Carrying a torch: Red River Ski and Summer Area celebrates the season with ski parades, fireworks and a visit from Santa

Red River might not be the only ski area that does some variation of a torchlight parade, but it might very well be the only one that offers the attraction so frequently.

“I think the most unique thing about it is that we do it weekly,” said Reed Weimer, Red River Ski and Summer Area sales and marketing manager. “I’ve tried finding other resorts that do it weekly, and I don’t think I’ve been able to.

Carrying a torch: Red River Ski and Summer Area celebrates the season with ski parades, fireworks and a visit from Santa

“Most of them do it on New Year’s Eve, especially. That’s kind of like the industry standard. You see a lot of resorts doing it on Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve or a few select holidays, but I have not been able to find anybody else that does it weekly. That’s what makes it really unique — that every week there’s at that point a new rotation of guests visiting.”

While the exact origin of the Torchlight Parade is unknown, it’s a long-running tradition that dates back, at the very least, to the 1970s and ’80s. Every Saturday during ski season, skiers and snowboarders — usually around 40 to 50 — descend the mountain with torches in hand to create a memorable visual spectacle. The event concludes with a fireworks show. When Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve don’t fall on a Saturday, additional Torchlight Parades are held on those days.

On a busy weekend, the event can draw as many as 300 to 500 spectators, the majority of which gather in or around The Lift House to enjoy the festivities.

“The Lift House is the hub … That’s where you’re standing at the base of the slope that the Torchlight Parade comes down. But there’s great views all over town, you know, especially on the west end of town,” Weimer said.

Participation is open to the public with one catch: Those interested must take part in a tryout on the day of each event. These are typically led by Red River ski and snowboard school director Cabot White and take place in the early afternoon.

“It’s really fun to participate in — the camaraderie around it,” Weimer said. “Outside of people who work for us, there are a handful of locals that pretty much do it every single week. They don’t miss one.”

There’s even an added bonus at the end of the parade for those who make the cut.

“We have a local who bakes what she calls Torchlight cookies for the participants,” Weimer said. “So each week, she bakes a different cookie. And if you participate, you get a cookie as part of it.”

HE SEES YOU WHEN YOU’RE SKIING: There will be a special guest at Red River on Christmas morning.

At about 10 a.m., Santa will be hitting the slopes, passing out candy canes and posing for photo opportunities with guests. After about two hours, he heads to the Youth Center to greet any children he might have missed. The timing works well in that regard, because that’s about the same time any youth lessons scheduled for that morning will be concluding.

“People love it,” Weimer said. “It’s not, like, set in the sense of, ‘I’ll be at this location here.’ It’s just: people see him, they yell at him. They try to ride the lift with him. That kind of thing.”

The exact identity of the Santa is unknown, but Weimer said he does “quite a bit of skiing” in the hours between 10 a.m. and noon.

“The local who’s been doing it, he’s been Santa every season I’ve been here,” Weimer said. “He can ski well.”