Media Releases

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Santa hits the slopes as Whistler prepares for holiday season

Tweet this: #Whistler holiday schedule is jam-packed with events and activities on and off the slopes

Whistler, B.C. – In Whistler, you can ski, skate or simply visit with Santa this holiday season.

The winter season at Whistler is off to a strong start, with both mountains open, a robust events calendar and an appearance (or two) by Santa expected between now and Christmas.

Dress Like Santa Day brings many versions of Santa and Mrs. Claus to the slopes on December 17 with free lift tickets awarded to the fist 100 people to arrive at the Garibaldi Lift Company in full Santa or Mrs. Claus attire. And the fun just continues from there.

The Made in Whistler Winter Artisan Market runs at the Westin Resort & Spa every Saturday from noon until 6 p.m. with additional holiday markets on December 23, 26 and 30th.

Holiday programming at the Audain Art Museum features a Walk and Talk Series, yoga, Kids Konnect tours, family studio events and much more, while the Whistler Public Library hosts holiday crafternoons and the Whistler Olympic Plaza features Family Après from 3 – 6 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays from December 19 – March 29. Everyone is welcome to this free family event which features a variety of outdoor winter activities and entertainment. Whistler Olympic Plaza will also host a Santa Skate from 3 – 5 p.m. on December 18.

The legendary Fire and Ice Show takes place Sundays starting December 18 (no show on December 25) with Whistler’s top skiers and riders spinning and twisting through burning hoops at the base of the mountain in Skier’s Plaza and the Whistler Holiday Experience entertains families from December 16 – 30. The indoor family fun zone at the Whistler Conference Centre provides entertainment and activities for kids with a putting course, table games, bouncy castles, crafts and video games. There is a relaxing lounge area for parents to take a load off while the kids play. Photos with Santa are available by donation on December 17 and 18; the Whistler Holiday Experience will be closed December 25.

And what better way to ring in the New Year than with Whistler Presents: New Year’s Eve Celebrations at various locations throughout the Village from 6 p.m. until midnight on December 31. The Whistler New Year’s Eve venues are recommended for children age 3-12, with a teen dance for ages 13-17. Arts and crafts, performances and entertainment will all be on the menu and, starting at 11:30 p.m. in Skier’s Plaza, there will be a special edition Fire & Ice show plus fireworks. 

For a full list of holiday events, visit www.whistler.com/events and read up on the Insider's guide to the holidays here.

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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.

About the FE&A program
Celebration is an essential aspect of Whistler culture. This was highlighted during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games when the community presented the most outstanding display of sport, entertainment and culture the resort had ever seen. The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) and resort partners continue to build on that momentum through the Festivals, Events and Animation (FE&A) program to develop and attract a wide range of high-quality, year-round programming, including an exciting line-up of festivals, events and entertainment for all ages and audiences.

The FE&A program is funded by the Province of British Columbia’s Resort Municipality Initiative (RMI), which invests in programs and projects to build tourism throughout BC. The FE&A program is overseen by the FE&A Oversight Committee comprised of staff from the RMOW and Tourism Whistler, a community member at large and a Whistler council representative. Learn more about the FE&A program. 

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 Contact

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

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