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Travel Events: January 2010

Posted on 18. Jan, 2010 by Sonu Purhar in BC, teaser

REVELSTOKE January 6-10, 2010 – Canadian Freeskiing Championships

Nestled between the Monashee and Selkirk mountains, Revelstoke was once known as the capital of Canada’s Alps – so it comes as no surprise that its Revelstoke Mountain Resort was selected to host of one of the world’s most popular skiing events. The Canadian Freeskiing Championships is a new addition to Subaru’s Freeskiing World Tour – the longest-running Big Mountain freeskiing tour in the history of the sport and one that attracts the sport’s top athletes on a global circuit that includes stops in Chile, Colorado and California. Revelstoke’s 200,000-hectare mountain playground should satisfy even the most veteran skiers, however, while the site showcases Canada’s glorious outdoors – just in time for February’s Olympic games. 1-866-373-4754

VICTORIA January 7-23, 2010 – History Boys

History, sex and anarchy – welcome to grammar school. Courtesy Langham Court Theatre

History, sex and anarchy – welcome to grammar school. Alan Bennett’s witty British comedy History Boys follows a class of too-smart-for-their-britches schoolboys as they prepare for university entrance exams. Taught by professors who hold opposing views on the purpose of education, the students learn to challenge the very nature of their schooling. Bennett’s provocative play comes to life at Victoria’s Langham Court Theatre, January 7 through 23. Tickets: $18. 250-384-2142.

KELOWNA January 9, 2010 – “Elvis Generations”

Slap on your sideburns and squeeze into your jumpsuit: the King of Rock ‘n Roll is reborn at Kelowna’s Creekside Theatre. “Elvis Generations” – a stage spectacle celebrating the legendary crooner’s 75th birthday – features three nationally competitive Elvis tribute artists. The award-winning doubles will perform favourites from throughout the singer’s career; a tribute deemed so authentic that fans will wonder if Elvis has really left the building after all. Tickets: $22. 250-766-5669.

108 MILE HOUSE January 8-10, 2010 – Cariboo Challenge Sled Dog Race

courtesy Cariboo Challenge Sled Dog Society

Dog sledding enthusiasts unite!  This year’s Cariboo Challenge Sled Dog Race has been rerouted to incorporate 108 and Sepa lakes into the racing circuit, allowing additional room for spectators and creating more challenging trails. Also featured at the family friendly event: face painting, auctions, a 100-metre mini-dash for the kids and a celebratory bonfire. The nearby Hills Health Ranch, one of the province’s top backcountry spa-vacation resorts, provides accommodation for participants and also hosts a Racers’ Ball. Details: 250-791-5225, ext 225.

KAMLOOPS January 16-24, 2010 – Sun Peaks Resort Winter Wine Festival

What’s better than swilling the best of Okanagan’s vineyard bounty? Easy: imbibing said vintages at B.C.’s Sun Peaks Resort, named by Conde Nast Traveller as Canada’s second-best ski resort. And starting January 16, Kamloops’s alpine village hosts the 12th annual Winter Wine Festival, where both amateur and seasoned vino enthusiasts converge for a week of pairings, tastings and colloquiums. Bonus: after gorging on regional cuisine, attending savoury seminars (check out Cadbury Chocolate & Heavenly Wine’s sweet treats) and taking part in the winter wine brunch, visitors can work it all off with an afternoon of the region’s top snowboarding and skiing. Ticket info: 1-877-212-7107

VANCOUVER January 22 – February 28, 2010 – LunarFest

Vancouver’s 2010 Olympic Games are also an opportunity for Canada to share its cultural diversity with the world – and what better way to kick off the festivities than with a city-wide Lunar New Year’s celebration. Part of the Cultural Olympiad programming, the free public event includes the re-creation of Granville Street as a schoolchildren-created Lantern Forest; artists from Korea and other Asian countries performing acrobatics and dance; a First Nations tableau of lanterns showcasing indigenous designs and an event wrap-up lantern procession led by Public Dreams. See website for information.

Canada’s first theatre made entirely of snow and ice hosts the Only Animal's premiere of NiX. Photo courtesy Trudy Lee/The Only Animal

VICTORIA January 22, 2010 – NiX

Created for the Olympic Games’ Cultural Olympiad, this frozen winter wonderland – Canada’s first theatre made entirely of snow and ice  – will host theatre troupe The Only Animal’s premiere of NiX, a unique love story that promises to thaw audience hearts. Staged on the shores of Whistler’s Logan Lake, the show follows the adventures of two survivors and an arsonist as they face an ice age that threatens the end of the world, with fireworks, dying snowmen and explosive fire. Ticket info: 1-800-838-3006

INTERNATIONAL: SHETLAND ISLANDS January 26, 2010 – Up Helly Aa Festival

On the last Tuesday in January, the townsfolk of Lerwick, Shetland Islands (off the coast of Scotland), dress in their Viking best and converge in the town square to celebrate their Norse heritage. Holding flaming torches and surrounded by as many as five thousand spectators, male villagers march toward the town’s replica Viking Longship, which builders spend more than four months creating just for the occasion. The boat is set aflame, mimicking the ancient Viking tradition of offering a burning ship to the Sun God. And after the audience watches it sink into the sea, the revelry can begin: a melee of dance, drink and feasts that lasts well into the wee hours. Consider it a Viking-style Mardi Gras. Contact: Shetland Tourism, +44 (0) 1595 693434.

Tags: B.C. January events, Canadian Freeskiing Championships, Cariboo Challenge Sled Dog Race, Creekside Theatre, Elvis Generations, Helly Aa Festival, History Boys, Langham Court Theatre, LunarFest, NiX, Sun Peaks Resort Winter Wine Festival