Sydney parties are great and all but have you ever packed a beanie (or two), hit the road and spent an entire weekend partying it up in the snow? Exactly.
And the best part is, the list of epic snow parties in NSW is hefty, which means your icy antics are pretty much never-ending. Helping you navigate the little gatherings to the big blowouts, we’ve gone and done the hard yards for you so you can spend more time skiing, and less time searching.
Here are six of the best parties in NSW to hit across the last few weeks of the 2019 snow season. Pro snow party tip? An Ikon Pass gets you onto the slopes and into the parties.
First Base
Don your best vintage après ski outfits, we’re talking fluro windbreakers, your best 80s style shoulder-padded jumper or just something you found in the back of your dad’s closet that is just begging for a spin around the dance floor. Slide straight in from the slopes or take advantage of the $6 bus from Jindabyne get ready to let loose and warm yourself from the inside out with a nice Canadian Club. There will be a mix of throwback tunes and live sets from DJs including Tom Tilley & Hugo Guzman—this party is the perfect end to a day on the slopes.
When: Saturday 14 September, 2pm - 7:30pm
Where: Alpine Bar, Thredbo Alpine Hotel
Full Moon Party
Head straight from First Base to Thredbo’s Full Moon Party and keep the party going until dawn. Not only is entry free, but the legends at the ‘Bo are throwing in complementary glow in the dark face painting so you can be looking your absolute best. The tunes will be courtesy of some of your favourite DJs including Go Freek, Banquet DJs, Classica and Slippery Trout DJs.
When: Saturday 14 September, 9pm - late,
Where: Keller Bar, Thredbo Alpine Hotel
Mt Buller 80s Day
Grab your leg warmers, find yourself a scrunchie and bust out the blue eye shadow because the 80s are back at Mt Buller. There are prizes to be won throughout the day for best air guitar and best one-piece retro ski suit. Later in the day, the tunes kick-off and the party really gets started at the Bird Cage thanks to DJ Billy Wizz.
When: Saturday 14 September, 11am – late
Where: Mt Buller
Thredbo Oktoberfest
As the season gets slightly warmer get ready to ditch the retro après ski garb and don your lederhosen to celebrate Oktoberfest. Head back to the slopes for a two-day extravaganza with feasts, games, music and many, many steins of beer. Saturday offers a ticketed long lunch for $69 per person with all your favourite German feeds, sausages, schnitzel and a whole heap of pork. Come Sunday it’s all about the party and there’s live entertainment, dancing and most importantly—more beer.
When: Saturday 5 October and Sunday 6 October, 1pm - 6pm
Where: Alpine Bar & The Local Pub
Thredbo Pond Skim
Ah, the traditional end of season pond skim, where after a whole season of skiing on solid water, people gather together to see if they can surf slash skim across a pond. Whether you compete or just spectate there’s a lot of fun to be had. Anyone who manages to skim the length of the pond will make it to the finals where they will be judged on costume, style and crowd response.
When: Sunday 6 October
Where: Friday Flat Slope
Mt Buller Pond Skim National Championships 2019
Mt Buller takes pond skimming incredibly seriously, in fact they’ve got $10,000 worth of cash and prizes available for those who take out the title of best in snow (see what we did there?). For the Pond Skim National Championships, no real athletic ability is truly needed.
When: Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 September
Where: Mt Buller
And while you're here, check out our ultimate guide to all things Thredbo.
Image credit: First Base.