Thanksgiving in Whistler
Activities, shopping and food aplenty in Whistler
Don’t lament the end of summer. Celebrate this glorious season of autumn with a Thanksgiving weekend getaway to Whistler and take in nature’s canvas of stunning colours and snow-capped peaks while getting down to gearing up for ski season.
If you’re pacing the floor waiting for opening day, your first stop should be Whistler Blackcomb’s legendary Ski and Snowboard Turkey Sale at the base of Blackcomb Mountain. Nowhere else will you find so many excellent bargains on new and used brand-name ski and snowboard equipment under one roof. Every year more than twenty thousand people rely on the sale to stock up on the latest gear. Don’t forget village shopping for discounts on everything from skis and bikes to designer clothes.
It’s a weekend of fond farewells as the town changes gears and charges up for winter. Take a final ride on the Whistler Village gondola before the cabins are full of skis and boards. It’s final rounds and discounted rates at Whistler’s world-class golf courses, the last chance to tear down the mountain in Whistler’s bike park, and the best weekend for one more Peak 2 Peak gondola sightseeing ride.
Don’t forget to save $400 on your season’s pass by paying before October 10. This year, you can pay half now, spend some money on new gear and pay the rest before January 23. Your pass also gives you half-priced lift tickets at many US and Australian ski resorts.
Of course, Thanksgiving is all about traditional turkey dinners and there’s no shortage of those here. Most restaurants will have a variation on the theme and it’s best to reserve ahead. A good bet is the Westin’s Vine and Grill for a three-course dinner with all the trimmings at $45 per person on Oct 8 and 9, featuring caramelized apple and ale cake with brown butter applesauce. Your best bet for large groups is to reserve ahead and get “turkey on the fly” take-out from the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Westin Resort and Spa or Four Seasons Resort.
Bribe the kids with a trip to the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and some sumptuous cinnamon chocolate truffles, pumpkin fudge, extreme candy apples or solid chocolate turkeys. Or drive thirty minutes to Pemberton’s North Arm Farm for a wagon ride to the pumpkin patch, plus kettle corn, yummy pies and a barnyard of sheep, pigs, chickens and lambs. The Fairmont Chateau Whistler goes all out with kids’ activities, pumpkin-carving lessons, cooking classes, brunch and traditional Thanksgiving dinners. Much more at whistler.com/thanksgiving