Ready for a little March Madness at Lake Tahoe?

No, the NCAA basketball tournament isn't scheduled to make an appearance around the shores of Big Blue, but the 31st annual SnowFest! is.

From its semi-official "opening ceremonies" at the Kick Off Party at Gar Woods in Carnelian Bay on Thursday, March 1, to its annual closing event, the River Ranch Snow Sculpture contest just north of Tahoe City on Sunday, March 11, SnowFest! is an 11-day celebration of winter in the North Lake Tahoe region.

In between those two events, SnowFest! revelers can witness and participate in such activities as the on-mountain fireworks extravaganza and laser show at Squaw Valley – the official party opener – on Friday, March 2; a pancake breakfast and parade in Tahoe City on Saturday, March 3; a broomball tournament at Squaw Valley on Monday, March 5; the Ski Patrol Race and Taco Feed at Homewood on Tuesday, March 6; an ice carving display at the Truckee River Winery in Truckee on Wednesday, March 7; a Bloody Mary Masters competition at the Cornice Cantina in Squaw Valley on Thursday, March 8; a Karneval Pub Crawl in Incline Village on Friday, March 9, or a dress-up-your-dog contest in Kings Beach on Saturday, March 10.

A complete list of the 70 scheduled events – and how to get involved in each and every one of them – is available at tahoesnowfestival.com.