A fall full of swaps, films and parties means you don’t have to wait for winter to start living like a skier.
Cover photo courtesy of Mt Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park
Before lifts start spinning, fall fills up with gear swaps, film nights, mountain parties and other gatherings that bring skiers and riders together. Here’s where to find your people while we wait for snow.
Swap & Sale Season Is Here
The region’s gear swaps are where skiers and riders trade up, clear out closets and fund the volunteers who keep the slopes safe, all while scoring serious deals.
Spokane Alpine Haus End-of-Summer Sale—Through fall | Spokane
Spokane Alpine Haus is marking down summer apparel, watersports gear and bikes to clear space for winter, with early discounts on next season’s ski apparel and accessories at both the South Hill and Northwest Boulevard locations.
Evergreen Gear Exchange Season Changeover—Oct. 3-4 | Spokane
Evergreen Gear Exchange sends off summer with prayers for snow at its seasonal changeover sale, marking down warm-weather gear to make room for winter inventory.
49° North Ski Patrol Ski Swap—Oct. 23-24 | Colville Fairgrounds
One of the region’s best bargains on quality gear, this fundraiser for the all-volunteer 49° North Ski Patrol kicks off swap season.
Mt. Spokane Ski Swap—Oct. 31-Nov. 1 | Spokane Fair & Expo Center
The Mt. Spokane Ski Patrol Ski Swap returns for its 62nd year, kicking off the season with more than 24,000 new and used items—alpine and Nordic skis, snowboards, boots, backcountry gear, clothing, helmets and goggles. About 30% of the gear comes from individual sellers, the rest from area retail shops. Register items to sell Oct. 30, 3-8 p.m.; gear should be clean and in good condition. Proceeds fund the all-volunteer Mt. Spokane Ski Patrol’s medical supplies, rescue equipment, training and the cost of keeping more than 150 patrollers on the mountain all season. This year’s swap carries an added note of remembrance for Seth Fletcher, who served as ski swap director for more than a decade and helped build it into the phenomenon it is today.
University of Idaho Annual Outdoor Equipment Sale & Swap—Nov. 5 | U of I Student Recreation Center, Moscow
For more than 50 years, the University of Idaho Outdoor Program’s Annual Outdoor Equipment Sale & Swap has kicked off winter recreation season on the Palouse. Show up to buy and sell quality used skis, snowboards, camping, climbing, cycling and paddling equipment. Proceeds support the Vandal Ski Team.
Sandpoint SARS Ski Swap—Nov. 14 | Bonner County Fairgrounds
Sandpoint’s mountain-town swap raises funds for the Schweitzer Alpine Racing School while outfitting families with skis, snowboards, boots and outerwear at deep discounts. Check-in to sell gear runs Nov. 13, with shopping open noon-6 p.m. the following day.
Coeur d’Alene Ski Swap—Nov. 21 | Kootenai County Fairgrounds
Coeur d’Alene’s contribution to swap season brings thousands of new and used skis, snowboards, boots, bindings, helmets and more to the last swap of the season.
Pre-season Soirées
Long before opening day, the region’s skiers and riders find any excuse to hang out and swap stories. These parties make fall feel like ski season already started.
September Snow Day at Brick West Brewing—Sept. 18 | Brick West Brewing
Spokane Nordic Ski Association hosts this family-friendly celebration complete with a foam snow machine, a snowball fight zone, face painting, waxing demos, food and brews for the adults.
Solnix Parking Lot Party & Movie Night—Nov. 6 (tentative) | Solnix, Spokane
Rome Snowboards headlines this year’s bash with food, prizes and two yet-to-hit premieres—one backcountry, one freestyle/street—with a possible third from K2. Campfires, a big screen and Solnix beer from Badass Backyard Brewing make it a righteous season kickoff.
Pray for Snow Party—Nov. 20 | Perry Street Brewing, Spokane
This annual bash packs the house with a boisterous crowd of skiers and snowboarders. Year 11 promises pre-season revelry including ski films, festive retro attire—with a runway walk competition to show off your getup—plus beer specials, raffle drawings and new friends. All funds raised support the South Perry Neighborhood’s T.E.A.M. Grant program at Grant Elementary.
Snow Stoke on the Big Screen
The pre-season film circuit gets started at local theaters around the greater Inland Northwest well before the first chairlift spins—keep an eye out for these staples.
Teton Gravity Research: “Actually, It Is Rocket Science”—Sept. 25 | Bing Crosby Theater, Spokane
The Teton Gravity Research 2026 release in Spokane, hosted by Spokane Alpine Haus, is a tongue-in-cheek study of the physics behind the world’s best skiers pushing what’s possible.
Warren Miller’s “Days Off”—Nov. 5-6 | Garland Theater, Spokane
Warren Miller’s 77th annual film, sponsored locally by Spokane Alpine Haus, returns with host Katie Burrell exploring what the world’s best riders do on their day off.
Matchstick Productions’ “The Way Out“—Local Dates TBA
Matchstick’s 2026 release is a raw tribute to ski culture, dropping into heavy Alaskan spines, deep Japanese powder and iconic Swiss villages. Regional screening in Missoula (Nov. 19), Trail, BC (Nov. 7) or Nelson, BC (Dec. 11).
Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival—Local Dates TBD
Produced by Winter Wildlands Alliance, the Backcountry Film Festival celebrates backcountry skiing, splitboarding and the human-powered winter culture behind them. Expect the tour to swing through the region this fall and into spring.
Get Ready to Shred at Local Resort Events
Our local ski hills throw some of the best pre-season gatherings and parties, mixing beer, brats, bikes and a preview of the season to come.
Schweitzer Hill Climb—Sept. 19 | Schweitzer
Ride or race the access road all the way to Schweitzer Village in this uphill cycling test piece, a scenic gut-check before the lifts start turning. It’s equal parts training day and community gathering for the mountain-town crowd, put on by the Panhandle Gravel Series.
Oktoberfest: The Running of the Wieners—Sept. 19 | Silver Mountain Resort
Silver Mountain kicks off fall with authentic German-inspired food, live polka music, classic Oktoberfest competitions and its inaugural Running of the Wieners. Race your furry friend or just soak up some suds and the mountain atmosphere.
Rocktoberfest Weekend—Oct. 3-4 | 49° North
49° North’s 3rd annual Rocktoberfest brings a brewfest, live music, a 5K trail run, fall fare and games to the mountain as the season’s chill starts creeping in.
49° North Job Fair—Oct. 10 & 31 | 49° North
Looking for a season on the mountain? 49° North holds two job fairs this fall for ages 16 and up.
Explore All Four: Meet Your Mountains—Nov. 7 | Downtown Spokane
Can’t decide where to ski this winter? The Ski the Northwest Rockies Association brings representatives from four Inland Northwest resorts together downtown at Riverpark Square for a one-stop season preview from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Elevation Celebration Pre-Funk Party—Nov. 8, noon-4 p.m. | Lodge 2, Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park
Trade your pumpkin spice latte for winter cheer at Mt. Spokane’s pre-season prefunk, with live music, beverages, food specials and prizes. It’s a family affair built for toasting winter’s arrival before the snow flies.
