salisbury winter sports assn jumpfest

A family-friendly event, the ski jump fest was a great opportunity to bundle up and venture into the cold! Bonfires and beer (for the adults) helped keep everyone warm. We made lots of new friends, learned about the scoring criteria and skill associated with the sport, and enjoyed a day romp around downtown Salisbury!

All volunteeer group, year in, year out produce a great weekend of ski jumping competition for the jumpers and the community. Plus, lots of differnt activities to compliment the jumping. Over 5,ooo people can't be wrong showing up year after year! Salisbury Connecticut IS ski jumping!

In the remote northwest corner one would not expect to find a world class nordic ski jump facility but this little town thinks big! The annual SWSA (Salisbury Winter Sports Association) annual Jumpfest is a fabulous winter sporting event. It is supported throughout the year with other notable happenings, such as the October "Brew-ski" offering 35 different breweries tastings and chili cook off, at the base of the jumps. A beautiful setting and a terrific organization.

Bring some friends, chairs, blankets, hats and gloves. Oh and don't forget the bourbon or your cold weather beverage of choice and a few cowbells to help cheer on the jumpers. If you have never been to a ski jump before than this is an easy must see event at least once. The event is called JumpFest Winter Festival. Usually held in February. This event is a 3 day event with wine tasting, bourbon tasting, ice sculptures and other activities. The main jump event is on Sunday from 1pm to 6pm. They had 2 big bonfires going in case you need to warm up and some food and beer, as well. This event is only around 5 hours. Bathrooms are the portable types. It is close to the downtown area which has many small stores and food options. Parking is in a field and you must walk to the jumps through the woods on cleared dirt road. It was not bad, but if it was warm out it could have been a little messy. There are a few nice towns nearby and a few B&B's or inns if you want to stay the night. We stayed at a B&B the night before. Millerton, NY is near and we had breakfast at a diner in town.

The Ski Jump is a hidden gem. Over 85 years old a group of volunteers puts on a ski Jump festival each Feb. It has the feel that you are in Vermont or Maine even though you are only 2 hours from NYC.