It’s friendly, it’s bright and it’s a whole lot of fun, it’s the 32nd Whistler Pride & Ski Festival. What started as a small, weekend gathering of queer ski enthusiasts in 1992, has become one of the biggest (and some might say best) LGBTQ2+ ski weeks in North America. With a packed events schedule of skiing, snowboarding and queer-focused, après and social events, it’s Whistler’s celebration of diversity. Read what it’s like to go to the festival as a lone traveller in our Pride blog.
Whistler’s great early-season ski conditions allowed for the earliest opening day on Whistler Blackcomb since November 2017, and January is set to keep bringing the good stuff. Get your turns in on the slopes, revel at après, relax in a hot tub, dine at an award-winning restaurant or try one of the many activities Whistler offers like snowshoeing, snowmobiling or ice climbing.
Deep winter is fun when you’re in the right place. Here’s what’s happening in Whistler this January.
Outdoor Adventure
You’ll find us:
- Throwing it down at the BC Snowboard Regional Slopestyle, January 10 to 12. Happening in Blackcomb Terrain Park, this BC Snowboard Sanctioned Provincial Event includes two slopestyles and registration is open now.
- Getting some Nordic skiing in at the Rossignol We Rise: Women’s Ski Day 2025 on January 19 at Whistler Olympic Park. Rossignol invites ALL women to enjoy a day of cross-country skiing in an encouraging and inclusive atmosphere.
- Taking to the skies with Whistler Heli-Skiing. They have access to 200,000 acres of terrain across 15 zones, that’s a lot of places to find powder. It’s also good to know that Whistler Heli-Skiing flys carbon-neutral. Read more about the heli-ski experience in our 101 Guide.
- Adventuring on a heart-pumping snowmobile tour with Canadian Wilderness Adventures – now in full operations for the Winter season. You could also explore via snowshoe – campfire cookout tour, anyone?
- Learning how to safely explore Whistler’s backcountry with the passionate pros at Extremely Canadian. Writer, Jessie Boyd, went on a couple of adventures with them last year and gives us her field report notes in Exploring Whistler’s Backcountry with Extremely Canadian.
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Adventure Lite
You’ll find us:
- Cycling through the rejuvenating heating and cooling program at the Scandinave Spa, Whistler’s outdoor, thermal therapy experience. Heat up in their saunas, steam rooms and hot pools, and then use the cool plunge pools and showers to invigorate your body and mind. If you need extra TLC book a massage.
- Stretching out our bodies in one of the most beautiful indoor spaces in Whistler – the Audain Art Museum. Register for the yoga session on January 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 from 9:30 to 10:30 AM and then explore the galleries afterward with admission included with your $20 lesson fee.
- Staring in awe at the ski and snowboard athletes who take part in Whistler Blackcomb’s Fire & Ice Show. Watch as they somersault through firey rings at the base of Whistler Mountain as the tunes pump. This free event happens weekly on Sundays throughout the winter, beginning January 5 at 7:30 PM. Read more about the athletes who make this happen in our blog on the Fire & Ice Show.
- Seeing if we can get out of a pirate ship, underwater lair and gold mine at Escape! Whistler. You’ve got 45 minutes to solve riddles and puzzles to get out of your chosen room. This is a great activity for families and friends who love to work together to get things done! Check out our recent blog, Whistler’s Incredible Escape Rooms, for all the details.
- Getting our swing on at the Sim Golf League at Whistler Golf Course. Each 9-hole round will take you to a new course, including fun side games, with prizes and complimentary rentals.
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More ways to get outside.
Family Fun
You’ll find us:
- Bouncing away on the indoor castles at Wintersphere, on at the Whistler Conference Centre until January 4. There are also crafts and a holiday maze!
- Getting the young shredders out to participate in or observe the annual Whistler Blackcomb Regional Junior Freeride Challenge from January 3 to 5.
- Bringing the kiddos to the Skateboard Deck Design workshop at ART POP! Whistler on January 24 (it’s a Pro-D day)! This hands-on workshop gives kids the chance to reflect on their individual styles through a creative process. Kids can choose between a rideable deck or a display deck.
- Deep in the forest at a magical, multimedia light show. Vallea Lumina is an incredible après ski activity that will wow the whole family. Read more about this experience in Magic in the Mountains: Winter Vallea Lumina.
- Sliding on an Olympic track with our older kiddos. For ages 16+ you can Discover Skeleton and Discover Bobsleigh at the Whistler Sliding Centre and step into the tracks of Olympians for the day!
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More family-friendly activities.
Arts & Culture
You’ll find us:
- Having a laugh at the Improv Battle at the Garibaldi Lift Co. (GLC) on January 7. Featuring the cast of Laugh Out LIVE! with legendary DJs Foxy Moron and Vinyl Ritchie, two teams of quick-witted, sharp-tongued improvisers take your wildest suggestions and turn them into side-splitting scenes, ridiculous characters and unpredictable hilarity while battling for improv supremacy. No scripts, no safety nets, just pure, unfiltered comedy chaos!
- Lamenting Taylor Swift in concert, but happy we’re going to the Candlelight: Tribute to Taylor Swift happening on January 10. Then the next night, January 11, we’re laughing along with LA comedian Dino Archie. He’s been featured on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Adam Devine’s House Party, Kevin Hart’s LOL and Just For Laughs Nasty Show and is described as hilariously toxic!
