Winter will, once again, get an official launch in the season’s heartland. NZSki, supported by local business and tourism partners, said in a statement it would launch the inaugural two-day Snow Fest in Queenstown this King’s Birthday Weekend. The event would fill the void left after Destination Queenstown pulled the pin on the long-running Queenstown Winter Festival. NZSki chief executive Paul Anderson said this year’s Snow Fest was made possible by Coronet Peak’s Snow Factory, which could make snow at any air temperature ensuring the skifield could open earlier than ever before in the resort town. Mr Anderson said the new technology and the early start to skiing would have “real benefits for our community, our businesses and our people”. “Snow Fest is about celebrating winter in a way that feels authentic to Queenstown,” he said.…