Arizona’s Highest Pop-Up Dining Experience Returns To Snowbowl

Arizona Snowbowl will host its second and final culinary event of the season aboard the Arizona Gondola on Sunday, September 28. The event showcases pop-up-style dining inside gondola cabins, a rare format that builds on last month’s debut.

Elevated Embers & Ales features a Cajun-inspired five-course menu by Flagstaff’s Satchmo’s BBQ, paired with craft beers from Mother Road Brewing Company. The progressive dinner takes guests on a culinary journey up Arizona’s highest mountains with sunset views from 11,500 feet.

Five courses, three settings: start with a welcome course and beverage at Sky Bar, savor three courses aboard the Arizona Gondola at sunset, and finish with dessert beneath the stars at Agassiz Lodge as you glide above forest and meadow, seasonal dishes shine alongside thoughtful pairings.

The experience begins with a welcome drink and first course served on the Sky Bar rooftop deck. Guests then board the Arizona Gondola, where each 23-minute trip has a different course and craft beer combination that servers present upon the return to the base area. The evening concludes with dessert and a final drink pairing by the firepit on the Agassiz Lodge deck.

“Dinner in a gondola is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Where else can you enjoy a meal while traversing terrain with incredible Arizona views?” asks Jamie Thousand, owner of Satchmo's BBQ in Flagstaff. “For Elevated Ambers & Ales, we’ve partnered with Mother Road Brewing Company to bring a fun spin on food and beer, infusing elements of the low country with Flagstaff’s high country.”

Snowbowl debuted dining aboard the Arizona Gondola with the Shift Your Viewpoint Dinner on August 24, a collaboration with Shift Kitchen and Oeno Wine Lounge. “Shift set the bar high with their food and hospitality, and it was unforgettable to experience their creativity in such a unique setting,” adds Thousand, who attended the debut dinner.

Event Timeline

• 3:30 PM – Arrival & Check-In at the Agassiz Rooftop Sky Bar
  

• 4:00 PM – Welcome Cocktail & First Course on the Rooftop Sky Bar Deck at Agassiz Lodge
  

• 4:45 PM – First Boarding & Courses Two, Three, and Four in the Arizona Gondola
  

• Post-Sunset – Final Course on the Agassiz Lodge Patio

Elevated Embers & Ales will be the last dining experience aboard the Arizona Gondola for the year. The four-person cabin experience is available for $650, with tickets at Snowbowl.ski. In 2026, the resort plans to continue developing its on-mountain culinary program to combine high-elevation views with local cuisine.