Angel Fire Resort Scores with Another Big Ol` Texas Party

by Joanna Lefebvre (jll@clubandresortbusiness.com)
January 2008
 

The Big Ol' Texas Weekend at Angel Fire Resort celebrated the resort's Texas fan base last weekend for the fourth year in a row. The club, located in northern New Mexico about 17 miles east/northeast of Taos, offered an action-packed schedule of events that attracted Texans and Texan-wannabes alike.

Country recording artist Pat Green, a massive cult star in the Texas music industry, headlined the weekend, which was co-presented by Big Rock Casino and sponsored by Southwest Airlines and the Village of Angel Fire. The singer and songwriter is a three-time Grammy nominee and has sold over two million CDs worldwide.

"We were extremely excited to have an artist of Pat Green's caliber performing live here at Angel Fire Resort," says Dave Dekema, Director of Marketing for the resort. "His broad appeal as a country artist, combined with his hard-core Texas roots, made him a perfect fit for this venue and this weekend."

But it wasn't Pat Green alone who attracted guests during this traditionally slower weekend. Four years and going strong, the Big Ol' Texas Weekend has become something of a tradition for the resort.

The inspiration for the weekend came from the resort's annual Mardi Gras, Dekema explains. "We get a lot of Louisianans who bring a high level of energy to the club," he reports. "But since more than 50 percent of our guests are from Texas, we thought it would be a smart business decision to also do something equally special for that group. So about four years ago, we decided to host a weekend that would not only generate more business during a slower time of year, but also celebrate our Texas ties."

For the inaugural bash, Angel Fire Resort partnered with The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders and several other Texas businesses to help raise emergency funds for victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami. During that first year, members of the cheerleaders served as greeters and lift operators, with proceeds from every lift ticket that was scanned going to the American Red Cross.

Every year since, the weekend has grown more extravagant, and attracted more guests-with Texans getting in the spirit in a way that's taken the initial concept to a whole new level.

"We sponsor downhill races during the weekend that really get wild," Dekema reports. "Texans have a unique ‘style' that's all their own when it comes to skiing. They point downhill, go very fast, and don't listen to advice. And yet, defying all laws of physics, they're able to keep all types of hats on their head."

So now, during the Texas-style downhill races that are held as part of the weekend, skiers are given odd-sized hats, and the winner is not only the one who has the best time but is also able to keep the hat on his or her head all the way down.

Beyond the Pat Green concert, this year's event was filled with many other forms of "Texas-sized" fun. Additional events include the "teX Games" (a Texas-themed version of extreme winter sports), the Big Texan College Steak Eating Challenge, radio station contests, and a variety of other live entertainment acts.

Planning for the next year's weekend starts in the late fall, says Dekema. "Now that we've had Pat Green," he mused after another successful event, "we'll have to find a way to top it next year! Willie Nelson, maybe? Then again, the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders were a big hit that first year. Maybe we'll bring them back."