Bear Valley

12/05/2023 - Bear Valley Opens December 9th to Kick Off 23/24 Season!
Bear Valley, CA...We're thrilled to share the exciting news that Bear Valley Mountain Resort is gearing up for the much-anticipated opening of the 23/24 season on Saturday, December 9th! Get ready to experience a new era of Bear Valley - the Bear is Back!



Season Opening Details:
Dates: December 9th & 10th

(Closed 11th-15th), Reopen 7 days a week starting December 16th
Terrain: Limited runs for all skill levels, with dedicated learning areas for beginners.

The first 20 people in line at Mokelumne Express will receive a special one of a kind Bear Valley gift.

OPEN - Chairlifts and Runs:
Mokelumne Express: Moke West & Lodge Run
Cub: Cub Meadow
Panda Carpet: Learning area
Cub Club Carpet: Mikey’s Meadow

Opening Day Schedule:
8:00 am - 4:00 pm: Opening Day Festivities
Ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the "New Era of Bear Valley begins today."
8:00 am - 4:00 pm: Guest Services, Ebbetts Cafeteria, Reba Sports
Complimentary coffee, hot cocoa, pastries, and the latest winter gear.
8:30 am - 4:00 pm: Rentals - Open for ski/snowboard rentals.
9:00 am - 5:00 pm: Monte Wolfe Saloon
Open for ski/snowboard rentals and the bar opens for beer/cocktails.
9:00 am: Lifts Start Spinning

First Chair @ Mokelumne Express
Breakaway banner for the first chair
Ski Lift Chair Giveaway for the first 20 in line at Moke.
11:00 am - 3:00 pm: Sundeck Fun and Santa
Raffle Station @ Cali Pass Tent
Enter for a chance to win new BV Logo hats & shirts. Drawing every half hour.
Visit from Santa himself from 11-3pm with complimentary candy canes.
12:00 pm - 4:00 pm: Wine Tasting on the Sundeck by Stevenot Winery
12:00 pm - 4:00 pm: Live Music on the Sundeck by Daniel Kushnir
4:00 pm - 9:00 pm: Grizzly Lounge, Debut of the new Winter menu.

Mark Your Calendar:
Opening Date: December 9th
Join us as we kick off another incredible season of winter fun at Bear Valley! We can't wait to share the magic of the mountains with you.

See you on the slopes!

11/16/2023 - New Bear Valley Ownership Group to Keynote GABA Fall Social on Nov 16th! Reserve a Spot Today!
Arnold, CA...GABA is excited to announce our speakers for our Nov 16th Fall Social at Sequoia Woods! The event Starts at 6pm. If you have already RSVP’d thank you! If not, please just send us an email back if you can make it. Now for the exciting news! The New Era of Bear Valley will be there to give the businesses on the Hwy 4 corridor an update on their plans. The Ceo Karl Kapuscinski and his wife Audrey will be in attendance along with the following. Tim Cohee- President of Mountain Resorts, Tim Schimke- G.M. of Bear Valley Mountain, Justin Cringle- Director of product development, Hanna Craig- Marketing Director of Dodge Ridge Mt Resort, Myrka Morales- Marketing director of Bear Valley Mountain, Wendy Pauli- Will be working as a BV Representative for HWY 4 Businesses.


Lieutenant Greg Stark will be representing Calaveras county Sheriffs Dept. and will be talking about sex trafficking.

Bring cash to purchase some raffle tickets for our wonderful prizes in our raffle. All prizes are donated from local business. Bear Valley has donated a 4 pack of lift tickets.

You can make your reservation by sending $20 to our Gaba Venmo @G_A_B_A
https://www.venmo.com/u/G_A_B_A

or email Gabaofarnold@gmail.com to RSVP

See you there!

09/09/2023 - Hermitfest West Brings Music Enthusiasts Together with Free Outdoor Concert on Sept. 9!!
Bear Valley, CA...The Ebbetts Pass Scenic Byway Association is excited to invite all to join the15th annual celebration on the pass, fondly known as Hermitfest West in the ballfield at Bear Valley with an all-day music and craft festival Saturday, September 9, from noon to 8 p.m. The event is free to attend, and donations to the association are gratefully accepted. Food trucks, vendors and information booths will line the ballfield. Signage guides to free parking at the South Lot in Bear Valley. Bring your lawn chairs, picnic blankets and warm clothing for the evening.



