Crystal Mountain, one of the Midwest's top family resorts, will be celebrating its version of Mardi Gras Saturday, Feb. 21, and hosting the sixth annual Cammy Potter Slopestyle Competition Feb. 22.

For Mardi Gras there will the usual activities like the on-slope bead scavenger hunt, costume contests, and face painting. The costume contest will have prizes for both adult and children's costumes. There will be an ice bar on the patio serving Hurricanes and other Big Easy favorites for the adults. Cajun food will be the order of the day in Crystal's restaurants. Bring on the crawfish.

The Slopestyle Competition is in honor of pro snowboarder Cammy Potter who grew up in nearby Cadillac, Michigan, and honed her skills on Crystal's slopes. The event includes halfpipe, slopestyle, and supercross competitions. Participants can compete in one or all three events. Registration, which takes place 8-10 a.m. the day of the event, is $20 with discounted lift tickets - adult $40 and junior $25 - available for competitors. Call 800-968-7686, ext. 2000 for more information on the event.

Crystal is offering some nice midweek lift and lodging specials. You can get the Sneak Ski Package, which includes one night of lodging and a two-day lift ticket for $89. Two-night midweek packages start at $79, and you can add kids to either package for just $10. Package reservations can be made online.