It’s become a staple of summer fun in Whistler, and if this weekend’s kickoff schedule for the Whistler Street Entertainment program is any indication, this year could be the annual event’s best year to date.
With a classic car show, Lego workshops, inflatable sculptures and live music performers all jammed into Whistler’s May long weekend, there will be no shortage of things to keep families entertained throughout — and it’s all thanks to the cooperation of various Whistler organizations.
Whistler Street Entertainment is a series of weekly events that generally take place during weekends for the summer months in Whistler. Activities and events range from live music to arts workshops or role-playing characters that interact with visitors and take place somewhere within the Village.
“It’s a free service put on between the Whistler Arts Council (WAC) and the RMOW,” said Traci Despatis, street entertainment programming director.
In 2008 Despatis was put in charge of programming the events, something that she says was a good fit.
“Before we (WAC) took it over four years ago I believe it had been going on for more than 10 years,” said Despatis. “It gave us the opportunity to sort of expand the Whistler Arts Council’s ability to have access to bigger and better entertainment as well as to feature some of the local artists in a different way and to take them out in the streets instead of being in the bars and the lounges.”
While street entertainment programming normally runs through to the beginning of September, Despatis said that because of the Jazz on the Mountain music festival and GranFondo, street entertainment has been extended to run until mid-September, affording residents and visitors even more opportunities to get out and enjoy the Village.
“Basically every weekend, it could be Thursday to Sunday, or whichever day in between, we’ll basically have entertainment anywhere from outside of Whistler Olympic Plaza all the way up and through to Mountain Square,” said Despatis.
When asked how acts are chosen for the events, Despatis said it’s a matter of variety and what works in each location.
“This weekend we have Papa Josh and Helen Austin. Papa Josh has been a part of street entertainment for years and Helen Austin has this amazing voice, and we though they’d really compliment each other at the gazebo in the Town Plaza,” said Despatis.
Despatis also explained that while WAC seeks out entertainers for certain weekends, performers also apply to be part of the program.
“I get hundreds of applications and unfortunately there aren’t hundreds of performance slots, so I try and think diversity, I try and think of something that we haven’t had before,” explained Despatis. “I try and engage the locals whenever I can. There are a few themed weekends in July and August that will be great that will showcase locals.”
As for this weekend, Despatis is confident that it will leave both locals and visitors with a great feel for things to come.
“We’ve got the Nylon Zoo, which has this big inflatable story-telling animal and kids can get dressed up and go inside the tent and get a story read to them,” she said. “We have Papa Josh and Helen Austin. Papa Josh knows how to entertain a crowd and Helen’s new this year. The Bluesberries are someone else who we’ve had in the past as part of our children’s festival, and we’ve brought them in to sort of jazz it up a bit and to make it more family oriented.”
On top of those events, kids are invited to come out for the Lego “Build Together Interactive Village” where a community-built structure will be created out of Duplo bricks.
Finally, there will be an all-British car show featuring classic cars and motorcycles from the United Kingdom descending on Whistler Olympic Plaza on Sunday (May 22). Enthusiasts and admirers are invited to check out the autos and take pictures.
For more information on the Whistler Street Entertainment schedule or to sign up as a performer, visit www.artswhistler.com.
