North Lake Tahoe’s annual SnowFest, a 10-day winter carnival, commemorates its 29th anniversary with a bevy of new events March 5-14.

Squaw Valley’s Cornice Cantina kicks it off after the Opening Night Ceremonies with the inaugural ’80s Retro Dance Party on March 5 at 9pm. Guests are encouraged to dress in the neon trends of yesteryear with prizes for the best outfits.

In Tahoe City, the completely renovated Fat Cat Café offers up the Frosty Kitty Snow Party March 6 with “wet your whiskers” appetizers and entrees and live music starting at 4pm and running until 2am.Lakeside Pizza, also based in Tahoe City, has the grooving Snow Down Party with San Francisco’s Space Cowboys March 6 at 9pm.

Are you smarter than a bottle cap? Prove it at the inaugural Tournament of Champions at The Slot in the Village at Squaw Valley March 8 at 5 pm when participants are asked to solve the “Mickey’s” puzzle caps in a timed format.

Kings Beach hosts the first Snowman Building Contest March 12 from 3:30-4:30pm at the North Tahoe Events Center. This event is open to all ages, and participants can compete solo or in teams.

North Lake Tahoe Historical Society’s Prohibition Pub Crawl is March 12 from 4-9pm. The festivities begin at the Bridgetender Bar & Grill in Tahoe City, where guests pick up their speakeasy passwords and visit participating gin mills and speakeasies for old-time drink specials – all while learning about the Lake Tahoe Basin’s lawless past and enjoying Tahoe City’s favorite watering holes.

Up on Donner Summit, Sugar Bowl Ski Resort hosts the Silver Belt Banzai on March 13, when skiercross action meets downhill speed, with the first three down advancing to the next round. Olympians Daron Rahlves and Errol Kerr also plan to put the pedal to the mettle in this swift race.

Homemade tamales will be served up at the Food for Thought Tamale Dinner March 13 from 6-10pm at the North Tahoe Boys and Girls Club in Kings Beach. The event will also highlight traditional Mexican fare with local youths’ photography, film and writing showcased as part of the dinner.

Located along North Lake Tahoe’s historical Crystal Bay casino corridor, the Cal-Neva Resort puts on the Snow Ball March 13 with tunes from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, in a winter wonderland setting.

For more information about SnowFest and a complete list of events, click here.