Instagram featuring the Sugarloaf logo, using the #RoadtoReggae hashtag.
Every Sugarloaf photo posted to Instagram that is tagged with the #RoadtoReggae will be on display in the Sugarloaf Blue Room, so you can view all of the entries throughout the contest, which ends on April 6. The winning photo, selected at random, will be announced April 8, you must be 21 to enter.
Over the years Reggae Fest conditions have ranged from wall to wall snow coverage and snowfields (that's looking good for this year) to skinny ribbons of remaining snow, and weather has been everything from snow to rain to glorious sunshine at the Loaf. You never know what you are going to get, but many folks go for the music show, not the snow, leaving the slopes fresh for early risers. Base depths are big this season, so the skiing should be awesome - "jah man." And what better après ski than the Sugarloaf beach with live reggae bands playing? Snap a good pic of the classic Loaf logo and you could be skiing, staying and dancing for free with your three buddies at Sugarloaf's 25th Reggae Fest.
See you on the slopes mon!
Photos by Greg Burke
Contributors
Eric Wilbur is a lifelong recreational skier who spends most of his winter and spring in the mountains of New England. He does not ski in jeans. You can read more of Eric's work here.
Heather Burke is an award winning ski journalist with over a decade of ski news coverage. As a former ski instructor and a ski parent, she knows the ski biz from the inside out. She and her family visit New England ski resorts, as well as the West and Canada, to report on the latest trends and their best family finds. Her husband Greg takes all the accompanying photos, and their work can be seen at www.familyskitrips.com and www.luxuryskitrips.com.
