Whistler Cornucopia is among Canada’s premier culinary events. Its 2024 edition runs from November 7-17. (Tourism Whistler photo)
For almost 30 years I’ve been hearing about this food and drink festival set in the mountains. Stories about lavish winery dinners, tantalizing cooking demos, and culinary artisans visiting from around the world have long captured my imagination. Finally, I’m packing my bag in anticipation of sipping and savouring my own way around Whistler Cornucopia. And I couldn’t be more stoked!
Now in its 28th year, Cornucopia 2024 will roll out 70-plus events across 11 days. The dizzying mix of signature experiences, drink seminars, culinary stage series, and restaurant-and-bar bashes makes my mouth water as I browse the November 7-17 schedule. Lucky for me, there are still plenty of tickets left with only a handful of events sold out at publication time. Here’s what catches my eye — and whets my appetite — as I plan my trip to the mountain village that’s just a two-hour drive north of Vancouver along the Sea-to-Sky Highway.
What’s New at Whistler Cornucopia 2024
Fairmont Chateau Whistler is among the many venues that will be hosting stylish Cornucopia events. (Tal Vardi photo)
Got my string of pearls, got my sequin dress. After all, I’ll need them for Cornucopia’s inaugural Straight Up: Gatsby Gold soirée. Starting with a one-hour tasting of carefully curated wines, spirits, craft beer, and signature cocktails, the Roaring Twenties-themed evening will turn things up with dancing and live music courtesy of the energetic Vancouver ensemble, Famous Players Band. While period dress is encouraged, the event description also notes to “come as you feel comfortable and ready to enjoy a night of elegance and celebration.”
Get ready for more sparkle at Drag Me to Après, a new signature event marking the last day of the fest. Sure, there’ll be the usual après suspects — wine, beer, cocktails, and nibblies — but guests can also expect plenty of razzle-dazzle and knockout talent as some of Canada’s top drag queens take to the stage. Hosted by the sassy Gia Metric (“Canada’s Drag Race,” season two) and headlined by the likes of dancing diva Bibi SouPhresh, the afternoon extravaganza screams for glitter, fur, and après-ski glam.
This year also sees a new twist on a returning favourite. Formally House Party: Best of B.C., the popular kick-off event has been redefined as West Coast House Party. Which means, in between bites from the local buffet dinner, I’ll be looking forward to sips from as far away as Caymus Vineyards in California’s Napa Valley to as close as Fort Berens Estate Winery just a two-hour drive up the road in Lillooet.
Also for 2024, Cornucopia’s flagship event, CRUSH Grand Tasting, will shine a spotlight on California wines while showcasing notable wineries from throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Indeed, it’s events like these that capture Cornucopia’s evolution over the years. What began as a shoulder-season draw focusing on Whistler’s culinary scene is now a destination festival that welcomes wineries, breweries, and distilleries, along with chefs, restaurateurs and other gastronomes, from British Columbia and beyond. The event has also expanded to feature a comedy component, including this year’s Laugh Out LIVE! and Comedy Kitchen.
What’s In the Glass
Whistler Cornucopia features a number of cocktail events that are both educational and satiating. (Tourism Whistler photo)
Cornucopia drink seminars take place in a classroom setting but also promise a lot of fun. Learn about and sample beverages from around the world, from European beer and fortified wines to saké and Sangiovese. There are so many seminars to choose from, I can only skim the surface here.
The entertaining Alysha Harker, Riedel Canada regional director, will walk guests through four varietal-specific glasses and four wines in the interactive How the Wine Glass Changes the Wine. Attendees at The History of Bitters, presented by North Vancouver’s Copperpenny Distilling, will learn how to up their cocktail game with bitters like orange tree, wormword, and pineapple star anise. And long-time Cornucopia presenter DJ Kearney will reveal why and how vine age matters in Age Is Liquid Art — includes tastings from around the wine world.
