Resort celebrates the Intercultural Main Street Festival, Canada Day and the Fourth of July

Tourism Whistler media release

June 25, 2012: Whistler, B.C. – Summer has arrived and that means Whistler moves into high-gear, with celebrations to mark our cultural collective and both the Canadian and U.S. national holidays of Canada Day and the Fourth of July.

In Whistler, every day features a new way to experience the art of summer.

The second annual Whistler Intercultural Main Street Festival takes place June 28. The Whistler Forum hosts this event, where representatives of ethnically diverse communities come together on Main Street from 4 – 10 p.m. transforming the area into a showcase to share their cultures through food, music and dance. This free, family-friendly festival is open to the public.

Patriotic pride abounds throughout the village as Whistler celebrates Canada’s birthday and Independence Day – the national holiday of our U.S. neighbours.

Whistler Street Entertainment brings A Canadian Carnival to the resort June 28-July 2, offering family-friendly festivities throughout the village between noon and 7 p.m. The Canada Day parade winds its way through the village, from Whistler Town Plaza to Mountain Square, beginning at noon on Canada Day.

The Canada Day Celebrations concert lineup includes Vancouver folk singer Dan Mangan on Friday, June 29 and Cuban-born singer-songwriter Alex Cuba (who now resides in Smithers, B.C.) on Saturday, June 30. Both concerts are at 8:30 p.m. in the Whistler Olympic Plaza Pavilion.

On Sunday, July 1, Canadian children’s entertainer Fred Penner takes to the stage at the Whistler Olympic Plaza Pavilion at 2:30 p.m. while Vancouver blues performer Jim Byrnes and The Sojourners take over at 8:30 p.m.

The musical celebrations continue July 6 and 7 with soul power trio Wide Mouth Mason performing July 6 and global fusion giants Pacifika and Vancouver-based Jill Barber on July 7. Both concerts take place at 8:30 p.m. in Whistler Olympic Plaza Pavilion.

Fireworks will light up the night sky at 10:15 p.m. on both Canada Day (July 1) and the U.S. Independence Day (July 4). The fireworks are best viewed from Skiers’ Plaza at the base of Whistler Mountain in the village.

Those interested in the most up-to-date information regarding programming are encouraged to visit www.whistler.com/events where the comprehensive events calendar is regularly updated.

Of course the perfect Whistler summer getaway comes in a variety of forms. Enter the Perfect Whistler Summer Getaway Contest for a chance to win your ultimate summer getaway. Four grand prizes ranging in value from $1,570 to $1,790 are up for grabs: whether you’re in the mood to chill, connect, meander or adventure – it’s all up to you to decide which prize you would like.

Whistler-based travel consultants at whistler.com can also customize a vacation package, taking care of flights, transportation, accommodation and activities. Call 1.800.WHISTLER (1.800.944.7853) to request a no-obligation quote or visit whistler.com for more details and offers. Book your summer vacation package by June 30 to receive a third night free.

Whistler Festivals, Events & Animation Program

Celebration has always been an important aspect of Whistler culture as was highlighted during the 2010 Winter Games when the community presented the most outstanding display of sport, entertainment and culture the town had ever seen. The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) and resort partners have continued to build on this momentum by coming together to develop quality year-round, cultural programming. Complementing the many great events the resort has become known for, the Festivals, Events and Animation (FE&A) program showcases a variety of events, concerts and lively village entertainment for all ages. In support of Whistler’s place-based cultural tourism strategy, the RMOW invests in many cultural projects. The FE&A program is financed almost entirely by the funds it receives from the Province of British Columbia’s Resort Management Initiative (RMI) designed to invest in programs and projects to build tourism in the province. Click here for additional details about the FE&A program.

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.WHISTLER 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.

Media Contacts

Tourism Whistler
Kerry Duff
Manager, Travel Media
T: 604.938.2709
E: kduff@tourismwhistler.com

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

Resort Municipality of Whistler
RMOW Communications
T: 604.967.3030
E: Communications@whistler.ca
W: www.whistler.ca
T: @RMWhistler
F: RMOW