Whistler’s annual fall festival of food and drink is happening November 6 to 16, 2025, with over 100 events including signature tastings, lively parties, refined dinners and educational seminars. Whistler Cornucopia is an 11-day event for foodies and the epicurious; Cornucopia invites you to experiment, expand your knowledge, celebrate your passions and explore Whistler’s world-class food and drink scene.
The events are split into four categories: Cornucopia’s Signature Events, Food + Drink Seminars, Culinary Stage Series and Restaurant + Bar events with tickets starting at $35. Although there is always something delicious happening throughout the festival, the bigger, signature events are on the weekends, although mid-week is always a great consideration for more intimate events and good value on accommodation. Most of the events happen at the Whistler Conference Centre in the heart of Whistler Village, a central location with lots of accommodation options nearby.
Tickets sell out fast for the key events, so let’s dive into each of these Cornucopia categories and see what’s on the menu at Whistler’s festival of food + drink.
Cornucopia Signature Events
The festival kicks off with the West Coast House Party, a mix of live music, local cuisine and wine, spirits and beers from across the entire West Coast. Indulge in a dinner buffet by Executive Chef Neal Harkins as you mingle. This perennial sellout event is the perfect way to start your weekend early.
The flagship event of Cornucopia, CRUSH Grand Tasting, invites you to sip, sample and savour your way through a variety of BC, Canadian and International wines (there are over 50 wineries involved this year). If you’re the kind of person who likes to get ahead of the crowd, take a look at the Early Entry ticket option or even the smaller, Cellar Door event, which features wines valued at $35+ from more than 25 remarkable wineries.
16 new wineries are being featured this year, including Black Hills Estate Winery, Quails’ Gate Estate Winery, Phantom Creek and Moraine Winery. They also feature award-winning wineries recognized in the 2025 National Wine Awards of Canada, including Quails’ Gate (#6 in Top 25 in Canada), Stags Hollow (#15), Black Hills (#21), Lightning Rock (#23), Fort Berens, which won gold for their 2022 Blanc de Blanc, Moraine Winery and Laughing Stock.
Do you like a good whodunnit? Savour a sumptuous four-course meal with paired wines served with a side of suspense at the Murder Mystery Dinner. It’s usually themed, so get your tickle trunk out for a night of entertaining drama. We’re all donning headphones and choosing our own DJ adventure at With a Twist: Silent Disco. Flick between three different DJs and dance the night away while sampling a diverse selection of drinks (five drink tokens are included with your ticket). New for this year, there’s a cocktail competition between six talented bartenders that will really shake things up!
Comedy Kitchen turns 10 this year, and they’re celebrating with headliner Ivan Decker leading a lineup of nationally acclaimed comedians serving their best material in a classic, comedy-club setting.
Nightmarket: Taste of Canada brings the vibrant atmosphere of bustling street markets to the mountains. Showcasing a diverse range of Canadian and Indigenous flavours, it features dishes crafted by guest chefs and acclaimed restaurants from all over the country, each bringing their traditions and regional flair to life. With a casual yet sophisticated setting, this event is perfect for exploring diverse cuisine, so come hungry!
Like your cocktails shaken, not stirred? For the last weekend, find your best tux or glamorous gown for a James Bond-themed closer, Straight Up: Shaken Not Stirred. There’s live music, captivating entertainment, a charity casino, a dance floor, and craft cocktails and premium spirits.
Cornucopia Food + Drink Seminars
There are over 35 seminars on offer featuring wine, spirits, beers and more, done in an intimate setting with world-class experts. These seminars are all about deepening your knowledge and refining your palate with experts to guide you. You could be intrigued by a certain country, region or varietal, a particular libation or want some drink suggestions for the upcoming festive table.
You can take a deep dive into wines from different places like Greece, Italy, France and Spain, the southern hemisphere including New Zealand and Australia, as well as Canada, of course. You can focus on a varietal like Grenache, Amarone, or Chablis, or go for a session that showcases a few, like Italian Reds: Bold Wines for Winter Nights, I Can’t Pronounce It But It Tastes Great, and Ten Grapes That Changed the World.
It’s also not all wine, with The Nooks and Crannies of Great Scotch Whisky, the Old World Roots of Craft Beer and Unveiling the Secrets of Japanese Liquor. We also like the paired events like Dim Sum and Then Some: Bubbles + Dumplings and Sip Like a Spaniard: A Sherry and Charcuterie Adventure.
The seminars are your chance to learn something new while sipping on something fun, so make sure you take a look at the drink seminar event page and pick some that stand out to you.
Culinary Stage Series
If you’ve ever watched a cooking show and wished you were one of the judges testing the delectable outcomes, the Culinary Stage events are for you (minus the stress of actual judging). Set in the airy and light foyer of the Whistler Conference Centre, you get to absorb tips and tricks from national chefs, producers and beverage professionals as you sample what they make.