Honouring those who have served and fought for Canada, the Remembrance Day seminar Lest We Forget: The Wines of Our Allies enlightens with historical stories while delighting with wines from our country’s global allies. Presenter Samantha Rahn, Cornucopia ambassador and festival sommelier, will offer current vintages from the book, “Wine and War,” and other allied pours.
For anyone who can’t decide which legendary libation is better, Cocktail Showdown: Old Fashioned vs. Manhattan should help with that. Spirits educator Keith Nicholson will take a deep dive into recipes and mixing methods before serving up rye and bourbon samples. Then, guests get to make their own mini versions of these classic whiskey-based cocktails.
Meanwhile, I’ll be learning why red wine isn’t the only vino to curl up with by the fire at Eat, Après, Love: Winter Whites.
What’s On the Table
Culinary seminars led by notable chefs are among the hot tickets at Cornucopia. (Tourism Whistler photo)
Similar to being in the audience on a live cooking show, Cornucopia’s culinary stage series has chefs, producers, and beverage pros sharing cooking and mixology tips while delivering multi-course menus with drink pairings.
Sit down to west-coast plates of smoked wild sockeye salmon, eggs Benedict, and banana pancakes at executive chef Quang Dang’s Mountain Brunch. Or join the same chef for a B.C. Seafood Après Ski of sunseeker oysters and wild B.C. geoduck udon. Then there’s the four-course dinner highlighted by smoke point BBQ sirloin and award-winning whiskey pairings with executive chef Bruce Worden and Shelter Point Distillery.
Having visited the riverside Fergie’s Café in Squamish last year, I’m keen to follow up with chefs Austin Cunningham and Jason Dabbagh and their four-course brunch including Sea-to-Sky oyster mushrooms, smoked and braised short ribs, and blueberry and rosemary ice cream. Can we all just say, “yum”?
Restaurant and Bar Roundup In Whistler
Sidecut, the flagship restaurant at the Four Seasons Whistler, hosts dining events throughout Cornucopia. (Vacay.ca file photo)
Arrive hungry or thirsty and leave sufficiently suffonsified. Cornucopia’s restaurant and bar events are all about exposing Whistler’s expansive culinary scene while delivering a variety of gourmand get-togethers — think winery dinners, themed parties, and innovative cocktail experiences.
I, for one, will be making tracks to Art of the Cocktail at the Audain Art Museum. After an art tour and cocktail-making session with a Raven Room mixologist, I’ll try creating my own art-inspired bevvy with colourful garnishes.
Other festival-goers might want to feast on olive-fed wagyu beef from Japan’s Shodoshima Island at Four Seasons Whistler’s Sidecut Steakhouse or tuck into one of the many winemaker dinners, from Mekong: Tantalus Winemaker’s Dinner to Rimrock Café: An Evening with Black Hills Estate Winery. One can also dunk Yorkshire puddings into aged cheddar with ale at the Great British Fondue or step back in time to last summer’s pop-up Radiante Taqueria Terrace with the Return of Radiante — both at Fairmont Chateau Whistler.
Whatever ends up pleasing my palate at Whistler Cornucopia, two things are clear: my plate will be full and my glass will runneth over.
MORE ABOUT CORNUCOPIA 2024
Dates: November 7-17, 2024.
Tickets: Peruse the schedule and purchase tickets via the Whistler Cornucopia website. Tickets can be purchased up to the day of the event based on availability. Prices range from $28.50 to $262.15, depending on the scope of the event.
Where to stay: Cornucopia packages combine discounted event tickets with exclusive accommodation rates, starting at $95 per person/per night, based on availability. Choose from a variety of participating lodgings, from the centrally located Whistler Village Inn + Suites and Sundial Hotel to Blackcomb Mountain’s elegant Fairmont Chateau Whistler. Plus, bookings of three-plus nights receive a free $100 dining voucher, valid at a variety of Whistler restaurants, when using the promo code FALLDINING. (Only available while quantities last.)
Tourism info: Tourism Whistler.
