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 in 2023

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 2023 all main activities took place on Saturday, July 1st.

There is a yoga class, pancake breakfast and the People’s Parade. Unlike past years, the parade in 2023 didn’t move past spectators. Instead, visitors could 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.

Canada Day Event Schedule

The schedule of free and paid activities on July 1st in 2023 is listed below.

Saturday, July 1st, 2023

Lululemon Community Yoga – from 8:00 am to 9:00 am in Mountain Square.
Pancake Breakfast – from 9:00 am to 11:00 am in the Whistler Olympic Plaza.
Spo7ez Performance Team Welcome – 11:00 am in the Whistler Creekside Village and 7:30 pm at Whistler Olympic Plaza.
Summer Bobsleigh – from 10:00 am at the Whistler Sliding Centre.
People’s Parade – from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm in Whistler Village Stroll.
DJ ShotSki – opens the main concert at 6:30 pm.
Blackie & The Rodeo Kings with Daniel Lanois & Terra Lightfoot – headlining performance at 7:30 pm at Whistler Olympic Plaza.

Whistler Canada Day Parade

Whistler Village used to host a great 30-minute Canada Day parade on July 1st each year. In 2022, however, the parade had fixed stations for people to check out. The same was the case in 2023.

In previous years, the parade went 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 was usually a great parade with quality entries and it wasn’t too long or overly spread out.

Whistler Street Entertainers on Canada Day

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 8:00 pm on July 1st. Admission was free. In 2022 the main Canada Day concert took place in the Whistler Olympic Plaza and featured DJ Whitness and Sam Roberts Band. The 2023 concert took place at the same location. This past year DJ ShotSki opens at 6:30 pm and was followed by Blackie and The Rodeo Kings with Daniel Lanois and Terra Lightfoot at 7:30 pm.

Tips & Advice

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

TIP #1: Public transit is usually free in Whistler on Saturdays, Sundays and holiday Mondays in the summer, including over the Canada Day long weekend.

TIP #2: Parking costs vary depending on which lot you park in. After a certain time each evening, parking becomes free. For more details see Whistler’s Parking Map.

TIP #3: 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.