In November 2016, Telluride Inside... and Out announced the 41st annual KOTO Ski Swap at Wilkinson Public Library. In bold, it reminded locals that the swap was their last chance to buy a 2016-2017 season pass at the discounted price. Ten years later the timing hasn't changed. Visit Telluride lists the 2026 KOTO Ski Swap for November 13 through November 15 at the library, 100 W. Pacific Ave. Telluride Ski Resort's 2026-27 ski page puts the Winter Pass Sale Deadline on November 15, 2026, and says buying before then saves up to 30% on a season pass.
So the swap's final day and the last day of discounted pass pricing are the same Sunday. That turns the weekend into the town's real deadline for winter. Gear, passes and the cash from last season's skis all come due within the same 72 hours, and the weekend works better if each piece is sorted ahead of time.
A Deadline That Has Followed the Swap for Years
The 2016 timing wasn't a one-off. In its preview of the 2024 swap, which the Town of Mountain Village's event listing dates to the weekend of November 9, 2024, the Telluride Daily Planet reported that Telluride Ski and Golf doesn't sell season passes at the swap itself. Its staff worked the Oak Street ticket window all weekend instead, selling discounted winter passes Friday through Sunday. In the same article, Telski's Director of Mountain Sales, Carson Taylor, set out the 2024 calendar:
"The winter pass sale deadline is Sunday, Nov. 10, with rates going up on Monday, Nov. 11. Anyone needing to purchase during the ski swap weekend may visit us in-person at the Oak Street ticket office or may choose to purchase online."
In 2024 the swap ran Friday, November 8, through Monday, November 11. The pass deadline fell on its Sunday, and rates went up on the day of the after-swap sale. The 2026 dates follow the same pattern. The swap listing ends Sunday, November 15, and the resort's deadline is November 15.
This post leaves out pass prices. The resort's online store shows "starting at" figures, and those aren't a full price chart for every age group. Check the resort's pass page for the price that applies to you.
The swap has been around long enough to build a calendar around. Telluride Inside... and Out called the 2015 edition the 40th annual. The Daily Planet called it the station's largest fundraiser of the year. KOTO Executive Director Cara Pallone told the paper, "It became clear just how important the KOTO Ski Swap is to the community when we had to cancel during COVID."
What Sunday Has Meant for Sellers
For anyone selling gear, Sunday has had its own deadline for years, separate from the pass sale. KOTO hasn't posted its 2026 seller schedule. Last year's version came out in a KOTO blog post dated October 16, 2025, so the 2026 details may show up around the time this post publishes. This is how the 2025 weekend ran at the Wilkinson Public Library Garage:
| Day, 2025 | Hours | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, Nov. 7 | 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Seller drop-off |
| Saturday, Nov. 8 | 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. | Pre-swap shopping for volunteers |
| Saturday, Nov. 8 | 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Public sale |
| Sunday, Nov. 9 | 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Seller gear pickup and payout |
| Monday, Nov. 10 | Noon to 3 p.m. | After-the-swap sale |
The 2024 schedule in the Daily Planet used the same hours. That year's preview also laid out what happens if a seller misses Sunday. Swap director Lollie LaVercombe told the paper that unsold items not picked up on Sunday "are considered a donation to KOTO." Those items went into the Monday after-swap, which ran on a pay-what-you-can basis, cash or Venmo. The paper reported that KOTO traditionally gives after-swap proceeds to a local organization.
So in recent years, the hours sellers had to collect cash and unsold skis fell on the same Sunday as the pass deadline. The 2026 listing covers Friday through Sunday only, with no Monday. That could mean a shorter weekend or just an incomplete listing. Until KOTO posts its schedule, plan as if Sunday, November 15, is when you collect your gear and your payout.
The money has worked like this in recent years. The Town of Mountain Village's 2024 listing said 20% of proceeds go to KOTO Community Radio and the seller keeps the rest. For 2024, the Daily Planet reported a new option: sellers could mark their items down 20% for the last hour of Saturday's sale, from 3 to 4 p.m. LaVercombe called it "an option, not a requirement." Her main advice to sellers was to price everything to sell, because "people are looking for screaming deals." KOTO hasn't published 2026 fees or seller rules. Last year's terms show how the swap has run, not what it will charge this year.