Live entertainment includes Grover Anderson and the Lampoliers, Cantamos, Bill Welles, Somer Moon, Skull County and Harry and the Hitmen. New this year will be a kid's activity area with games and toys. The annual event has become a highly revered reunion for many locals and families.

For those wishing to stay overnight, camping is available directly adjacent to the ballfield in Forest Service campgrounds (and other nearby campgrounds) or opt to stay at Bear Valley Lodge with a 10 percent discount. Activities continue into Sunday morning with yoga and music.

The event is free to attend in 2023, thanks to the generous donations of sponsors and the tireless efforts of the board and volunteers of the Ebbetts Pass Scenic Byway Association and community partners. Sponsors of this year’s Fest include the U.S. Forest Service, County of Alpine, Bear Valley and Arnold businesses and communities, Cedar Creek Realty and the Calaveras Visitors Bureau.

Ebbetts Pass was designated as a California Scenic Highway in 1971 and honored with National Scenic Byway status Sept. 22, 2005 by the U.S. Dept. of Transportation in Washington D.C. It is one of only eight nationally designated byways in California. The mission of the all-volunteer Ebbetts Pass Scenic Byway Association is to preserve, protect, enhance and promote the unique resources of the byway.

For more information, to volunteer or make a donation, visit scenic4.org.

09/09/2023 - Hermitfest West – Annual Ebbetts Pass Scenic Celebration & Music Festival is September 9th
Bear Valley, CA...We are less than 3 weeks away from Hermitfest West and we have some exciting news! You can now get involved in this annual 15th annual FREE music festival by becoming a volunteer. The Ebbetts Pass Scenic Byway Association (EPSBA) is excited to invite you to join us for our 15th annual celebration on the pass, fondly known as Hermitfest. This year we will again be celebrating in the ballfield at Bear Valley with an all-day music festival on Saturday, September 9th, 2023, from noon-8 pm (but you know the music will likely continue on a bit later).


Thank you again to last year’s event sponsors, Cedar Creek Realty & Dignity Health/Mark Twain Medical Center, as well as the US Forest Service, Alpine County, the community of Bear Valley and all the other sponsors, entertainers, and volunteers, for helping us make our 2022 year a success.

The event will continue to be free to attend in 2023, thanks to the generous donations of our sponsors and the tireless efforts of the board and volunteers of the Ebbetts Pass Scenic Byway Association. (You can see a full list of last year’s sponsors and activities below.)

We’ll be expanding our vendor area this year with more of everything. If you are an artisan maker, food vendor, or family-friendly entertainer (our music lineup is already set for this year), please download our vendor form or contact one of our vendor coordinators to see if you’d be a good fit for our event. Our vendor space is limited, so we’ll look for a variety of unique, handmade, local, and not-so-local items. Feel free to text or email Alex or Christen to discuss your ideas.

As a reminder, alcohol sales are not permitted, and no mass-produced or Hermitfest-branded items will be allowed for sale by vendors except by prior special arrangement with the Byway Association.

2023 Hermitfest Vendor Application – 06.01.2023

If you’d like to contribute funds to help make this event happen, download our sponsor form or head over to PayPal and make a donation of any size. We do have some surprises planned for our donors this year.

2023 Hermitfest Sponsorship Form 05.09.2023

We’ll post updates throughout the summer and hope you can join us in September. Feel free to email us with any questions or ideas you’d like to share or offers to volunteer. We’ll post an online signup about six weeks before the event to sign up for a slot, but we welcome your ideas anytime.

2022 Event Details for Reference

We invite all live music and Ebbetts Pass fans to “Come Play on the Pass” with us and enjoy one of the year’s last free, outdoor, live music events. The centerpiece of our celebration will again be our day-long, live music event at the Ball Field in Bear Valley, which we’ll be referring to as “Hermitfest West.” Visitors should consider making a weekend of it and check out the entire Scenic Byway from Arnold to Markleeville. This is a family-friendly event, and we welcome your children, but please keep the little ones in your sight.

