Y’all…I got the chance to work with one of my favorite businesses in the history of businesses – Big Sky Resort!

They reached out a couple of months ago about partnering up for their annual Vine and Dine festival – a local event in Big Sky, Montana (45 minutes from where I live) that brings wine, food and mountain culture together for a weekend on Lone Peak.

I was super excited for this partnership for a few reasons…

For starters, I’m totally one of those “bad Montanans” that grew up here, but never really did any of the cool Montana things there is to do. Vine and Dine was always one of those events that I’ve heard about, but never took the time to participate in.

Second, as a marketing strategist, I freaking love when local brands get on board with influencer marketing. It’s something so evident and prevalent in other states, yet Montana is always 5 years behind the times. To see brands taking steps to dive into the local community and influencer culture is really cool. It’s even cooler to be a part of it first-hand.

And last, Big Sky Resort has a special place in my heart. My boyfriend Cody and I ski at Big Sky every year as it’s our local hill of choice. We have become regular pass holders these past few years and have absolutely loved exploring the biggest skiing in America on a weekly basis. To actually work with them was a dream come true!

Anyway, they invited Cody and I up for the weekend to participate in Vine and Dine as well as Moonlight Music Fest while sharing our experience with the TWR community.

We got up to the resort on Friday afternoon just in time for the Master’s Dinner at Everett’s 8800. I put on this cute new dress I bought from Target, made Cody wear something other than cowboy boots, and ventured up the chairlift to the top of the hill where the lodge was located.

The Master’s Dinner was a 5-course meal that kicked off with a couple rounds of champagne – twist my arm.

While winin’ and dinin’, we ran into a couple of our friends – Haylee, Hillary, Kelsey, and #Lee! We all got to sit together, laugh and catch up for an incredible evening of food and wine. By the end of the night, I think we each had drank about 6 glasses of wine (oh, boy) along with a 5-course meal that was the most delicious thing I’ve had in a very long time.

After dinner, we rode the chairlift back down the mountain and ended up at a pop-up speak-easy bar hosted by the infamous Death & Co. cocktail company out of New York City. They had created a speak-easy atmosphere in the back of a ski locker room, filled with candles, moody vibes, and whiskey-only based cocktails. It was an awesome to experience their brand in the tiny mountain town of Big Sky.

The next morning, we woke up (with only a slight hangover) and got ready to head out for Pinot on the Peak – a trek up to the top of Lone Peak filled with wine tasting, light bites, and some of the most amazing views Montana has to offer.

When we reached the top of Lone Peak, the wind was roaring, but with a glass of champagne in hand and this one by my side, it was a moment to remember (thanks for the pic, Kels!) . If you’ve never been to the top of Lone Peak, I recommend making a tram trip in either winter or summer to experience the views. You can see multiple mountain ranges across Montana, including a peak at the Grand Tetons in Wyoming.

After we trekked back down to our hotel, we ended up in the heated pool with a drink in hand to warm up from the day and relax a bit before the concert that evening. Oh – we also took a long ass nap for almost 2 hours, because wine before noon deserves a nap.

After we napped, we got ready to head out to the Moonlight Music Fest that was located just over the hill at Moonlight Basin Ski Resort. We hopped on the shuttle that picked us up right behind our hotel, which was an easy and safe option to and from the concert.

The concert headliner that night was Blackberry Smoke, which once my mom found out they were playing she sent me a text that read, “Whatever you do, you cannot miss Blackberry Smoke’s set. They are incredible!”

So Cody and I grabbed a couple of Midas Crushes (our favorite Montana beer), posted up on the lawn, watched the sun set perfectly behind the stage and enjoyed an evening of good music and great company.

On Sunday, there was an option to head up the Ramcharger chairlift once again to Everett’s 8800 for a boozy brunch, but we unfortunately had to head back to town to adult and get back to real life.

Next time.

Vine and Dine; A weekend getaway to Big Sky, Montana

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