"We are experiencing some spectacular fall colors on the mountain right now, and that always gets us excited because we know that snow will be soon to follow," Duncan told West Virginia Explorer in early October, speaking for Snowshoe Mountain as it set a Nov. 25 opening date.
Most of the attention goes to that date, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. The busier stretch for the county comes after it. Christmas at Cass trains run Friday through Sunday for the first three weekends of December, Dec. 4 to 6, 11 to 13 and 18 to 20. Each of those weekends is anchored somewhere different. The first is spread across Marlinton, Cass and Snowshoe on three straight nights. The second piles nearly everything onto one Saturday. The third sends the mountain into night skiing. Once you know which weekend is which, planning the month gets easy.
November Still Belongs to Third Avenue
The ski area isn't open yet, so the Pocahontas County Opera House at 818 Third Ave. in Marlinton has November's weekend nights mostly to itself. Ouros with Danny Knicely plays Saturday, Nov. 7, from 7 to 9 p.m., mixing Spanish-language songwriting with Appalachian roots and global acoustic traditions. The Judy Chops follow on Saturday, Nov. 21, also 7 to 9 p.m. Doors open at 6, admission is $10 for adults, and anyone 17 or younger gets in free.
The Opera House sells tickets online, at the door, or at the 4th Ave Gallery, which is the Pocahontas County Artisans Co-op. Keep that gallery counter in mind, because the Opera House comes back into this calendar on the busiest Saturday in December.
Opening Week Is About a Building
Snowshoe's 2026–27 season is set to run from Nov. 25, 2026, to March 21, 2027, weather permitting. This year, the change regulars will notice first is the building, more than the terrain. Parent company Alterra Mountain Company's September capital announcement listed workforce-housing renovations at Snowshoe and named no new lift or trail project there.
The new building is the Shavers Center. It replaces the original, which served Snowshoe for nearly 50 years, and it has been a long time coming. In June 2025, West Virginia Explorer reported a projected opening in December of last season. Now marketing director Shawn Cassell says resort officials expect it to open with the ski area on Nov. 25. According to the same outlet's October report, it will be the resort's main day lodge, with cafeteria-style dining, après-ski programming, and the Ski & Ride School and Pre-Ski programs. It also adds indoor and outdoor event space with mountain views.
The resort's opening-day schedule starts at the new building:
- 8:30 to 10 a.m.: Opening celebration on the Shavers Center deck
- 2 to 4 p.m.: Marshmallow roast at Village Plaza
- Thanksgiving weekend: The 11th Annual Thanksgiving Turkey Shoot at $80, and the Turkey Trek walk/run at $20
If you plan to ski only a handful of days, keep in mind that Snowshoe said the Flex 3 Pass would rise from $199 to $249 on Nov. 1. It covers three non-holiday days during the 2026–27 season, and you don't have to use them back to back or pick them ahead of time. Snowshoe sells it only until opening day, so Nov. 25 is also the last day to buy one.
The Train That Runs Under All Three Weekends
The one fixed piece of December is in Cass. Christmas at Cass trains board at 12363 Cass Road and run Friday through Sunday during the first three weeks of the month. Mountain Rail WV posts departure times on its booking calendar. WVNS reported that the steam ride lasts about 60 to 75 minutes, and that Cass Scenic Railroad State Park and the Friends of Cass will hold activities over the holiday weekend, including visits from Santa.
| Coach ticket | Ages | 2026 price |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | 12 to 64 | $55 |
| Senior | 65 and up | $53 |
| Military/Veteran | With valid ID | $51 |
| Child | 4 to 11 | $45 |
| Infant | 3 and under | Free, ticket required |
The fare includes a gift for children. It doesn't include a meal. Restrooms are on board except in the caboose, and Mountain Rail WV says this train is not wheelchair accessible. The Pocahontas County CVB also lists a separate "Christmas at Cass" day on Saturday, Dec. 19, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with details to come.
Dec. 4 to 6: One Night Each in Marlinton, Cass and Snowshoe
The first weekend spreads three events across three corners of the county on three nights in a row. Each one asks very little of you:
- Friday, Dec. 4, 7 to 9 p.m.: Marlinton Christmas Parade. The CVB describes it as the Town of Marlinton's annual parade, with community floats and Santa.
- Saturday, Dec. 5, 5 to 7 p.m.: Cass Christmas Tree Lighting. It's at Cass Scenic Railroad State Park, 242 Main St., with Santa and the annual lighting. Because trains run that weekend, you can plan an afternoon ride and stay for the lighting.
- Sunday, Dec. 6, all day: West Virginia Ski Free Day at Snowshoe. West Virginia residents ski and ride free. The resort's terms accept only a state- or government-issued photo ID as proof of residency.
This is the only weekend of the three where the biggest mountain event is set up specifically for people with a West Virginia address. It's also the weekend where a parade, a tree lighting and a day on the slopes don't overlap, so you can do all three. Before you head up the mountain Sunday, check that your ID is in your wallet. The resort's terms are specific about what counts.
Dec. 12: The Saturday Everything Lands On
The second weekend takes the opposite approach. Saturday, Dec. 12, puts the season's first big event at the new lodge, an all-day market in Cass and a Marlinton concert on the same date.
The Cass Holiday Market runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Cass Scenic Railroad State Park, with local artisans and vendors. Christmas at Cass trains are running that weekend too, so the depot will be busy all day.
Up the mountain, Snowshoe's Winter Brewfest is one of the first major events in the new Shavers Center. The resort's participant list is mostly regional:
Old Spruce Brewing, Hawk Knob Appalachian Hard Cider, High Ground Brewing and Greenbrier Valley Brewing
That evening, the Black Mountain Bluegrass Boys take the Opera House stage on Third Avenue from 7 to 9 p.m. Doors open at 6, admission is $10 for adults, and it's free for 17 and under. You can buy tickets online, at the door, or at the 4th Ave Gallery, so if you're already in Marlinton that week, you can pick them up ahead of time.
One person can't do all of Dec. 12. A realistic plan picks two. The market's hours make it the easy daytime stop, and the concert's 7 p.m. start fits after either one. If you want to see the Shavers Center for the first time at an event rather than on a regular ski day, Brewfest is your chance.
Dec. 18 to 20: The Mountain Stays Up Late
The third weekend moves the action onto the mountain and into the evening. Snowshoe plans to open Silver Creek on Friday, Dec. 18, weather permitting, with night skiing and the Mountaineer Park rope tow. West Virginia Explorer reports that the Silver Creek opening adds snow tubing, and that the area has 12 trails open for night skiing.
The next day, Saturday, Dec. 19, brings a Burton Snowboards 50th anniversary demo event. The CVB's all-day Christmas at Cass listing is on the same date, and the last weekend of the Christmas trains runs through Sunday, Dec. 20.
After that, the calendar turns to the holiday itself. The next event on the resort's schedule is the Village Christmas Celebration on Dec. 24, with Santa, cocoa and cookies at Snowshoe Mountain Resort.
At a glance, the three weekends look like this. Dec. 4 to 6 is spread across the county and built for locals. Dec. 12 is the one day when everything happens at once. Dec. 18 to 20 is for night skiing at Silver Creek and the last Cass trains of the year. If you'll book only one train ride, the first weekend is the only one where a tree lighting is on the same grounds the same day.
At Lillywood Realty, we keep a calendar like this one for the counties we serve, because knowing which December Saturday will be packed and which will be quiet is part of knowing a place. If you're thinking about a home in Pocahontas County, between Marlinton, Cass and the mountain, we'll show you around with that calendar in hand. Start your search with a local expert.
