Free & Fun
Free services and activities in Whistler
Many people don't realize Whistler has a huge range of free services and activities. Year-round you will find some amazing freebies in and around the Village, such as the free shuttle bus throughout the Village, free internet access and storytime at the Library, free weekly local papers with all your entertainment listings, free copies of The Globe and Mail newspaper at Whistler Blackcomb locations, free yoga at Lululemon, and numerous free art displays.
During winter, visitors enjoy a free Fire and Ice show every Sunday night at Skiers Plaza at Whistler Blackcomb's base. Children under six can ski and access the mountain for free and dress up as Santa Claus on the closest Saturday to Christmas and you can also ski or ride for free. Finally, take advantage of Whistler Holiday Experience held over Christmas and New Year, which offers a free family fun zone with indoor games, bouncy castles, kids' movies and more.
When the weather warms up the free activities keep coming, with free street entertainment every weekend during summer, a free 27-hole Frisbee disc golf course in Lost Lake Park, and free golf for kids when accompanied by a paying adult at select courses. And don't forget all of the trails, parks, lakes, docks and hikes in and around the village - which are all free!
The Whistler Holiday Experience
This FREE family fun zone is unparalleled for indoor entertainment and fun! Operating daily during the Christmas holiday season at the Whistler Conference Centre, enjoy mini-golf, bouncy castles, kids' movies, and video games for the whole family. www.whistler.com/events
Kids Play Free
Whistler's three village-based championship golf courses have introduced a Kids Play Free program which allows youth 10 -18 years of age to play free all season long if accompanied by a paying adult. The program aims to build interest for youth and opportunities for families to enjoy the game together. www.whistler.com/golf
Whistler Street Entertainment
Whistler Street Entertainment presents free family-friendly events, attractions and performers every weekend from mid-May through September. Whistler Street Entertainment animates the walkways of Whistler Village and provides interactive entertainment by performers from the Sea to Sky corridor and touring artists from across Canada. Entertainment includes juggling acts, circus performers, musicians, bike stunt riders, dancers and acrobats. www.whistlerartscouncil.com
Free activities in Whistler during the 2010 Winter Games
During the 2010 Winter Games, Whistler will be a hive of activity with free concerts, activities and displays throughout the Village every day! There will be six different live sites set up throughout Whistler Village featuring Whistler Live! programming.
Whistler Live! is an outdoor network of stages, screens and performance sites that will provide unique free programming each day throughout the 2010 Winter Games. Over 27 days, Whistler Live! will combine sport with live music, films, street performances and visual arts featuring artists from the Sea to Sky corridor, across Canada and around the world. From 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day, there will be something inspiring and engaging to see at every turn. www.whistler2010.com
Fun things to do in Whistler
It is no secret that there is a lot of fun to be had in Whistler at any time of the year. The list of great activities is endless with the choices in winter ranging from skiing and snowboarding, to snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, heli-skiing, dog sledding, ice skating, tubing and more. As summer comes, a whole new list of fun options becomes available, such as ATV tours, canoeing, kayaking, whitewater rafter, biking, Hummer tours, rock climbing, horse riding - the list goes on! And don't forget the fun year-round fun stuff like ziplining, fishing and bungee jumping.
Family fun
Kids' programs
Kids have as much fun in Whistler as their parents do. The resort offers plenty of programs designed with children's needs in mind, from biking and golf clinics, to arts & crafts classes. The programs feature activities that build skills, self-confidence, and friendships. With licensed childcare staff leading a range of programs, parents can relax and enjoy some quality time in the resort on their own.
Blackcomb Adventure Zone
If hiking, biking or exploring doesn't tire the kids out, the Adventure Zone located at the base of Blackcomb certainly will. It's huge fun for both big and little folk. Open during the summer months, activities range in price and include the ever-popular Westcoaster Luge, mini-golf, a climbing wall, a bungy trampoline, trail rides, a human gyroscope, a climbing web, and a bouncy castle and slide. www.whistlerblackcomb.com/todo/summer/adventurezone
Whistler Blackcomb Tube Park
Whistler Blackcomb introduced the new Tube Park at Base II on Blackcomb Mountain to offer even more family-oriented activities in the resort, and it provides a thrilling snow-sliding experience all day and into the evening. There's no skill or equipment required - just a sense of adventure and a desire for excitement. Whistler Blackcomb's Coca-Cola Tube Park has six to eight lanes varying in difficulty and speed. The Tube Park is open during the winter months. www.whistlerblackcomb.com
Meadow Park Sports Centre
Located north of the Village, Whistler's Meadow Park Sports Centre is a hub of fun activity. The facility is home to an indoor kid's pool, lap pool, hot tub, steam room, arena, fitness studio, weight room, squash courts and ice-skating rink. On most Fridays during winter they hold a Family Swim & Skate Night where entry for skating and swimming is only $2 per person - a cheap and fun family outing. www.whistlerisrecreation.com
Wildplay Whistler
One of Whistler's newest fun adventure options, WildPlay Whistler, has opened at Cougar Mountain just north of Whistler Village. WildPlay has two aerial adventure courses called Monkido, with one course for kids and one for adults. Traveling from tree to tree, guests navigate a variety of elements including suspended bridges, swinging logs, Tarzan swings, zip-lines and tightropes. WildPlay also offers ZOOM zip lines where guests zip through the old growth forests reaching speeds of up to 100 km/ph (60 mph). www.wildplay.com/whistler