Canada Day at Whistler

Whistler celebrates Canada Day with a full weekend of events. Activities include a parade, beer garden and live entertainment.

There is also usually a pancake breakfast, farmers market, street entertainment and other fun things to see and do.

Whistler on Canada Day

A number of activities take place in Whistler Village over the Canada Day Long Weekend including live street entertainment, a farmers market and outdoor concerts. In 2020 these events were going to take place from July 1st to 5th before they were cancelled. Canada Day in 2021 didn’t reach the same heights as pre-pandemic years, but there were still several activities on offer.

In 2022 there are more celebrations and activities on July 1st, although things are still different from years prior to the pandemic. This year, all main activities take place on Friday, July 1st.

There is a yoga class, pancake breakfast, bicycle decoration competition and the People’s Parade. Unlike past years, the parade won’t be moving past spectators. Instead, visitors can walk around and explore different stations.

There are also a few noteworthy sites that have free or by-donation admission on July 1st. They include the Whistler Museum and the Squamish Lil’Wat Cultural Centre.

Whistler Street Entertainers on Canada Day

Event Schedule

The schedule of activities on July 1st in 2022 is listed below.

Friday, July 1st, 2022

Free Yoga in Mountain Square – from 8 to 9 am in Mountain Square.
Pancake Breakfast – from 9 to 11 am in the Whistler Olympic Plaza.
Community Reconciliation Canoe Carving – from 10 am until 5 pm at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre.
Pique Pedal Show & Shine – from 10 to 11 am in the Whistler Olympic Plaza.
People’s Parade – from 11 am to 4 pm in Whistler Village.
Spo7ez Performance – from 4:30 to 5 pm at Florence Peterson Park.
DJ Whitness – opens the main concert at 6:30 pm.
Sam Roberts Band – headlines the main concert from 7:30 pm.

Whistler Canada Day Parade

Whistler Village usually hosts a great Canada Day parade on July 1st each year. It begins at noon and lasts for about half an hour.

The parade route goes from the north end of the village near the Olympic Plaza and along Village Stroll through the pedestrian streets of the town up to near the base of the Whistler gondolas. It’s a great parade with quality entries and it’s not too long or overly spread out. The parade is a great community event, in a beautiful location and probably one of our favourites.

If you like parades, you’ll like the one on Canada Day in Whistler. Unfortunately the parade was not able to take place in 2020 or in 2021. It’s happening in a different format in 2022, with fixed stations for people to check out in Whistler Village.

Canada Day Concert in Whistler

A Whistler Canada Day tradition in past years has been a series of outdoor performances by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra over the Canada Day Long Weekend. Thousands of people turned out with their lawn chairs and filled the grassy area in front of the stage.

In 2019, instead of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the Tenors performed at the Whistler Olympic Plaza at 8 pm on July 1st. Admission was free. The event did not take place in 2020. It does not look like it took place in 2021 either.

In 2022 the main Canada Day concert takes place in the Whistler Olympic Plaza. It’s free to attend and begins with an opening performance by DJ Whitness at 6:30 pm, followed by Sam Roberts Band at 7:30 pm. If you like music, this is a concert you won’t want to miss!

Tips & Advice

Below are some suggestions and extra information to help you make the most out of your Canada Day experience at Whistler.

TIP #1: Stay the night, or a few nights, if you can. If happening, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra performances are a highlight of the weekend for many, and they don’t start until around 8:30 pm.

TIP #2: Public transit is usually free in Whistler on Saturdays, Sundays and holiday Mondays in the summer, including over the Canada Day Long Weekend.

TIP #3: Parking costs about $5 for the day, depending on which lot you park in. Arrive after 5 pm though and it’s free (and if you arrive close to 5 pm there are likely a good number of spaces available).

TIP #4: Squamish is a small town located halfway between Vancouver and Whistler up the Sea to Sky Highway. On July 1st they usually have a parade down Cleveland Street starting at 10 am and then live music and family-friendly activities from 11 am until 10:30 pm. Consider dropping by for a look on your drive up to Whistler.

TIP #5: In addition to Squamish, between Vancouver and Whistler, there are other interesting places to visit including the Sea to Sky Gondola, Shannon Falls and Alice Lake. Click Sea to Sky Region for ideas on what to see.