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Thursday, October 23, 2025

Whistler Cornucopia 2025 Celebrates Canada’s Top Chefs and Drink Makers

   Whistler Cornucopia

P: Tourism Whistler/Darby Magill. Download imagery here

Whistler, B.C. – Whistler’s annual celebration of food and drink, Cornucopia, returns to the resort November 6–16, 2025, with an exciting program spanning the full 11 days. This year’s festival shines a spotlight on an extraordinary lineup of chefs, winemakers, sommeliers, and craft cocktail creators who are shaping Canada’s culinary landscape.

“Cornucopia is where Canada’s most passionate culinary and beverage talents come together to inspire, connect, and celebrate the art of good food and drink,” says Justina Armstrong, Event Director at Whistler Cornucopia. “This year’s lineup truly represents the depth of creativity and cultural diversity found across the country’s kitchens and vineyards. Guests can expect unforgettable experiences that celebrate craftsmanship, community, and connection.”

Signature Event: Night Market - Taste of Canada

Among the festival’s highlights, the Night Market: Taste of Canada on Friday, November 14, invites guests on a cross-country culinary journey. This lively, market-style event features celebrated chefs from different regions, each presenting dishes that showcase the epicurean identity of their area.

Paired with Canadian wines, craft brews, and artisanal spirits, Night Market: Taste of Canada offers a vibrant evening that embodies the heart of Canada’s culinary scene. This year’s lineup includes several Indigenous chefs whose dishes reflect deep-rooted traditions and contemporary innovation.

Participating chefs that have been announced so far are listed below, with more to come:

  • Chef Maggie Wallace, Lilwat7úl (Lil'wat Nation) and Chef Steve Fecho – Thunderbird Cafe and Catering, Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre
  • Chef Steph Baryluk – Teetl’it Zheh (Fort McPherson) in Treaty 11 Territory
  • Chef Paul Natrall – Sk_wx_wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation)
  • Chef Jenni Lessard – Qu’Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan
  • Chef Dale MacKay – Saskatchewan
  • Chef Chris Irving – Whitehorse, Yukon


The Culinary Stage Series: Live Demonstrations from Top Chefs

A cornerstone of Cornucopia, the Culinary Stage Series brings together some of British Columbia’s most dynamic chefs for 13 interactive cooking events featuring live demonstrations, tasting menus, and expertly paired beverages.

Notable sessions this year include:

  • Chef Alana Maas, Chopped Canada winner, leading Canapés & Small Plates for Entertaining (Nov. 8), a showcase of elegant, stress-free entertaining.
  • Chef Jason Dabbagh and Chef Austin Cunningham collaborating on an interactive four-course luncheon (Nov. 8) focused on curing, smoking, fermenting, and pickling.
  • Chef Dabbagh will also host Junior Chef: Bringing Home the Bacon (Nov. 9), a hands-on culinary class for teens.
  • Chef Paul Natrall (Mr. Bannock), a proud member of the Squamish Nation, presenting an Indigenous-inspired session in partnership with Nk’Mip Cellars (Nov. 15).

Raise a Glass: World-Class Drink Seminars

Beyond the kitchen, Cornucopia offers 40 drink seminars where leading sommeliers and beverage experts share their knowledge in an intimate, engaging setting.

Highlights include:

  • Kurtis Kolt, Sommelier of the Year (Vancouver International Wine Festival, 2010), known for his approachable and insightful wine commentary. His sessions include Bang for Your Buck (Nov. 8), Motley Cru (Nov. 9), Home and Away (Nov. 9), and The Mighty Similkameen! (Nov. 15).
  • Chris Turyk and Ian Casterton team up for Bordeaux: Still the Benchmark? (Nov. 7), and Taste Like a Somm (Nov. 8), guiding guests through refined tastings with wit and expertise.

For the full event schedule and complete lineup of chefs, winemakers, and mixologists, visit whistlercornucopia.com.

Introducing the Zero Proof Lounge — A Refreshing New Addition to Cornucopia

A sophisticated new experience is joining Cornucopia’s lineup this year: the Zero Proof Lounge. This exciting addition will appear at Night Market: Taste of Canada on November 14, and Straight Up: Shaken, Not Stirred on November 15. Designed for guests who appreciate the art of a perfectly balanced drink—without the alcohol, the Zero Proof Lounge showcases the innovation of expert mixologists and beverage makers. Attendees can expect an inspired menu of zero-proof cocktails, spirit-free spritzes, and curated alcohol-free wines that rival their traditional counterparts in complexity and style. As interest in mindful drinking continues to grow, the Zero Proof Lounge offers an elevated space for guests to explore and enjoy the next evolution of beverage culture with a full glass and a clear head.

Tickets & Packages

Tickets and packages for Whistler Cornucopia are on sale now.

For the best value, festival attendees can bundle lodging and event tickets with Cornucopia Packages via Whistler.com. Packages include discounted tickets, accommodation, and a complimentary $100 dining voucher with bookings of 3+ nights.

Whistler Cornucopia is an eleven-day dazzling display of gourmet food, wines, spirits and beer catering to everyone from amateur enthusiasts to aficionados. Respected industry professionals, judges and presenters headline each event, seminar and tasting, offering the best possible opportunity to garner as much information and insight as possible. Held on the cusp of the opening of each ski season in beautiful Whistler, British Columbia; Cornucopia was designed to showcase and support the local food and drink industry. Now encompassing wineries, breweries, distilleries, chefs and restaurants from Vancouver, greater BC and beyond, Cornucopia has become recognized as a preeminent representation of the culinary tourism industry in Canada. With widespread appeal shown through the immense variety of events available, the festival is truly a food and drink festival with a Whistler attitude.

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, and whistler.com – Whistler’s official source for visitor information and booking. 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 and access to images and B-roll.

Download Whistler Cornucopia media imagery here

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