By Amy Fendley The second annual Whistler Town Party is on its way, featuring art, tributes and a chance kick up your heels and kick off the 1999 World Ski and Snowboard Festival. The all-ages event is conceived as an opportunity for the whole community to have one last rippin’ party before the end of the ski season. It will be held in the Macdonald Ballroom of the Chateau Whistler, Saturday, April 10. "The Town Party embodies all the elements of a community celebration," says event chair and founder Don Anderson. "It will be an important annual gathering for the community of Whistler for years to come." The ballroom will also showcase Artrageous!, an exposition of local artwork in a variety of media. Artrageous! is a non-profit art and music event that has been organized five previous times in Whistler. It will feature some of Whistler and Pemberton’s best artists, sculptors, photographers and computer artists, and will offer interactive displays and performance pieces around this year’s central themes: skunk cabbage, or community celebration. Artrageous! was the brainchild of local artist Christina Nick and Alison Winslow, a former local framer who has since moved to Toronto. This year’s Artrageous! 6, is backed by the Town Party and the Whistler Community Arts Council. Disco sensations Wunderbread and the reggae band Boom Daddy will also entertain event-goers. The Whistler Town Party is an event put on by the people of Whistler for the people of Whistler. It is intended to remind Whistlerites that Whistler has an identity that goes beyond its number one ski resort rankings, that Whistler is a community of people of all ages and profiles, of all interests and backgrounds, and of great energy and enthusiasm. "As the busy winter season draws to a close during the World Ski and Snowboard Festival, the Whistler Town Party presents an opportunity for our community to toast the season and recognize the accomplishment of those townspeople who make Whistler a better place to live and work," says Doug Perry, managing director of the World Ski and Snowboard Festival. The Town Party will also feature a silent auction with all proceeds to be donated to the John Ryan Regeneration Tour. "The party will be Whistler’s major send-off party for John," says Ann Yauniskis of the John Ryan Regeneration Tour. "It’s a fantastic chance for everyone in the community to show support for the Regeneration Tour." Organizers of the Town Party are seeking additional sponsors. "We are currently looking for sponsors," says Anderson. "As it stands, the community has been very generous. This will definitely be the town’s party, our mandate is to celebrate the community." Whistler/Blackcomb has already jumped on board the sponsorship bandwagon, signing on as a gold sponsor with $2,500 to get the organizing going. Other major sponsors include: The Chateau Whistler Resort, Dubh Linn Gate, Nester’s Market, IGA, Whiski Jack Resorts, the WSSF, La Rúa/Caramba, Mountain Paint, Slalom Photo, and the TD Bank. "An event of this calibre takes an incredible amount of time, energy and funding," says Perry. "I encourage businesses and individuals alike to get involved and make the Whistler Town Party a resounding success." Whistler’s fourth annual World Ski and Snowboard Festival is gearing up for another electrifying ten days, April 9 to 18. With more than 2,500 participating athletes, 50 live bands and 28 events, the festival is billed as North America’s largest winter sports event. The World Ski and Snowboard Festival is presented in partnership by Whistler/Blackcomb and the Whistler Resort Association. Ticket’s for Whistler’s Town Party are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. For more information on Whistler Town Party sponsorship opportunities, contact Deanne Turnbull at 932-3022. To submit artwork to Artrageous!, contact Christina Nick at 938-9265.
