Media Releases

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra celebrates Canada Day in Whistler

 Suggested tweet: #Whistler celebrates Canada Day with parade, @VSOrchestra performances and family fun

 Whistler, B.C. – What better way to celebrate Canada Day than with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in Whistler?

Whistler welcomes guests to help celebrate the country’s national holiday on July 1, with a day of festive activities including a pancake breakfast, parade, street entertainment, family activities and a carnival – all capped off with a magical evening mountain performance by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

The Canada Day festivities at Whistler begin with a pancake breakfast at Florence Peterson Park from 9 – 11 a.m., followed by a parade at noon through the town centre and a ceremony (with cake) at the Town Plaza Gazebo at 1:15 p.m. Street entertainment and family activities will also be featured throughout the day.

New this year, the Westin Resort and Spa, Whistler will host a Canada Day carnival outside the hotel, at the public outdoor plaza, from noon – 3 p.m. The carnival will feature a bouncy castle, giant games, face painting, Canada Day crafts and treats like cotton candy, popcorn, cupcakes, maple toffee and handcrafted ice cream. Entry is by donation with 50 per cent of the proceeds benefiting Whistler Community Services Society.

Complete your Canada Day by making a date with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra at Whistler Olympic Plaza.

The VSO performance at Whistler Olympic Plaza has become synonymous with Whistler’s annual Canada Day celebration. Bring a blanket or a lawn chair and relax on the grounds of Whistler Olympic Plaza, where the VSO, conducted by Bramwell Tovey will perform the following:
Lehar - Gold and Silver Waltz, Tchaikovsky – 1812 Overture, Lavalle – O Canada, Morawetz – Carnival Overture, Tchaikovsky – Variations in a Rococo Theme (featuring soloist Albert Seo) and Tchaikovsky -Gold and Silver Waltz. The Canada Day concert takes place at 8:30 p.m.

On Saturday, July 2, Whistler Olympic Plaza will once again host the VSO at 2 p.m. with the program including: Wagner – Die Meistersinger: Overture, Prokofiev – Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67, Beethoven – Symphony No. 5, Op. 67, C minor (I Allegro con brio, II Andante con moto, III Allegro,
IV Allegro).

In addition to the VSO performances, the Whistler Institute Orchestra is presented by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Institute at Whistler in partnership with the Resort Municipality of Whistler. From June 26 – July 5, 90 students participate in an intensive orchestral program with performances throughout Whistler Village, led by Maestro Tovey and a faculty of VSO musicians. The program culminates with a 7:30 p.m. performance on Tuesday, July 5 at Whistler Olympic Plaza. This second annual concert features Richard Strauss’s Don Juan, Aram Khachaturian’s Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia and Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring.

The Whistler Farmers’ Market is also in full swing. Stop by the Upper Village Stroll on Sundays (11 a.m. – 4 p.m.) until early October and Wednesdays (3 – 7 p.m.) beginning July 6 and explore the bounty of local produce, artisan foods and beverages, artwork and entertainment.

Also in July, Whistler celebrates the Whistler Longboard Festival (July 1-3), hosting one of only two North American World Cups. The longboard events take place on the Whistler Sliding Centre access road with all skate events open to spectators. The event’s charity partner, the Whistler Skateboard Association, will accept admission by donation with proceeds supporting the Whistler Skate Park rejuvenation project.

Take advantage of summer savings with the Stay Longer, Save More package at www.whistler.com.  Book by June 30 and save up to 40%. Whistler.com, the official central reservations for the resort, offers one-stop shopping with the largest selection and no booking fee for accommodation, lift tickets or activities. Travel consultants at Whistler.com are based in Whistler, with the call centre located in the heart of Whistler Village. Call 1.800.944.7853 to request a no-obligation quote or visit whistler.com for more details and offers.

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Whistler is Canada's premier year-round leisure and meeting destination located in the Coast Mountains 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Consistently rated the top ski resort in North America, Whistler was the Host Mountain Resort of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The resort offers an extensive range of accommodations totaling 10,000 bedrooms among 24 hotels as well as townhomes, condos, B&Bs and chalets. Whistler also boasts more than 100 restaurants and bars, 200 retail shops, 25 spas and countless activity options from world-renowned skiing and snowboarding, mountain biking and golf, to hiking, rock climbing, and watersports. The Resort Municipality of Whistler is home to a diverse community of more than 10,000 permanent residents.

Tourism Whistler is the member-based marketing and sales organization representing Whistler, operating the Whistler Conference Centre, Whistler Golf Club, Whistler Visitor Centre, as well as 1.800.944.7853 and whistler.com - Whistler's official source for visitor bookings and information. As the convention and visitors bureau for the Resort Municipality of Whistler, Tourism Whistler represents more than 7,000 members who own, manage and operate properties or businesses on resort lands including hotels, restaurants, activity operators and retail shops.

Media can visit whistler.com/media for Whistler facts, media releases, story starters, local personality profiles and access to images and B-roll.

Broadcasters: Whistler now has the capability to take you live with our enhanced fibre network. The significantly expanded network of more than 200 kilometres of fibre optic cabling throughout the resort allows instant transmission of HD signals to any location at any time. Details on how to access, and book the fibre are available on our media site.

Media Contacts

Marion Young
Coordinator, Communications
T: 604.938.2726
E: myoung@tourismwhistler.com

Tania Sear
Coordinator, Travel Media
T: 604.938.2734
E: tsear@tourismwhistler.com

W: www.whistler.com/media
T: www.twitter.com/mediaTWhistler
F: www.facebook.com/GoWhistler