The Local's List: May - The Whistler Insider

May is a time when you’re spoilt for choice in Whistler. While skiers and snowboarders wrap up another great season with spring skiing on Whistler Mountain until May 20, mountain bikers get padded up and hit the trails in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park on May 17. And if you time it just right, you could get both in on the same day, along with a round of golf or a paddle on the lake on those warmer spring days.

Experience the newly upgraded Fitzsimmons Express chairlift at the Whistler Bike Park, making its debut on opening day (May 17). It delivers an increased uphill capacity by allowing five riders and five bikes to upload per chair for access to the popular Fitz Zone.

The creativity-filled Whistler Children’s Festival is back for its 41st season on May 17 to 19. Wow the kiddos (and tire their little brains out) with science demos, live music, circus performances and magic shows during this action-packed weekend! PSA: It’s Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 12, scroll down for a fancy brunch idea!

Outdoor Adventure

You’ll find us:

Floating on the water with Backroads Whistler, opening on weekends starting May 11th (they’ll be open seven days a week starting in June). With rentals or guided tours available on Alta Lake and the legendary River of Golden Dreams, it’s the perfect way to get on the water.
Tuning up our downhill bikes and hitting the Whistler Mountain Bike Park on opening day, May 17. If you’re new to riding the bike park, check out our blog, Whistler Mountain Bike Park 101 and give it a go! May is a great time to start as it’s cooler, and the trails are tacky and tend to be quieter than later on in the season.
Getting our final, sun-filled laps of the season on Blackcomb Mountain before putting a good coat of storage wax on our skis and snowboards until November. The last day for skiing and riding on Whistler is May 20. Check the Mountain Hours of Operation page for lift hours and status before you make your plans.
Having a dual sport day with the new combo tours from Canadian Wilderness Adventures. Combo tours include both snowmobile and ATV, making for the ideal spring day in Whistler. Depending on your rider style go for family and cruisy or adrenaline-pumping backcountry.
Swinging tools and spending time with a great bunch of people to contribute to the maintenance of Whistler’s mountain bike trail network by volunteering at WORCA Trail Nights, running every Tuesday. Every three volunteer nights you attend gets you a free bike park ticket, not to mention all that good karma! If you are heading out on the trails in Whistler, consider joining WORCA and make sure you check on Trailforks which trails are ready to ride on before you head out. To learn all about the different zones in Whistler’s great network of mountain bike trails, read our Insider’s Guide: Cross-Country Biking in Whistler blog.

Adventure Lite

You’ll find us:

Relaxing our bodies and minds during Spring Yoga at the Audain Art Museum. Visit the Audain every Thursday in May at 9:30 AM for one hour of gentle Hatha yoga. Suitable for all levels, these yoga classes continue every other Thursday throughout spring and also include access to the galleries, including the brand new exhibit Otherwise Disregarded – Capture Photography Festival, on until September 9!
Biking along the Valley Trail following the Natural Wonders tour route on the free, Go Whistler Tours app. It’s an 11-kilometre route that takes you from Lost Lake Park out to Green Lake and back around the Whistler Golf Course. You can use the audio function to listen to information on animals, flora and fauna as you ride.
Hitting an early season round of golf as Big Sky Golf Club opens on April 26, Nicklaus North Golf Course on May 3, and the Whistler Golf Club and Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club on May 10. You can take your swing to the next level by registering for the RBC PGA Scramble, in hopes of making it through the local qualifying round to the regional level.

More ways to get outside.

Family Fun

You’ll find us:

Sending the kids to the Connecting Cultures: Multicultural Kids Camp at Myrtle Phillip School on May 10. Children aged 7 to 12 will learn about a different country and culture through food, games, language, storytelling, song and dance.
Putting our kids to the test in the kitchen at the Kid’s Kitchen workshop on May 12. Kids ages 4 to 12 can sign up and learn how to safely cook their own food. They’ll get to eat on the job, so no need to pack them a lunch!
Celebrating at the 41st annual Whistler Children’s Festival from May 17 to 19. Bring the kiddos to enjoy a weekend jam-packed with events and activities, catered just for them. Some highlights of the 2024 lineup include a street party, live music, scavenger hunts and a performance from America’s Got Talent ventriloquist Michael Harrison. We recommend booking your accommodation and tickets in advance, as this iconic event has proven to be very popular, year after year! Read more in our dedicated blog.
Eating some ice cream in the sunshine from one (or more, or all!) of Whistler’s great ice cream joints using our well-researched blog, A Guide to Whistler Ice Cream. How many of these delicious spots have you and your family tried?

More family-friendly activities.