Hermitfest – Grover Anderson with Jimbo Scott
Forest Service camping is available in the area with limited spaces directly adjacent to the ballfield. You’ll want to get there early to be near all the action. Additional camping is available at Lake Alpine, Big Meadow, Silvertip, Spicer, Pacific Valley, and Hermit Valley. Glamping is available at the Bear Valley Ski Resort, and the Lodge in Bear Valley will offer our attendees a special price. Some vacation rentals may also be available in the area. You may also consider lodging and vacation rentals in the Arnold area. Please respect the guidelines of your hosts whether you are camping or taking advantage of lodging opportunities by leaving the area and the forest cleaner than you found it. Given the dry conditions, we encourage you to skip the campfire this year.

Additional information on Forest Service campgrounds and restrictions is available here and here. They’ve asked us to remind you to camp at least 100′ from trails and high water lines of creeks.

While we welcome your well-socialized dogs, please keep them on a six-foot leash and do not leave them unattended.

If you are approaching the event site from the east, stop by the Alpine County Chamber of Commerce offices in downtown Markleeville where they will have maps, cold drinks, and lots of information about things to do over the weekend. On the Arnold side, you may want to visit the Logging Museum, hike a portion of the Rim Trail, or stop at Calaveras Big Trees State Park to admire the Giant Sequoias. The pools at Grover Hot Springs State Park, outside Markleeville, willbe closed again this year. 530-694-2248.

Bear Valley is located on Highway 4 in the Stanislaus National Forest at about the 7100-foot elevation, about 25 miles east of Arnold, CA, and about 36 miles west of Markleeville. If you haven’t driven the pass before, remember that we are a scenic byway for good reason. If you are approaching from the east, the higher elevation portion of Highway 4 between Silver Creek on the east and Lake Alpine on the west is narrow, twisty, and steep, with many opportunities to get out of your car and take a closer look. The route over the top is not recommended for large RVs or trailers. If you are approaching from the west, there are no restrictions.

Ebbetts Pass was honored with National Scenic Byway status in 2005. It is one of only eight nationally-designated byways in California. The Ebbetts Pass Byway Association is a non-profit organization tasked with preserving, enhancing, and promoting the unique resources of the byway. The EPSBA developed a guidebook for the area, which is available on our website for those who want to know more about the history, geology, wildlife, and recreation available in the area or purchase one along with your event t-shirt during the festival.

This event is made possible by the generous support of our event partners and sponsors, so make sure to visit them and let them know you appreciate their support of this event.

Our 2022 partners and sponsors include:

The USFS, County of Alpine, & Bear Valley Community
Cedar Creek Realty & Dignity Health – Mark Twain Medical Center

Cal-Waste
The Orman Family
Bear Valley Business Association
Beci Electric
Glen Bradley
Phil Davis
Bear Valley Lodge
Bear Valley Real Estate
Paul & Debbie Bertini / Bertini Plumbing / PD Builders
Hibernation Stoves & Spas
Little Trees Wellness
Corcoran Global Living
Fox Security
Merita Callaway / Michelle Plotnik
(Calaveras County District 3 Supervisor & Planning Commissioner)
Bear Valley Adventure Company

We also want to thank Lilyana Bone who created the poster and artwork for this year’s event.

For more information about Hermit Valley, visit:

www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/stanislaus/recarea/
www.ebbettspassadventures.com/lodging/hermit_valley_camping
www.facebook.com/pages/Hermit-Valley
www.sierranevadageotourism.org/content/hermit-valley
www.californiajeeper.com/deerval/review

This event takes place on National Forest Service land when in Hermit Valley, adjacent to Forest Service land when in Bear Valley, and operates under a special use permit when in the Stanislaus National Forest.

08/05/2023 - (Through Aug 6th) 30th Annual Arts of Bear Valley Summer Show with the Bear Valley Music Festival
Bear Valley, CA...We are delighted to announce the 30th Annual Arts of Bear Valley (AOBV) Summer Art Show, in collaboration with the Bear Valley Music Festival Through August 6. Visitors can enjoy the paintings, pottery, and photography of 18 local artists at the Perry Walther Building, adjacent to the Bear Valley Music Festival Tent.


From left: At the Arts of Bear Valley’s Summer Art show, you’ll see work by 18 artists, including (from left) Phoebe and Gene Bryan and Peggy Huth (with husband Jim Huth.)


Nancy Macomber, painter and quilter, begins creating a display of her artwork at Arts of Bear Valley’s Summer Art Show with the Bear Valley Music Festival.


