Light Up the Village
This value-driven campaign showcases the opportunity to enjoy a relaxing, pre-festive getaway in Whistler from late November through the first few weeks of December. Visitors will be encouraged to explore the Village, take in the beautiful seasonal light displays, get a head start on holiday shopping and experience Whistler’s unique winter wonderland before the crowds arrive for peak winter season.
Highlights include early-season skiing and other winter activities, a shopping voucher program with local retailers, self-guided festive light tours, carol singing, ice skating at Olympic Plaza, the Arts Whistler Holiday Market, Vallea Lumina, the Whistler Film Festival, Bespoke Market, and a range of holiday-themed fundraisers, programming and performances.
- Target Dates: End November - Mid December
- Target Audience: All
- Marketing Focus: Regional and Destination
- Partners: Retail, Lodging and Activity Sectors, RMOW, and Arts Whistler
- Official Website: whistler.com/lights
If you have any questions or have a new idea to explore, please contact Eve Verberne, Coordinator of Destination Experience, at everberne@tourismwhistler.com or (604) 938-2748.
Retail Sector members are invited to sign up as a Shopping Voucher location!
To drive visitation for early winter season: we are renewing our Shopping Voucher promotion in which customers booking 3+ night stays on Whistler.com for arrivals November 19 - December 18, 2026 (TBC) are eligible to receive a $100 Shopping Voucher to use at participating locations. Booking dates are from September 22 - December 18, 2026 (TBC).
In order to participate, all voucher locations must agree to the following:
- Be a current member in good standing of Tourism Whistler
- Be open for the duration of the initiative (minor scheduling modifications permitted i.e. closed Mondays)
- Accept vouchers at the full value, without restrictions, through our digital voucher platform
- There is no cost to participate! Participating locations will be reimbursed 100% for all vouchers accepted at their location
- Additional offers, promotions, festive decorations or experiences at each location are encouraged
- A minimum of 20 participating retail locations is required to move forward
- Voucher expires December 24, 2026
About our digital voucher program:
Our digital voucher platform allows users to redeem their non-transferable voucher via a mobile device. Each retailer will be issued training instructions and a unique password that will validate coupons at their location. Once the voucher is "redeemed," the retail staff can credit the customer bill $100. Vouchers will have no cash value, so no change should be given. Weekly reporting will be provided to all locations to assist in tracking, and full reimbursement will follow the program completion.
Further details will be sent to all interested businesses - please sign up by contacting promotions@whistler.com.
Create a New Experience: Do you have a fun, creative holiday idea for the early winter season that will appeal to visitors? Suggestions include:
- Warming stations with hot apple cider, hot cocoa, etc
- Holiday themed menu items, festive afternoon tea etc
- Christmas tree lighting ceremonies
- Holiday craft stations and workshops
- Holiday pop-up performances or movie screenings
- Snowman making competitions
Feature an Event Listing: All holiday-themed and relevant events from November 20 - December 19 can be entered in our Events Listing Calendar, and will be piped into a dedicated feed that will be located on whistler.com/early-season-deals
Submit your events here.
Spread the word!
- Familiarize yourself with all upcoming Whistler pre-festive events on whistler.com/early-season-deals
- Visit this page regularly to view participating shopping voucher locations
- Share pre-festive messaging and offers on your social channels
- Decorate your hotel, shop or check-in desk
- Don't forget to tag all of your social posts and photos with #OnlyInWhistler and @GoWhistler