Arts & Culture

You’ll find us:

Getting grounded at the Learning to Meditate Workshop on May 9, or getting our hands dirty at the Art Asylum: Spring into Clay Play Workshop on May 15, both located at the Whistler Public Library.
Enjoying a night of good food and beautiful pottery at the Sea to Sky Potters Guild Empty Bowls event on May 9, in collaboration with the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (SLCC). Take home a handcrafted pottery bowl after enjoying soups created by local chefs with bannock donated by the SLCC. The best part? The event is a fundraiser for local food banks in Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton. Enjoy a great night while giving back to the community.
Shopping local at the 30th annual Whistler Farmers’ Market, located on the Upper Village Stroll on Sundays beginning May 19. Hosting an average of 60 vendors per market, varying from local produce to hot food and art, the market is a must-do while you’re in Whistler this May.
Connecting with art and nature at the Symbiosis Art and Nature Retreat from May 23 to 26 hosted at the Audain Art Museum. The four-day retreat promises a unique opportunity to explore the interplay between art and climate change, traditional workshops, studio visits and culinary experiences.
Experiencing the brand new exhibit at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, Ta na wa Yúus ta Stitúyntsam̓ / skel7áw̓lh (The person who protects the land / Steward of the land), opening on April 30. While you’re there, be sure to check out the final few weeks of the 100 Years of Unity exhibition, which runs until May 31 and honours the date that sixteen villages came together as the Squamish Amalgamation on July 23, 1923.

Eating, Drinking & Shopping

You’ll find us:

Embracing the spring season and trying some fresh, new flavours with great spring dining specials at some of Whistler’s acclaimed restaurants. Spring is a great time to dine in Whistler, with many restaurants, bars and eateries offering food and beverage specials. Read our blog on What Chefs Love About Spring in Whistler, for more inspiration.
Indulging in a new culinary standard at Sidecut Steakhouse and the Four Seasons Resort, a multisensory tasting menu by Executive Chef Sajish Kumar Das that features the extremely rare 15 olive-fed wagyu beef. Sidecut is the only place in Canada where you can find this dish! Check out the press article to learn more.
Celebrating Mother’s Day with a decadent brunch in the Wildflower Restaurant at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, and then, depending on the mom, heading to the bike park for some laps or a soak in the Scandinave Spa (or better yet, both).

More on Village shopping, dining and arts and culture.

Save the Date

Be a Responsible Traveller: Don’t Love It to Death

Whistler is bear country. Take a read of our Bear Aware blog post so you can act responsibly on behalf of these beautiful, wild creatures. Remember, a fed bear is a dead bear.
At this time of year, our hiking and biking trails are just coming out of the snow. Before you head out, check Trailforks to see which trails are open so you don’t damage them before they’ve had a chance to bounce back after the winter. If you’re using the trails regularly, consider donating to or joining WORCA, a local organization that maintains Whistler’s trail system.
BC Parks Day Passes are required for access to Garibaldi Provincial Park and Joffre Lakes Park. There are three Pipi7íyekw Reconnection Celebration periods happening in the summer when Joffre Lakes Park will be closed to recreational access and the general public, and no day-use passes or camping reservations will be available. For more information visit the BC Parks website.
Help keep Whistler green by choosing tap water over bottled water, avoiding single-use plastics, leaving the car at home, choosing active transportation and sorting garbage properly to reduce your waste.
Be AdventureSmart and always practice Leave No Trace principles.
Consider our Responsible Travel pillars, Respect Nature, Think Environment, Don’t Love It to Death and Support Local.
Whistler Alert is the official emergency notification system used by the RMOW to communicate with residents and visitors during emergencies via text message, phone and email. We encourage you to sign up for it while you’re here (just in case). When you register, you will be asked to provide your contact number and the date you plan to leave Whistler so that you don’t receive alerts when you’re back home.

If You’re Driving . . .

Take a read of Go Car Free: 8 Reasons to Ditch the Car on Your Whistler Trip in case we can convince you that you don’t need your car!
Help reduce congestion on the highway by travelling during non-peak times. Peak travel times on the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler include Friday afternoons and evenings, weekends and holidays. To avoid this busy time, plan to visit Whistler midweek when the highway and the resort are typically quieter. Extend your weekend – plan to arrive on Thursday night and leave on Monday morning to avoid the weekend traffic. If you’re visiting Whistler only for the day, plan on staying for dinner to avoid the rush of day traffic leaving the resort after the mountain closes.
Always check DriveBC for current road conditions before getting on the road. Follow @DriveBC on Twitter and listen to MountainFM for the latest updates.
Paid parking is in effect in all the Day Lots although there is complimentary parking from 5 PM to 8 AM. Overnight parking is now allowed in the Day Lots, but no overnight camping or sleeping in vehicles. Please check the RMOW website for more information on parking.