- Bringing our creativity to the Just Paint Experience at the Audain Art Museum on January 18. Led by visual artist Sara Robichaud, this workshop encourages artists to explore new and innovative materials concepts in an open and collaborative atmosphere.
- Connecting with living history at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre. This is a place of connection and learning, visit them and join a tour to get an understanding of the vibrant Indigenous people who have called this incredible land home since time immemorial.
- Listening to the musical brilliance of virtuoso pianists Nico Rhodes and Patrick Courtin at Arts Whistler Live! Presents: Piano Heist on January 18. This genre-bending show (think music & comedy combined) showcases the artist’s quests to make piano cool again.
- Joining the Whistler Pride Ski-OUT and Parade on January 24. Flag-bearing skiers and snowboarders fly their rainbow flags down the mountain before parading them through Whistler Village. Everyone is invited to dress up in their brightest colours and join the parade!
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Listening to the Victoria Piano Quartet, presented by Whistler Chamber Music, on Sunday, January 26 at the Maury Young Arts Centre. Terrence Tam (violin), Yariv Aloni (viola), Pamela Highbaugh (cello) and Lorraine Min (piano) have been performing together for ten years and continue to garner standing ovations and accolades for their virtuosity, sensitivity and delicate elegance.
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Eating, Drinking & Shopping
You’ll find us:
- Checking out the new and exciting food offerings at Glacier Creek Lodge at the base of Jersey Cream Express on Blackcomb Mountain. This season, they’ve levelled up their food offerings by introducing three new food truck-inspired stations – pasta, tacos and fish & chips, yum!
- Checking out Whistler’s newest restaurant, BALAM – now open! Located on the Whistler Village Stroll across from the Pangea Pod, BALAM brings Latin American cuisine to the Whistler Village. Named after the majestic jaguar, BALAM is a celebration of the spirit and soul of Latin American cuisine, with influences from the culinary gems of Peru, Mexico, Argentina and beyond.
- Having a ball at the Longhorn Saloon at Icons Whistler on January 25. This epic night includes unforgettable drag performances from Sanjina Dabish Queen, Tynomi Banks, Hazel, and Madam Lola Colby, and is hosted by Alma Be.
- Munching on a Beaver Tail. What?! You read that right. Beavertails are a Canadian pastry that is, as the name suggests, shaped like a beaver’s tail. The tails are chewy, yet crispy, kind of like a flat donut and come with a range of decadent topping options. Get yours in Mountain Square, close to Lululemon.
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More on Village shopping, dining and arts and culture.
Save the Date
Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 | February 8 – 16
Be a Responsible Traveller: Don’t Love It to Death
- Help keep Whistler green by choosing tap water over bottled water, avoiding single-use plastics, leaving the car at home, choosing active transportation and sorting garbage properly to reduce your waste.
- Be AdventureSmart and always practice Leave No Trace principles.
- Consider our Responsible Travel pillars, Respect Nature, Think Environment, Don’t Love It to Death and Support Local.
- Whistler Alert is the official emergency notification system used by the RMOW to communicate with residents and visitors during emergencies via text message, phone and email. We encourage you to sign up for it while you’re here (just in case). When you register, you will be asked to provide your contact number and the date you plan to leave Whistler so that you don’t receive alerts when you’re back home.
If You’re Driving . . .
- Take a read of Go Car Free: 8 Reasons to Ditch the Car on Your Whistler Trip in case we can convince you that you don’t need your car!
- Whistler Blackcomb has launched a trial carpool program for this winter season. Vehicles with four or more occupants get free priority parking access in Lot 7 and Creekside Level 1 parking lots from 6 AM to 11 AM on weekends and peak periods.
- Winter tires or chains are required on the Sea to Sky Highway from now until March 31. Make sure to check you have these, especially if you’re using a rental car. Read more on our Road Conditions page.
- Help reduce congestion on the highway by travelling during non-peak times. Peak travel times on the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler include Friday afternoons and evenings, weekends and holidays. To avoid this busy time, plan to visit Whistler midweek when the highway and the resort are typically quieter. Extend your weekend – plan to arrive on Thursday night and leave on Monday morning to avoid the weekend traffic. If you’re visiting Whistler only for the day, plan on staying for dinner to avoid the rush of day traffic leaving the resort after the mountain closes.
- Always check DriveBC for current road conditions before getting on the road. Follow @DriveBC on Twitter and listen to MountainFM for the latest updates.
- Paid parking is in effect in all the Day Lots although there is complimentary parking from 5 PM to 8 AM. Overnight parking is not allowed in the Day Lots over winter (November 1 to March 31). Please check the RMOW website for more information on parking including an interactive map.
- Marketplace parking has new tariffs; $1 first 30 minutes and $2 first hour (15-minute, storefront parking remains free). For shopping at Fresh St. Market, register your license plate in the machine prior to shopping and they will reimburse you for 1 hour with a minimum $25 purchase.
Book 3+ nights between January 1 - 31, 2025 to receive two free First Tracks tickets (early access to Whistler Mountain). Stay longer and save more, book now and save up to 25% on lodging and up to 35% on gear rentals.
Come experience Whistler Blackcomb’s extensive terrain and adventure at every turn to see why we're known as one of the best resorts on the planet. Secure your mountain getaway with Whistler.com for personalized service and the local knowledge of our Whistler-based team. If all this has you dreaming of Whistler, enter the Find Your Edge contest to win a six-night trip, including flights, accommodation and adventures.
