This year there are almost 2 weeks of celebrations at Whistler’s culinary and wine festival. they are also throwing in some healthy events (not that wine isn’t healthy!). GLV

From a celebration of local fare to a journey with winemakers, farmers, brewers, master distillers, chefs and restaurateurs from far and wide; Cornucopia food + drink festival presented by BlueShore Financial is the place to be seen November 7-17.

As the interest in exploring local food sources continues to grow; the chefs and restaurateurs participating in Cornucopia are showcasing their commitment to local and sustainable options.  With the newly-expanded 11-day event; Cornucopia’s horn of plenty schedule runneth over with food-focused educational seminars, winery dinners, gourmet luncheons and culinary workshops.

As Edward Dangerfield, president of the Whistler Restaurant Association, explains, chefs in Whistler have a deep understanding for – and appreciation of – the local food sources. “Chefs and restaurateurs in Whistler are generally different,” Dangerfield says. “They spend a lot of time outdoors. It’s the lifestyle. It’s part of the reason so many of us strive to be more connected to our food,” he said. “We understand that local food is not a trend or a fad; it is a movement – it is logical and it is the future.”

On opening day, the new Nourish Series offers its first culinary seminar Fish and Forest from First Nations. This seminar showcases how the First Nations people have been using the land’s resources sustainability for centuries with a hands-on culinary session.  Continue through the evening with what has become the hottest event of the festival House Party – Best of B.C. featuring the best of ‘local’ talent in food, wine, spirits, beer and music.

Continuing on with the local focus is the Fairmont Chateau Whistler’s An Evening of Fine Food and Wine with Canadian Wine Pioneer Harry McWatters or the Chateau Ste. Michelle winery dinner; Four Seasons Resort Whistler ‘s Sidecut restaurant and B.C. winery Painted Rock dinner; La Bocca Restaurant’s Ocean Wise Friday Fish Fry, Hy’s Steakhouse and a whopping ten dinner events from sustainability advocates Alta Bistro.

New this year to both the schedule and the festival is Indulge – a fundraiser dinner and dance benefitting the Whistler Health Care Foundation being held at The Westin Resort & Spa.

Returning to the schedule is the wildly-popular signature winery dinner Big Guns from Whistler local-food pioneer Araxi restaurant + bar’s Executive Chef James Walt. New to the schedule is the restaurant’s expanded offerings with five winery dinners alongside B.C. wineries such as Mission Hill, Okanagan Crush Pad, Moon Curser, Nk’Mip+Jackson Triggs and Burrowing Owl.

With 11 days and a seemingly endless lineup of events, Cornucopia offers something for everyone.
For detailed schedule information visit www.whistlercornucopia.com. For media accreditation, visit http://whistlercornucopia.com/media/

Cornucopia Faces + Places

Aboriginal cuisine showcased at Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre
Located on six forested acres along Fitzsimmons Creek, the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (SLCC) provides visitors with the unique opportunity to explore the heritage and living culture of the Squamish and Lil’wat First Nations. Using the finest local ingredients, many of them inspired by traditional Squamish and Lil’wat foods, the culinary team creates a spectacular dining experience. Some menu items include: Bannock, Wild Boar Prosciutto, Oolichan, Venison Chili, Caribou Terrine, Soapallallie Berry Juice, House Smoked Salmon, bison carpaccio, Pemmichan, Lil’wat Honey, Sturgeon Caviar and Okanagan Elk. www.slcc.ca

Cornucopia is a newly expanded eleven day dazzling display of gourmet food, wines, spirits and beer attracting more than 10,000 people to the resort – and catering to everyone from amateur enthusiasts to aficionados. Respected industry professionals, judges and presenters headline each event, seminar and tasting, offering the best possible opportunity to garner as much information and insight as possible. Held on the cusp of the opening of each ski season in beautiful Whistler, British Columbia, Cornucopia was designed to showcase and support the local food and drink industry. Now encompassing wineries, breweries, distilleries, chefs and restaurants from Vancouver, greater B.C. and beyond, Cornucopia has become recognized as a preeminent representation of the culinary tourism industry in Canada. With widespread appeal shown through the immense variety of events available, the festival is truly a food and drink festival with a Whistler attitude.

Whistler is Canada’s premier year-round leisure and meeting destination located in the Coast Mountains 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Consistently rated the top ski resort in North America, Whistler was the Host Mountain Resort of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The resort offers an extensive range of accommodations totaling 10,000 bedrooms among 24 hotels as well as townhomes, condos, B&Bs and chalets. Whistler also boasts more than 100 restaurants and bars, 200 retail shops, 25 spas and countless activity options from world-renowned skiing and snowboarding, mountain biking and golf, to hiking, rock climbing, and watersports. The Resort Municipality of Whistler is home to a diverse community of more than 10,000 permanent residents.

Tourism Whistler is the member-based marketing and sales organization representing Whistler, operating the Whistler Conference Centre, Whistler Golf Club, Whistler Visitor Centre, as well as 1.800.WHISTLER and whistler.com – Whistler’s official source for visitor bookings and information. As the convention and visitors bureau for the Resort Municipality of Whistler, Tourism Whistler represents more than 7,000 members who own, manage and operate properties or businesses on resort lands including hotels, restaurants, activity operators and retail shops.