December in Vail splits into two different trips. The first three weeks are the early season, with lighter crowds, an event calendar that starts in mid-November, outdoor ice rinks and a holiday village in both villages. The Christmas and New Year's weeks are the peak, with a fireworks show on New Year's Eve. If you want the events without peak-week crowds and prices, aim for the first half of the month.
Weather and crowds in December
December is cold and snowy. NOAA's 1991–2020 monthly normals for the Vail weather station, in town at roughly 8,300 feet, put the average high at 28°F, the average low at 7°F and snowfall at 28 inches, with about nine days a month bringing an inch or more. November averages 38°F highs and 26 inches of snow; October, 54°F and 9 inches.
Discover Vail notes that many people do not plan ski trips until holiday time or after, so from mid-November to about the third week of December lift lines are shorter, and it says lodging in that stretch costs less than holiday and peak-season rates. Compare your own dates rather than assuming a saving.
How much of the mountain is open early in the month
Vail Mountain plans to open on November 13 for the 2026–27 season, weather permitting. With snowmaking help, more than 1,000 acres is common on opening weekend, and by mid-December most of the Front Side, more than 3,000 acres, is usually skiable. The Back Bowls depend on natural snowfall, so do not book around them opening on a set date. The Back Bowls guide and the opening-day guide explain how that usually plays out.
December events, 2026–27 season
Vail's winter programming runs under the Vail Àprès banner from November 13 to January 3, and Kringle Crossing, the holiday village, runs November 14 to January 4. These are the December dates for this season; the calendar changes every year.
| Event | Dates and time | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Kringle Crossing holiday village | Nov 14 to Jan 4 | Vail Village and Lionshead |
| Smile with Santa | Dec 6, 13, 20, 21 and 22, 3:30 to 5:30 pm | International Bridge, Vail Village |
| Silent Disco | Wednesdays through Dec 30, 3:30 to 6:30 pm | Lionshead |
| Ice skating shows | Saturdays Dec 5, 12, 19 and 26, 4:45 pm | Lionshead's Arrabelle rink and Vail Village's Solaris Plaza rink; the venue changes by date |
| Stoke Sessions free concert | Friday Dec 4, 4 to 7 pm | Checkpoint Charlie, Vail Village |
| Ugly Sweater Fun Run | Monday Dec 14, 8:30 am | Starts and finishes at Bart & Yeti's, Lionshead |
| Vail Yeti Hockey | Dec 4, 5, 18 and 19, 7:30 pm | Dobson Arena |
| New Year's Eve fireworks | Thursday Dec 31, 6 pm | Visible across the valley floor |
The Ugly Sweater Fun Run is non-competitive, with a one-mile and a 5K option (the 5K is about three miles through Lionshead and Vail Village), and its proceeds go to The Community Market and local toy drives. Yeti Hockey returns this season to the newly renovated Dobson Arena. For the wider holiday picture, see the guides to Christmas in Vail and when Vail decorates for Christmas.
Ice skating
Vail has two outdoor rinks, both with skate rentals and skating-assist devices. The Alderhof Ice Rink is at The Arrabelle at Vail Square in Lionshead Village; the other is at Solaris Plaza in Vail Village. Both run November to April. Dobson Ice Arena in Lionshead is the indoor choice, with public skating sessions and private lessons; the Vail Recreation District posts the schedule.
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Snow days without a lift ticket
- Snowshoeing and Nordic skiing. Snowshoe season runs from mid-November to March, and mid-December to mid-February is the sweet spot for powder. The Vail Nordic Center sets up at the golf course in winter, rents gear and has about 10 kilometers of snowshoe trails. Betty Ford Alpine Gardens runs guided winter snowshoe tours led by a naturalist and offers daily unguided visits. More routes are in the snowshoeing guide.
- Sleigh rides go from November to mid-March at 4 Eagle Ranch in Wolcott, where the ride ends at a dinner in the Nelson Cabin, dating to 1890, and at Bearcat Stables in Edwards. Both are a drive from the villages.
- Tubing and sledding: Sage Outdoor Adventures in Wolcott, about a 20-minute drive from Vail, has two groomed runs and a snowmobile tow to the top. Free sledding hills are at Ellefson Park and Bighorn Park in East Vail.
- Museums and indoor time: the Colorado Snowsports Museum is free and open daily from 10 am to 6 pm on the third level of the Vail Village parking structure, and the Imagination Station in Lionshead is a reservation-based indoor play space run by the Vail Recreation District. The guide to Vail without skiing has more.
Dinner after the lifts close
Restaurants in both villages stay open through the season and fill up in the holiday weeks, so reserve for dinner. Vendetta's, a family-owned Italian restaurant since 1983, and The Red Lion, which has a children's menu, are two easy choices with kids. Browse the Vail restaurants directory and nightlife listings for the rest. If your dates fit November better, see what to do in Vail in November.
