Come check out Snowstar at our annual Fall Festival and Ski Swap extravaganza!
Andalusia, IL – Snowstar Winter Park, the Quad Cities area popular alpine ski, snowboard and snow tubing winter playground will hold its annual Ski Swap & Fall Festival on Saturday, November 5th. All proceeds benefit the Snowstar Ski Patrol. LOCATED AT: 9500 126th Street W., Andalusia, IL 61232.
Media is encouraged to visit on Friday, November 4th after 4:00 p.m. to observe the setup and help promote the event and of course throughout the day Saturday, November 5th.
“This is the kick-off event for our up-coming winter season”, said Dan McCanna, General Manager.
We invite guests to bring in their used equipment to trade in, trade up or sell! This is the perfect chance to upgrade ski and snowboard gear for the coming winter season.
No equipment to sell? That's okay too! We'll have retailers with new equipment and gear as well so there are great deals for everyone whether they're looking for new or used items!
Want more than just a shopping trip? Guests can bring their family and join us for a free scenic lift ride, enjoying beautiful views of the fall foliage. Don’t forget to grab lunch at our outdoor BBQ and enjoy live music. Also, the Snowstar house band the SnoKats will perform and our friends from Creekside Vineyards will be sampling their locally made wine as well as selling glasses to enjoy!
“Snowstar Ski Patrol has a long history of hosting the Ski Swap and many of our medical and emergency equipment and support items are purchased from the proceeds generated at the event”, said Neil Hamilton, Ski Patrol Representative.
“Our Ski Patrol works tirelessly volunteering many hours to ensure that Snowstar’s slopes and trails are safe and enjoyable,” said Dan. “Each individual patroller must pass stringent medical and safety training as directed by the National Ski Patrol,” he further stated.
Neil said, “This is our only way of generating financial support to pay for many items that are critical to Ski Patrol.” He continued, “We are a non-profit organization and without this event, we would not be able to provide many of our safety and medical services.”
Drop-off
Gear can be dropped off the morning of the Ski Swap, Saturday, November 5th, beginning at 7:30 a.m. and ending at 9:00 a.m. (drop off only, no shopping.)
Guests can bring in ski and snowboard equipment and fill out a form with the description and value. The cost is $1 to submit an item. When the item sells, 15% of the sale price goes toward Snowstar Ski Patrol Fund.
Swap Hours
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Swap & Shop Hours: 9-3 p.m.
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Ski lift ride will run: 10-1 p.m.
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Outdoor BBQ: 11-1 p.m.
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Snowstar’s House Band, The SnoKats will perform: 11-2 p.m.
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Creekside Vineyards wine tasting: 11-2 p.m.
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Pick up unsold gear and/or collect money: Begins at 3 p.m.
*This is also the final day to purchase a reduced rate Season Pass. You don't want to miss out!
Earlier this fall Snowstar also announced a partnership with top area pizza restaurant Happy Joe’s, to place a full service PIZZAGRILLE inside Snowstar’s Lunar Lounge. This new facility will offer a specifically selected menu of classic Happy Joe’s pizzas as well as some interesting new menu options exclusive to the Snowstar location. This partnership is aimed at expanding Snowstar’s scope of business and quality food and fun.
Happy Joe's will be opening its new PIZZAGRILLE located at Snowstar Winter Park, 9500 126th Street West, Andalusia, Illinois, when the park opens for winter business. Happy Joe's is celebrating their 44th anniversary this year and in order to stay current, this new location will showcase the newest evolution of branding and food selection for the company.
This location will support a new ski and snowboard decor, a full-grille menu, carry-out and seating for up to 360.
“As we approach our 35th year of operation, Happy Joe’s PIZZAGRILLE was one of those opportunities that just made sense across the board,” said Dan McCanna. He continued, “[Snowstar] has obviously faced a few serious obstacles, but we feel this is a huge win, not only for us, but for our guests and the Andalusia community as a whole.”
This move combines two well-known brands in food & beverage and family entertainment.
Snowstar and Happy Joe’s will be offering some of the Joe’s menu items at a ribbon-cutting ceremony when we open for business in December.
About Snowstar Winter FUN Park
Snowstar Winter Park the Quad Cities ONLY Winter Park Featuring Alpine Skiing, Snowboarding, Freestyle Terrain Park, Shooting Star Tube Hill and Full Food & Beverage Offering.
Opened in the winter of 1981-82 and located at Coal Creek Valley above the Mississippi River, Snowstar Winter Sports Park is a family oriented resort located in Andalusia, IL. They offer a wide variety of trails and terrain park features, which are sure to satisfy snow skiers and snow boarders of all abilities. Their tube hill is now 11 lanes wide, and is serviced by a customer-friendly magic carpet making it easy to enjoy ride after ride down the hill. Tom Rexroth and his parents were original snow ski pioneers and investors in launching Snowstar.
Elevations
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Valley Floor: 528 ft.
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Summit: 790 ft.
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Vertical: 262 ft.
Skiable Terrain – 28 Acres
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25% Beginner
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50% Intermediate
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25% Advanced
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Longest Run – 3/4 Mile
Average Length of Season
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Early December through mid-March
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Typically 75 days
Shooting Star Tubing Hill
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10 lanes
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68’ vertical drop
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500’ runs
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Serviced by Magic Carpet
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New warming hut
Terrain Features
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This year’s Park will be bigger & better offering more features and jumps than ever before.
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Snowstar offers variety of features throughout the entire area which are reshaped and relocated regularly.
Lunar Lodge
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NEW! - Happy Joe’s PIZZAGRILLE featuring classic pizza and all new menu items.
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Rex’s Rendezvous & Lounge
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Two fireplaces
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Heated Patio with cook-outs on sunny days.
Rental Shop
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1,225 Shaped Skis
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275 Snowboards with a variety of bindings
Inside Edge Tune Shop
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Full Service Ski & Board repair and prep
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Wintersteiger Tuning Equipment
Little Dipper Learning Center
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Featuring a Magic Carpet
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Certified Instructors
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Lessons for ALL ability levels
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Private and Group
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Just for Kids Program
Snowmaking
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We are able to provide snow necessary for a 75 – 90 day season.
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Advanced snowmaking system provides unparalleled artificial snow.
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Get more details on our Snow Making & Grooming page.
Lift System – Uphill Capacity 10,500 per hour – assures you of short lift lines!
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Two Quad Chairs
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One Double-Double
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One Rope Tow
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Two Magic Carpets
Stash Retail Shop
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A complete selection of winter apparel, pants, gloves, hats, helmets, and goggles.
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Snowstar Logo wear
Average Annual Snowfall – 38 inches (plus FULL snowmaking capacity)
Ski Patrol – National Ski Patrol Certified Staffing at all times.
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