UPFRONT AT BLUE
Shane Cloutier performs at the Mill Pond.
BLUE MOUNTAIN VILLAGE ASSOCIATION/RICHARD ROTH
The Return of Summer Details you need to know about events at Blue this green season
With stay-at-home orders, business shut-downs, kids learning online and their grown-ups working from home, it was not a typical winter or spring. All that screen-time had us longing for the warm, endless days of summer—cottaging, beach-combing, time in and on the water and, if we behave, get-togethers with a few besties. Summer 2021 also brings with it the return of events and concerts at Blue Mountain Resort: a much-needed outlet for anyone longing for the outdoors and community. Bringing back the full Blue means leveraging the outdoor space and resources in the Village and on-mountain. Public and employee safety still remain top priority. Granted, there remains some grey areas around the reopening plan as the return of events is dependent on public health and the provincially staged plan, and exactly how Blue Mountain activities fall within the plan. But Blue remains optimistic that events and concerts will take place this summer. It will just look a bit different from previous years.
VILLAGE EVENTS Live music will be back in the Village. Performances will take place in intimate yet physically distanced, controlled seating venues with safety protocols in place. These include the Subaru Mill Pond Gardens beside Northwinds, the Subaru Stage in the events plaza and the new Coca-Cola floating stage on the Mill Pond. Restaurant terraces surrounding the Mill Pond will provide front-row seating. Guests also have the option to enjoy a casual grab-and-go meal and head to one of the venues to enjoy complementary live music. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Local solo performers and duets will be in the spotlight this year, a contrast to the large concert gatherings seen in the past at the events plaza. It will be intimate but at a distance. In line with the times, there remains some uncertainty around scheduling. “The plan for this year is to have live music every evening. The schedule will not be widely promoted but performances can be found on the Blue Mountain Village
app. Stay up-to-date on events by turning push notification on,” suggests Patti Kendall, Director, Marketing and Events for the Blue Mountain Village Association. There will also be pop-up performances, roaming performers and mobile scavenger hunts geared to entertain hotel guests and day visitors. Performances and concerts are the perfect complement to hiking and dining, providing guests with the full Blue experience. Performances are anticipated to start in early July. MOUNTAIN EVENTS Blue is gearing up for the return of mountain events with a focus on outdoor on-mountain races and drive-in style performances. This year will focus on trail running and hiking-based activities where participants can be outdoors and spaced out. Race events on Blue’s enhanced on-mountain trail network will be staged with individual starts and chip-timing to give people the ability to spread out and prevent large gatherings at the start and finish line. Some of 17