Who Has Been Selling on the Floor
Vendors sell alongside individual sellers on the swap floor. In its 2024 preview, the Daily Planet said individual sellers bring mostly used mountain gear and winter clothing. Vendors bring new, unsold ski and snowboard gear and accessories, plus used items in good condition. LaVercombe named that year's vendors:
- Jagged Edge
- Telluride Ski and Snowboard Club
- Telluride Adaptive Sports
- Wagner Custom Skis, the local vendor she named
- Ski Barn and Dunn Deal, both coming up from Durango
The 2026 vendor list hasn't been announced. The 2024 list shows what range to expect, from a club's used inventory to brand-new gear brought up from Durango. If a new setup is on your list, that range is a reason to shop the swap before buying a pass. Both decisions land on the same weekend, and the pass deadline doesn't wait for Monday.
Volunteers get the best timing. In both 2024 and 2025, swap volunteers could shop the pre-swap from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Saturday, before the doors opened to the public. In 2024, LaVercombe called that access a "huge perk." Volunteer shifts covered setup on Thursday, registration on Friday, cashiering and security on Saturday, and cleanup on Sunday and Monday.
The Weeks Leading Up to November 15
The weekend also sits inside a short off-season stretch, and some of these dates affect how you plan for it. The biggest one for Mountain Village owners is the gondola. Visit Telluride lists it as closed for maintenance from October 26 through November 19, reopening at 6:30 a.m. on November 20. That puts the entire swap weekend inside the closure, so plan another way into town for Friday drop-off and Sunday pickup.
| Date, 2026 | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 26 to Nov. 19 | Gondola maintenance closure | Telluride to Mountain Village |
| Through Nov. 8 | Birds of Passage exhibit | Telluride Transfer Warehouse, 201 S. Fir St. |
| Nov. 2, 5 p.m. | Mountainfilm for Locals, free | Wilkinson Public Library |
| Nov. 6, 6:30 p.m. | Adult Spelling Bee | The Alibi, 121 S. Fir St. |
| Nov. 13 to 15 | KOTO Ski Swap | Wilkinson Public Library |
| Nov. 15 | Winter Pass Sale Deadline | Telluride Ski Resort |
| Nov. 20, 6:30 a.m. | Gondola reopens | Telluride to Mountain Village |
| Nov. 26 | Targeted opening day | Telluride Ski Resort |
According to Visit Telluride, Mountainfilm for Locals comes with free pizza, first come, first served. At the Adult Spelling Bee, teams of two compete for a $100 prize, and a library card gets you 10% off a drink. Telluride Arts lists Birds of Passage at the Transfer Warehouse through November 8.
At the end of the run, the resort's targeted opening day is November 26, 2026, Thanksgiving Day, with closing set for April 4, 2027. The resort notes that operating dates can change with weather and conditions. That leaves 11 days between the pass deadline and the first chair. In a year with a slow start, the Daily Planet's 2024 preview showed what can shift. Telski usually holds a rail jam at the gondola plaza on swap weekend, but that year officials were still deciding whether snowmaking would allow it. The Visit Telluride listing for 2026 mentions the annual Freestyle FREE-Ride but gives no details. In 2016, the FREE-Ride was hosted by Telski's Park Crew at the base of Chair 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on swap Saturday.
Before the Swap Weekend
Working back from November 15, this is the order the earlier details suggest:
- Watch koto.org for the 2026 seller schedule. Last year's post came out in mid-October. Questions can go to [email protected].
- Pick up price tags early once they're available. In 2024, tags were at the KOTO station, 207 N. Pine St., all week before the swap. LaVercombe said a separate line for pre-registered items speeds up drop-off.
- Sign up for a volunteer shift if you want the pre-swap. In 2025, KOTO said spots "will go quickly."
- Decide on your season pass before Sunday. Swap Sunday has also been payout and pickup day, so the pass doesn't have to wait until the last afternoon. In 2024, passes were sold online and at the Oak Street ticket office, not at the swap.
- Plan around the gondola closure. It doesn't reopen until November 20.
Knowing that the swap's last day and the pass deadline both fall on November 15 is the kind of local detail O'Neill Stetina Group tracks for owners, whether they live here full time or only for the season. If you'd like to talk through what a winter of ownership looks like in town or in Mountain Village, Schedule a Private Consultation.
