Christmas is about sharing and family, a time to celebrate and taking time to be with the people you love.
The 25 th annual Christmas Eve Service of Lessons and Carols on Monday, Dec. 24 at 6 p.m. at the Telus Conference Centre is the perfect way to get to the heart of the holiday season.
The Whistler Children’s Chorus hosts a magical evening of music, storytelling and community for this non-denominational carol service.
In past years, both children and adult choirs performed sets in between short readings by members of the Whistler community. Guest musicians also get into the spirit with the harp and violin joining boisterous voices.
Audience members participate in carol sing-a-longs along the way and before you know it, the hour wraps up in time to put the presents under the tree.
Admission is free.
Whistler also hosts Christmas Eve religious services:
A Christmas Eve Family Nativity Service is hosted on Monday, Dec. 24 at 6:30 p.m. at Whistler Village Church located at MY Millennium Place.
The Christ Mass: Celebrating the Story and Carols of Christmas sings in all your Jingle Bell favourites Dec. 24 at 10:30 p.m. at Whistler Village Church.
Christmas Morning Service of Light carries on holiday traditions on Tuesday, Dec. 25 at 10 a.m. at Whistler Village Church.
For more information, visit myplacewhistler.org.
A Pemberton Christmas
Sing into the holiday spirit with Christmas in Pemberton on Friday, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. at the Signal Hill Elementary School in Pemberton.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for the Pemberton community to get together and celebrate our local talent,” said co-organizer Helen Pearson.
Three choirs will be featured, including the Sparkle Choir, the Pembertunes and Pemberton Christian Fellowship Choir.
Along with holiday cheer from choirs, the evening includes live music from a Pemberton youth band called the Transmission Party as well as local soloists such as Helen Pearson on clarinet, Lisa Fogarty on viola, and solo singing from Anita Burleson and Hannah Van Stronsen.
Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children. All proceeds benefit the Pemberton Food Bank.
Christmas trees on stilts
Look out for elves singing Christmas carols and little drummer boys doing their pa rum pum pum pum thing as part of the holiday-themed Street Entertainment program roaming the walkways of Whistler Village Dec. 22 to 24, Dec. 28 to 30, and Jan. 3 to 5.
There will be stilt walking Christmas trees handing out candy canes to the kids and abominable snowmen playing tricks on the kids while fire spinning elves amaze.
Author Stephen Vogler will spin entertaining yarns while Llamas, who think they are reindeers, will parade their fake horns. Village strollers might even catch Santa spreading his jolly ho ho hos on Dec. 23 and 24 before he boards his sleigh.
Snowy days will be alive with music from Christmas carolers and the sounds of international guitarist John Gilliat.
Street Entertainment showcases will hook up with Mountain FM broadcasters who will be recording live on location on Saturday, Dec. 22 from 3 to 5 p.m. in Village Square with the Whistler Community Services Society.
Money and food donations will be accepted for the Whistler Food Bank.
All entertainment is free.
Gold-medal call for 2010 artists
Winning a medal at the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will be the ultimate achievement for athletes. However, getting the opportunity to design those coveted medals will be a life long dream for artists.
The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games is seeking proposals from artists all over the world who are interested in designing the Vancouver/Whistler 2010 Olympic and Paralympic medals.
“The story we will tell through these medals will be uniquely Canadian and will, we hope, present a new opportunity to tell the story of Canada’s Games, igniting the Olympic and Paralympic spirit across the country and around the world,” said Cathy Priestner Allinger, VANOC vice president of sport.
Artists, designers and creative teams are asked to submit proposals for medal designs that will reflect the determination and heart of the athletes who will win the medals in 2010.
The Calgary 1988 Olympic Winter Games medals featured an athlete crowned with an olive wreath and an Aboriginal figure with a stylized headdress comprised of ski poles, bob sleigh, skis, skate blades, hockey stick, luge and a biathlon rifle.
Design concepts will be revised by VANOC and approved by the board of directors. VANOC will present the medal design to the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee for review and final approval.
The design process will include five phases conducted over eight months.
The official request for proposals is available at vancouver2010.com.
