In North Bend, Ski Season Starts at the Theatre Weeks Before It Reaches the Mountain

"Better late than never, Winter 2025-26 is finally here!" That was how Summit at Snoqualmie announced last season's opening day. The date was Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, at Summit West, after a storm cycle that the resort said turned rain to snow and brought more than 22 inches.

So far, this season has no date at all. The Summit's hours page, last updated Sept. 27, 2026, says the resort is closed for shoulder season and that winter opening day is "to be determined." Meanwhile, North Bend's own calendar for November is full of ski events. Three Sunday ski films, a free avalanche class, a pass deadline and the first paid-parking weekend all land before the mountain has said anything. If this winter starts anything like last winter, the town will host the season for several weeks before the lifts do.

The first film is hosted by the shop on West 2nd Street

The run starts on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 5 p.m. That's when the North Bend Theatre screens the 5Point Film Fest 2026, hosted by Pro Ski and Mountain Service. That pairing sets up the rest of the month. Pro Ski is the downtown shop at 112 W. 2nd St. It sells and services gear for skiing, backcountry touring, snowboarding, climbing and mountaineering.

The shop's season has already started, even though the mountain's hasn't. Season rentals for adult and kids' downhill skis and snowboards, plus adult Nordic setups, began Aug. 14, 2026. Adult ski packages start at $299 and children's packages at $199. The shop also runs a full repair counter where technicians mount and tune skis and snowboards. For skiers who plan to start in the backcountry before the resort opens, its daily rental list includes alpine touring and splitboard packages, along with beacon, shovel and probe avalanche-safety kits.

That's why a film night hosted by the shop fits the calendar so well. In November, it's the closest thing to a ski day available in North Bend.

Three November Sundays of ski films, then one in December

After 5Point, the theatre's schedule moves into the annual ski films, all of them on Sundays:

The theatre also runs two Saturday rounds of the Seattle International Comedy Competition, on Nov. 7 and Nov. 14 at 8 p.m. That's a good choice for anyone in the household who would rather not sit through two hours of powder footage.

Compare the dates with last winter. The Warren Miller showing on Dec. 13 would have come ten days before the Summit opened last season. Every film in the table would have played while the lifts were still closed.

The dates that come before the snow

Not everything on the calendar depends on snow. Several items run on fixed dates whether the mountain is open or not, and the first one has already passed:

1. Nov. 1: Studded tires became legal. Washington's studded-tire season runs Nov. 1 through March 31, according to WSDOT's Oct. 22, 2026 winter-readiness release. Winter-tread traction tires without studs are legal year-round. The same release says studs don't replace chains when chains are required, and it cites a $500 fine for drivers who don't chain up when required.
2. Nov. 7: Free avalanche class on the Pass. The Northwest Avalanche Center lists a free, beginner-friendly Avalanche Awareness class at Dru Bru on Snoqualmie Pass at 2:30 p.m. The class runs 90 minutes and covers how to read forecasts and recognize basic signs of avalanche danger. It's the day before 5Point, so a skier could take the class Saturday and see the films Sunday.
3. Nov. 11: Ikon add-on deadline. On the Summit's season-pass page, Alpental Plus buyers can add an Ikon Base Pass for $349 or a full Ikon Pass for $799 through Nov. 11. The four 26/27 passes are Alpental Plus, Summit Plus, Summit and Off-Peak, with the adult Off-Peak pass listed at $479. The page notes that prices can change without notice.
4. Nov. 20: Paid parking weekends begin. The resort's parking guide lists paid-parking dates on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Nov. 20 through April 30, plus a holiday period from Dec. 18, 2026 through Jan. 3, 2027. Rates are $15 for five hours or $25 for the day. Eligible Summit lift and Nordic pass holders park free, while uphill passes don't include parking on paid dates. Returning pass holders have their parking registration renewed automatically. New pass holders get registration instructions by email in November.

The paid-parking schedule has a firm start date, but opening day doesn't. Before driving up, check the hours page to see whether the lifts are actually running. The resort itself says to check its schedule before heading to the mountain.

Holly Days takes the Saturdays

The films take most of November's Sundays. Downtown's holiday season takes the Fridays and Saturdays, starting Nov. 13. These dates come from the City of North Bend's calendar:

• Friday, Nov. 13, 2 to 4 p.m.: Holly Days Window Fest at storefronts throughout downtown North Bend
• Saturday, Nov. 14, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Valley-Wide Holiday Open House at businesses in North Bend, Snoqualmie and Fall City
• Tuesday, Nov. 24, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Artists Sunday with North Bend Art and Industry, at Snoqualmie Casino
• Saturday, Dec. 5, 5 to 8 p.m.: Holly Days Winter Festival and Tree Lighting at the corner of North Bend Way and Main Avenue

The North Bend Downtown Foundation's calendar adds a few more. Holly Daze Eve: Dashing through the Pubs is on Friday, Dec. 4, the night before the tree lighting. A November Community After Hours is set for Wednesday, Nov. 18, though the foundation still lists its details as "stay tuned."

Nov. 7 and 8 bring the avalanche class, a comedy round and 5Point. Nov. 13 and 14 bring Window Fest, the Valley-Wide Open House and the second comedy round. TGR plays Nov. 22, "The Way Out" plays on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and the tree lighting lands Dec. 5. Every weekend from now to early December has at least one event downtown, and none of them needs snow.

Between the shop and the theatre

Downtown also has a newer stop for the hours around a tune-up or a film. In March, Mastrogiannis Distillery and Winery opened a permanent tasting room at 201 W. North Bend Way, the Snoqualmie Valley Record reported. That puts a tasting room on North Bend Way, a tuning counter on West 2nd Street and a 3 p.m. Sunday film all in the same downtown.

If December looks like last December

Nobody knows yet when the Summit will open. The resort hasn't announced a date, and last season's opening came two days before Christmas. If this season repeats last year's timing, North Bend's winter calendar will run in this order: Pro Ski's season rentals, which have been available since August; 5Point on Nov. 8; the Ikon deadline on Nov. 11; Holly Days on the November weekends; the tree lighting on Dec. 5; Warren Miller's "Days Off" on Dec. 13; and only after all that, the first chair at Summit West.

The tire and chain rules above are general information, not legal advice, so please confirm the details with WSDOT before you drive.

If you're a North Bend homeowner thinking about how a place this close to the Pass fits the next chapter of your life, or you know someone weighing that move, I'd be glad to talk it through over coffee downtown before the lifts start turning. Anastasia Miles has been watching the Valley's seasons for a long time.