Vail Ugly Sweater Fun Run

Lionshead Village, where the run starts and finishes · Photo: Luis Barrera via Google

• When: Sunday, December 13, 2026; 8:30 am start, bib pickup and day-of registration 7:30-8:30 am
• Where: Bart and Yeti's, Lionshead Village, 553 E Lionshead Cir, Vail, CO 81657
• Cost: $9 entry plus a donation of food or a new, unwrapped toy (cash donation suggested at $10 if you bring neither)
• Organizer: Vail Recreation District

Get TicketsOfficial Event Page

The Vail Ugly Sweater Fun Run is a non-competitive holiday run through Lionshead and Vail Village on Sunday, December 13, 2026, starting at 8:30 am from Bart & Yeti's in Lionshead. The Vail Recreation District runs it as a fundraiser: entry is $9 plus a donation of food or a new, unwrapped toy.

Pick the 5K or the 3K, wear the worst holiday sweater you own, and bring the family and the dog. Santa leads the runners through town on a bike, and there are prizes for the best outfits by individuals, teams, kids and dogs.

The course

Both routes leave Bart & Yeti's, run along Meadow Drive past Dobson Arena and the Vail Public Library, and loop through Vail Village before returning to Lionshead. The 5K adds a climb along Forest Road and a lap of Bridge Street and Gore Creek Drive. An aid station serves water and hot chocolate. Spectators can cheer from anywhere on the course; the organizers suggest Checkpoint Charlie or the Solaris plaza and ice rink.

Registration and donations

Register online through the Vail Recreation District; online sign-up closes at 8 pm on Saturday, December 12. Day-of registration and bib pickup run from 7:30 to 8:30 am at Bart & Yeti's. Bring non-perishable food or a new toy when you collect your bib. Donations go to The Community Market, run by the Eagle Valley Community Foundation, and a local toy drive, and all entry fees are donated too.

After the run

Runners get a free breakfast burrito, breakfast beer and hot chocolate at the Bart & Yeti's after-party, plus a raffle; you must be present to win. The closest parking is the Lionshead Parking Structure or the Red Sandstone Parking Garage.

Details checked against the Vail Recreation District's official event page on September 28, 2026. Dates and times can change; confirm with the organizer before you go.