Inside Big Snow, there is an area called "The Park" for snowboarding, and a trail called the "Lil' Dipper" which is marked as their easiest. There's also an area where people can just enjoy playing in the snow without skiing or snowboarding.
As the rest of the state rings in the unofficial start of summer, the folks at Big SNOW — the indoor ski and snowboard park at American Dream — will be celebrating the return to the slopes.
Big SNOW will officially welcome guests back to their 16-story, 180,000 square foot facility inside the mega-mall at the Meadowlands on Friday, May 27.
It has been closed since a predawn electrical fire that started near the top of the slope and put the business on ice while it waited for materials and repairs to be completed.
“We are excited to reopen Big SNOW to guests this Memorial Day Weekend,” said Trish McLeod, Director of Resorts Marketing & Sales, SNOW Partners. “We thank our visitors and team for their patience as we’ve worked diligently to resume the full operation of the facility. We are appreciative of all the hard work that has gone towards this reopening and look forward to welcoming guests back to our slope where we offer endless winter fun right here in New Jersey.”
Big SNOW initially expected to reopen after Halloween and then it said in early 2022. The delays were largely caused by navigating its insurance companies to obtain approvals and funding for repairs to the fire suppression system. The pipe for that system also had to be fabricated and shipped, which took time, a Big Snow representative said.
The frigid park will open from 1 p.m. until 9 p.m. and will host a snow-studded beach party with a DJ, live ice sculpting, complimentary photo shoot sessions, giveaways and the chance to meet and ride with athletes from Burton.
The ceremonial “first chair” for the reopening will honor members of the fire departments that responded to the blaze that caused the shut down. Discounted tickets will also be available to responding firefighters and their families who want to hit the slopes this summer.
“We are tremendously thankful for the quick response and efforts made by the local fire departments last fall,” McLeod said.
Big SNOW is geared toward first-timers and those who want to ski or snowboard in the offseason. They offer packages that include ski or snowboard rentals, outerwear and access to a learning area with instructors.
Tickets for a 2-hour session start at $39.99 and can be purchased online.
Big SNOW, North America’s first real-snow ski and snowboard park, opened in December 2019 with three slopes that are buried in two feet of snow and kept at a consistent 28 degrees. It’s located inside American Dream, the 3.3 million square foot shopping, entertainment and dining complex in East Rutherford.
The reopening of Big Snow coincides with some new initial openings at American Dream. Last month it’s long-awaited, 300-foot Dream Wheel opened. And this week it announced the opening of a new attraction The Escape Game; new restaurants Illy Caffè and Mr. Mian Noodle House; and new shopping options with Intimissimi, Well U and Johnston & Murphy.
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Allison Pries may be reached at apries@njadvancemedia.com.
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