Every Canada Day weekend there are celebrations and fun activities to be had in Whistler Village, from a parade to a big concert, a beer garden and plenty more.
In 2025 Canada Day is on Tuesday, July 1st.
Whistler’s Canada Day Weekend
The Canada Day long weekend is a time of celebration across the country and Whistler is no exception. Activities in Whistler Village include a fun parade, live entertainment in the street or on stage, a farmers market and more.
Keep reading for details on the most noteworthy events on Canada Day and the surrounding weekends. To help people get around the area easier, transit is usually entirely free on July 1st! There are some sites that have free admission as well most years.
Canada Day Parade and Concert
The Whistler Canada Day Parade starts around noon near the Olympic Plaza. The route runs along Village Stroll through town and finishes at Mountain Square. The parade doesn’t last for too long (around 30 minutes) but it’s usually a pleasant experience and there are plenty of costumes.
In the evening on July 1st there is also usually a big concert at the Olympic Plaza that is free to attend. A couple of years ago the Sam Roberts Band performed. For about an hour before that there are some DJs on hand to set the mood with music of their own. The Canada Day concert marks the beginning of the Whistler Summer Concert Series which holds one or two concerts per week in the plaza in July and August.
Other Weekend Activities
On Canada Day you can expect there to be some places that offer either free or by-donation admission. In past years you’ve been able to visit both the Whistler Museum and Squamish Lil’Wat Cultural Centre at those discounted prices.
In 2019 the celebrations on July 1st ended with fireworks blasting off on Whistler Mountain at around 10:00 pm. Anyone who bought a ticket to ride up the gondola could attend the event. Sadly, there haven’t been fireworks in subsequent years. Other activities that take place over the Canada Day weekend most years include the following:
- Street Entertainment – on each of the long weekend there are roving street entertainers in the Village performing in the afternoon.
- Whistler Farmers Market – a good market in the Upper Village on each day of the long weekend.
- Beer and Wine Garden – open in the evenings in the Olympic Plaza. There is usually a cover charge to get in.
Other Information
For more information about Canada Day in Whistler, see the City of Whistler website or visit the VancouversBestPlaces.com website.
Other articles that might be of interest include the following (on both the WhatToDoInWhistler.ca and VancouversBestPlaces.com websites):