What you can expect is a delicious, multi-course meal with drink pairings, as you watch the demonstrations. Each Culinary Stage has a different spin, as it depends heavily on the expert on the stage who often brings you something they’re passionate about, whether that be the latest in Indigenous cuisine, forest foraging or healthy brunch bites.
Chopped Canada winner Chef Alana Mass is back on the stage, but you’ll need to grab that ticket quickly, as it’s an annual sellout event. Indigenous cuisine champion, Chef Paul Natrall, the founder of Mr. Bannock Food Truck, will also be presenting, as will Chef Luis Valenzuela, taking us through his culinary journey from Mexico, to Spain, Italy and now, Canada.
Restaurant + Bar Events
Whistler has a world-class, award-winning dining scene, and Cornucopia is a time for them to experiment, push boundaries and really wow diners. For some of the popular establishments, tickets go quickly, but another strategy is to pick somewhere you’ve never been to before so you can uncover a new gem.
Some restaurants partner with wineries for wine-maker dinners, whereas some lean into a theme or region – it’s exciting to see what they create. Tickets for the Restaurant + Bar events go live on September 25, 2025.
NEW for Whistler Cornucopia 2025
Junior Chef
Chef Dabbagh has dedicated his life to reconnecting young people with their food. In this hands-on class for ages 13–17, on November 9 from 1 to 3 PM, teens will learn essential cooking skills while exploring passion, creativity and curiosity in the kitchen. Guided by Chef Dabbagh, these budding chefs will craft a beautiful, delicious meal with plenty to share and take home for their families. The session is limited to 15 places, so if you’ve got a beginner chef in the family, get their ticket pronto.
The Cocktail Gameshow
Hosted by BareBones Bartending, this gameshow event on November 16 from 4 to 5:30 PM is one part cocktail workshop and one part comedy and live competition. Learn to make some classic and modern recipes, with the opportunity to compete for fun prizes like shaker sets, signed books, and Canadian Gifts! BareBones Bartending is Canada’s longest-running cocktail workshop program, and this event has travelled coast to coast, featuring locally produced spirits.
Save With Signature Event Packages and Early Bird Tickets
Cornucopia Signature Event Packages combine discounted tickets to the signature events with accommodation, a great way to sort out two planning items in one go and snag a discount (packages start at $95 per person, per night). There’s a finite number of these packages, so book now before they go! Staying through midweek is another way to grab a deal with lower rates away from the weekends. If you stay three nights or more, you also receive a free $100 Dining Voucher.
There are also Early Bird Tickets for all of the Signature Events (except the Murder Mystery Dinner), where you can save up to $40 per ticket. There is a limited amount of these tickets, so get yours before they go!
6 Whistler Cornucopia Tips
1. Schedule Food Events
Between alcohol seminars and tastings, slot in one of the culinary demonstrations or take a stroll in Whistler Village to find a nearby eaterie. For Signature Events like CRUSH, although there are delicious canapes being served, you’re going to want to have dinner beforehand. Take a look at Whistler.com’s dining guide and book an early dinner.
2. Move Your Body
Fall in Whistler is a beautiful time to be in the mountains with their changing colours. Get outside for some fresh mountain air. Schedule windows of time for activities like a short hike (try Lost Lake), biking on the Valley Trail, or rejuvenating at a spa. You’ll go longer and harder and feel less guilty when you have to get up and do it all over again the next day.
3. Stay in Town
Even Whistler locals take advantage of the Cornucopia accommodation pairings because, after three or more days of food and drink, a good night’s sleep in a king-size bed with high thread-count bedding and housekeeping service is very nice to come home to.
4. Experiment
Adopt an open mindset. Cornucopia is the ultimate celebration of bold tastes, where you can experiment with your palate, expand your knowledge, and celebrate your foodie passions as you explore Whistler’s world-class food and drink scene. Don’t be afraid to try something new.
5. Dress for Success
Try sweaters and skinny jeans for craft beer and scotch tastings, and fancy and festive attire for socials and galas. As a rule of thumb, dress up versus down, as you never know who you might meet. We also suggest bringing a waterproof jacket and winter shoes for when you’re not inside!
The festival is always connected to a charity, and this year it’s proudly raising funds for Protect Our Winters Canada, which unites the outdoor community to advocate for policy solutions to climate change.
Cornucopia is an amazing place to learn about and sample new food, wine and spirits. It’s all about feeling good, making friends and enjoying the cornucopia!
Bundle your Signature Event tickets with lodging for unbeatable value with Whistler.com, and if you stay more than three nights, you also receive a free $100 Whistler Dining Voucher. Cheers to that!
