The 2010 Winter Olympic Games gave us a lot.
It gave us a chance to see our beautiful mountain playground, that we often take for granted, through the fresh eyes of the world. A chance to burst with Canadian pride – both for our athletes as well as our heritage. A platform upon which our indigenous communities could shine. For all this, I am grateful.
The Olympics also gave us kick-ass stuff to play with after it was gone.
One in particular, which is really going off this summer, is the newly finished Whistler Olympic Plaza.
Formerly (and confusingly) known as Whistler Celebration Plaza, this central Whistler Village locale was the epicenter of celebration during the 2010 Winter Games, where we crowned our Olympic royalty and watched amazing performances from A-list entertainers.
This summer, the Resort Municipality of Whistler and the Province of British Columbia have joined forces to revamp the Whistler Olympic Plaza with a brand new permanent stage and a beautiful lawn, accessorized with a wild-and-crazy new playground. No one wants to be all dressed up with no place to go – so for good measure, there’s a full summer-load of FREE performances set to blow this venue up!
There’s no catch here, by the way. When I say “free” I mean already paid for, no strings attached – you just come and enjoy.
We’ve already seen Jason Mraz, Papa Josh, Bif Naked and Tom Cochrane with Red Rider take the stage, and coming performances are set to showcase Colin James and The Barenaked Ladies. But if you are only planning to come for one weekend, come for the Grand Opening Weekend Celebration, August 27-28, where we officially cut the ribbon on the venue and light up the stage with Sam Roberts and Kathleen Edwards. Not to be missed.
If you don’t want to have to worry about staking out your patch of grass, (not everyone travels with picnic blankets, we know), especially for the popular gigs, take advantage of the Whistler Presents Zone, a tented space that offers light refreshments and great proximity to the concert stage. Complimentary passes to the Whistler Presents Zone are available to guests who book their accommodation through WHISTLER.COM. (All summer long, people have been inspired by the live music and late night vibe to grab a room and make a real night of it. Spontaneity works. But it pays to plan ahead, too! Call 1.800.WHISTLER for more details.)
Future uses for the Whistler Olympic Plaza will include a host of music festivals and events. Bookmark www.whistler.com/olympic_plaza/ for a constantly updated list of Whistler Olympic Plaza happenings.
See you there.