BC Business
2012 Telus Ski and Snowboard Festival | BCBusiness
Shake off winter with a cold brew, modern art and Whistler's ultimate après party. Event // Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival
Whistler’s beloved annual winter sports and music event, the Telus World Ski & Snowboard Festival, is the ultimate way to bid adieu to winter. The on-mountain party includes the Association of Freeskiing Professionals World Skiing Invitational (with a prize purse worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and the opportunity to be crowned at the World Championships 2012) and the Monster Energy Shred Show featuring the who’s who of snowboarding performing on moguls, slopestyle and a Big Hip competition. In the village, an outdoor concert series is kicked off by Australia’s The Cat Empire while Saskatoon rockers The Sheepdogs, who last year graced the cover of Rolling Stone, cap it off. Other draws include art exhibits, a fashion show and photography and film showcases by the best in the snow business – not to mention Whistler’s renowned culinary scene and world-famous ski runs. Whether you’re 18 or 80, if you like the snow you’ll want to go. Various Whistler venues, April 13-22. wssf.com
April provides your last chance to head to the Vancouver Art Gallery exhibit Lights Out! Canadian Painting From the 1960s. A culturally and politically tumultuous time in Canada’s history, the ’60s provided an exceptional backdrop for some of the nation’s best artists, including big names such as Jack Bush, Claude Tousignant and Michael Snow, whose 1963 canvas gave the exhibit its title. With a focus on Modernist painting, the Lights Out! exhibit features work from many of Canada’s centres for modern art including, unsurprisingly, Vancouver and Toronto, but also lesser-recognized cities such as Regina and Halifax. From bold optical images and shocking colour to haunting figurative works, the Ian Thom-curated show has something to offer all fans of Canadian art, both old and new. Vancouver Art Gallery, to April 29. vanartgallery.bc.ca
Brew it and they will come. For the 17th year Penticton plays host to the Fest-of-Ale, a two-day celebration of Pacific Northwest handcrafted beer featuring over 75 brewpubs, microbreweries and regional breweries. The tribute to B.C.’s fast-growing beer industry includes tastings (of course), live entertainment, and savoury nibbles served up by several of the South Okanagan’s esteemed culinary establishments. With its welcoming, grass roots ambience and wealth of ways to wet your whistle – ales, stouts, ciders and more – this festival is oft considered by B.C. beer aficionados as the prime event to kick off Canada’s traditional beer-drinking season (summer) and, as such, it sells out fast. Penticton Trade & Convention Centre, April 13-14. fest-of-ale.bc.ca