Ceramicist Phoebe Bryan creates expressive sculptures that stir an emotional response in the viewer. She will be exhibiting at Arts of Bear Valley’s Summer Art Show with the Bear Valley Music Festival.


Phoebe Bryan’s sculpture Harmony is made to display dried flower arrangements. It will be available in the drawing at the Summer Art Show at the Bear Valley Music Festival.


Jan Alcalde’s photographs capture the wonder of nature in elegant and unexpected ways. Her piece Orange Tulips will be available at Arts of Bear Valley’s Summer Art Show with the Bear Valley Music Festival.


Mixed media Artist Peggy Huth gives new life to her retired palette knives in a sculpture that pays homage to the many hours an artist spends working with their tools. She will be exhibiting her abstract pieces at the Arts of Bear Valley’s Summer Art Show with the Bear Valley Music Festival.


Larisa Stevenson will be showing her delicate pottery and whimsical ceramic sculptures at the Arts of Bear Valley’s Summer Art Show with the Bear Valley Music Festival.


Karen O’Niell is a popular artist with an impressionistic style. Her painting One of a Kind will be available at Arts of Bear Valley’s Summer Art Show with the Bear Valley Music Festival.


A golden elephant in ceramic by Larisa Stevenson is a loving look at the natural world at Arts of Bear Valley’s Summer Art Show with the Bear Valley Music Festival.



Arts of Bear Valley is an association of Calaveras County artists. This show celebrates their talent, with artwork available for purchase. The event also supports AOBV's community service mission, promoting and enriching visual arts through programs for children and scholarships for high school seniors.

Additionally, AOBV artists will lead two engaging, free art programs for kids of all ages during the festival. We invite you to join us at this unique cultural event and experience the creative brilliance of Arts of Bear Valley.

This summer, the 30th Annual Arts of Bear Valley (AOBV) Summer Art Show will once again complement the melodies of the Bear Valley Music Festival with the paintings, pottery and photography of 18 artists from Arts of Bear Valley.

Arts of Bear Valley is an association of Calaveras County artists with roots in Bear Valley. Their works have won numerous awards, appeared in museums and been collected by art lovers worldwide.

The Summer Art Show, long a popular feature of the festival, has been welcomed back by the Bear Valley Music Festival. From July 21 to August 6, festival attendees as well as visitors to Bear Valley can view the art show and meet the artists at the Perry Walther Building next to the Bear Valley Music Festival Tent from one hour before the concert and continuing through and after each concert.

The art show is free for the public to enjoy many new artworks, with original paintings in watercolor, oil, acrylic, pastels and mixed media; ceramic pieces that include totems, sculptures and handmade pottery; and award-winning photography. Of course, all artwork is available for you to purchase.

Artwork purchases support our local artists as well as the AOBV’s community service mission to develop, promote and enhance the visual arts in our rural area. AOBV funds art appreciation and education through programs for children and scholarships for high school seniors. They co-host the Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee’s Professional Art Show in collaboration with the Calaveras County Arts Council; and present Art in the Park, a two-week-long art show at Calaveras Big Trees.

This year at the music festival, AOBV artists will lead two free art programs for kids of all ages. Projects will include fun activities like stenciling, watercolor, alcohol ink on tiles, and face painting. You won’t need a reservation on Sunday, July 30, after the concert. If you would like to participate in the art activity on Monday, July 31 and you are not part of Bear Valley’s Summer Camp, sign up when the show is open in the Perry Walther building at the art show’s sales desk.

Supporting the music festival is a high priority for the AOBV. Six artists donated artwork for a drawing: Jan Alcalde, Phoebe Bryan, Peggy Huth, Karen O’Neil, Margaret Sloan and Larissa Stevenson. The Bear Valley Music Festival also has a special donated item—a hand knitted lapghan by the KNITWITZ of Murphys. You can see the items just inside the entrance to the art show, and you can purchase tickets at the art show sales desk.

For more information about Arts of Bear Valley and the artists, visit www.aobv.org or follow them on Facebook at @ AOBV.org

Location:  Perry Walther Building, Bear Valley, next to the Music Festival Tent

Show dates:  July 21 - August 6
Art Show and Sale will open one hour before each concert and continue through each concert.

Arts of Bear Valley Summer Show with the Bear Valley Music Festival


Event occurs on 07/24/2023 from All Day to .