By Nicole Fitzgerald
What: North Pole Central
When: Starting Dec. 16, 11 a.m.
Where: MY Millennium Place
Admission: Free
While the North Pole might geographically fall
on the northernmost point of the globe, holiday enthusiasts know the heart of
the North Pole resides right here in Whistler where MY Millennium Place decks
the halls with plenty of Christmas entertainment — and even a personal
visit from Santa.
“Whistler welcomes the world
to our home for the holidays,” said MY Place general manager Dennis Marriott.
“We are not just a fantastic outdoor wonderland, but house a thriving arts and
culture community as well… We are giving them a glimpse of the real soul of
Whistler.”
MY Millennium Place, along
with Events Whistler (RMOW, Tourism Whistler and Whistler Blackcomb) have
joined forces to
create A Whistler Family Holiday
program with both on and off the mountain activities during the month of December.
The program kicks off with Kris Kringle arriving early at North Pole Central on
Saturday, Dec. 16. He’ll be at MY Millennium Place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The community space is
transformed into a sparkling winter wonderland of Christmas delights for the
whole month with lights, music and shows.
The North Pole Central
Saturday begins with the Whistler Children’s Chorus singing Christmas carols
from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Short Skirt Theatre performers, including Mr. Frost,
Snow Princess and the Sugar Plum Fairy, will bring both outdoor and indoor
animation to the day, along with a blow up castle, face painting, photos with
Santa, crafts and performance theatre.
Look out for flashing lights
at noon as the Whistler Fire Department escorts old Saint Nick on a fire truck
to the celebration. Whistler RCMP will lead the way in red serge and a red
carpet, manned by a dozen elves, will greet Santa.
Coast Mountain Photography
hosts photos with Santa from noon to 3 p.m. in the theatre lounge with
Christmas performances from storyteller Amie Wolf in the theatre.
In addition to
Christmas-themed shows, there will be plenty of activities for kids to
participate in, including a kids gift-card-making area.
Admission is free.
Welcoming Santa is only one
of many North Pole festivities hosted at MY Place in December.
Romanza – L’arte del
tenore returns to Whistler with the Canadian version of the three tenors
Thursday, Dec. 21 at 8 p.m. at MY Place as part of the Whistler Arts Council’s
Performance Series. Humour, classical and contemporary music, and three-part
harmonies come together for a magical evening of musical entertainment. Tickets
are $22 for adults and $19 for students and seniors.
For the first time, Whistler
will host a professional showing of the Nutrcacker Ballet with two shows on
each of Dec. 22 and 23, at 4 and 8 p.m. at MY Place. The internationally
acclaimed Goh Ballet builds on a classic presentation by adding multimedia
components and narrative to bring the charming tale to life. Tickets range from
$12.50 to $37.50. Ticket prices are reduced for matinee performances.
Children have their chance to
step up to the stage with the Queen Storytime Show presented by Amie Wolf Dec.
28 and 29 at MY Place. Wolf hosts an interactive time of story theatre with
children ages 3 to 12.
Get into the Let is Snow
spirit with Warren Miller’s latest ski flick
Off the Grid
on Thursday,
Dec. 28 at 7 and 9 p.m. at MY Place. The film includes a world-record ski jump
off a 245-foot cliff with skiers exploring Alaska’s rugged Chugach then getting
gnarly at the World Snowball Fighting Championships in Japan.
The North Pole wraps up with
a humorous encounter with The Bard in Shakespeare’s Will on Dec. 29 and 30 at
7:30 p.m. at MY Place. The one-woman show starring Nicole Busby unearths the
hilarity of Vern Thiessen, a Governor General Award-winning Canadian
playwright.
Other holiday festivities
include Skate with Santa Saturday, Dec. 16 from 1-3 p.m. at Meadow Park Sports
Centre; the Fire and Ice Show showcases riders flying through the Ring of Fire
Dec. 17, 24 and 31 at 6:30 p.m. at Whistler Village Base; Nanaimo’s Alison Crowe
performs a free concert of tidings Dec. 24 and 25 at the Telus Conference
Centre; and free gift wrapping with donation to local charities Dec. 16 to 24
from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Telus Conference Centre.
For more information on A Whistler Family Holiday programming, visit www.tourismwhistler.com.
