Winter is an ideal time to embrace hygge, the Danish and Norwegian term for getting cozy. But during Vermont's roughly eight months of cold and dark — give or take — fleece blankets, crackling fires and hot chocolate go only so far. It's important to get out and experience the breadth of happenings, indoors and out, that truly make Vermont a winter wonderland. Read on for some of this season's top events. Stifel Killington Cup Friday through Sunday, November 29 through December 1, at Killington Resort. $10-100. killington.com In November 2022, Mikaela Shiffrin finished fifth in the slalom at the Stifel Killington Cup. It marked the first time in five years that the Vermont-trained skier hadn't won that race. Here's hoping the rest of the world enjoyed the blip while it lasted. Shiffrin won 14 Audi FIS Ski World Cup races in the 2022-23 season and another nine the following year, including her sixth Killington Cup. As the 2024-25 season opens this weekend in Finland, she's up to a record 97 World Cup wins, putting the winningest Alpine skier in history in position to claim her 100th victory in front of the home crowd at the Stifel Killington Cup later this month. How Shiffrin fares against the rest of the top female skiers in the world will grab headlines, but there's plenty of excitement off the slopes as well. Musical guests at this year's Cup include Fitz and the Tantrums, Mt. Joy lead singer Matt Quinn, Eve 6, and DJ Ross One. — Dan Bolles If you like that, try this... Harris Hill Ski Jump Competitions: It's a bird! It's a plane! It's some of the world's top ski jumpers lifting off at this annual contest, a New England tradition dating back to 1922. Saturday and Sunday, February 15 and 16, at Harris Hill Ski Jump in Brattleboro. $15-25. Info, harrishillskijump.com. Highlight Tuesday, December 31, at various locations in Burlington. $15-18; free for kids under 6. highlight.community What are you doing New Year's, New Year's Eve? If you're in the Burlington area, your plans probably involve Highlight. In 2018, the citywide festival, coproduced by Burlington City Arts and Signal Kitchen, replaced the Queen City's long-running First Night celebration. Highlight similarly offers a range of entertainment options all over town but with a twist: Much of the programming is developed using crowdsourced pitches from local artists. Community curation adds…