Day Out With Thomas

Day Out With Thomas

by | Apr 27, 2017 | Squamish Events

Since its incorporation in 1961, the West Coast Railway Association has been working tirelessly to preserve, restore and maintain the railways of Canada. This May, the West Coast Railway Heritage Park in Squamish will host everyone’s favourite fictional train, Thomas the Tank Engine over their “Day Out With Thomas” weekends.

Train enthusiasts, history buffs and those with a love for old-fashioned engineering make up much of the visitors to the West Coast Railway Heritage Park in Squamish, British Columbia each year. Run by the West Coast Railway Association, the over 1 500 active members and volunteers bring visitors exciting exhibits, never-before-seen pieces of historic machines and a sense of adventure on board some of Canada’s oldest trains.

This year, the association and the Heritage Park are inviting a whole new audience to enjoy a fun family day out among the railways, carriages and lovable tank engines… Lovable? Well, yes, if you’re blue, white and and red with a large, happy face and are named Thomas.

Over two fun-filled weekends, this popular fictional engine from children’s literature and television will be the focus of family-oriented entertainment at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park. Fans of the books and the TV series will have a chance to take a 20-minute train ride with Thomas the Tank Engine, take photos with the famous engine and meet the well-known Controller, Sir Topham Hatt.

There will also be a range of Thomas-themed activities, like mini-golf, craft tables and train tables, as well as various other railway-oriented displays and games, sandcastle building, a magician, musician and a bouncy castle.

The five Days Out With Thomas take place over two weekends in May: Saturday May 20, Sunday May 21, Monday May 22, Saturday May 27 and Sunday, May 28. The train rides with Thomas are at 9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, and 16:00.

Besides offering such family-oriented entertainment, the Heritage Park plays host to several educational outings each year. Day visitors and organized groups alike can enjoy a variety of group and educational tours, including A Walk Back in Time: Tour of Our Pioneer Village; The Building of Western Canada: How Immigrants Traveled from the East; Train Car Analysis: A Look at the Different Types of Rail-cars and what they do; and Train Technology: The progression from Diesel to Steam.

Squamish itself is a popular destination for vacationers and tourists, staying active and providing a wide range of both summer and winter activities, sports and entertainment for guests. For those with an interest in educational and learning pursuits, Squamish is not only host to the Railway Heritage Park, it is also home to the Brackendale Art Gallery, Britannia Mine Museum, and even brewery tours, among others.

Located close to Whistler, Squamish is rapidly becoming one of the more popular tourist destinations in British Columbia, particularly as it offers an easy day out of the city or quick weekend away for residents of Vancouver and surrounding areas. It also provides a convenient base for visitors to Brackendale Eagles, Garibaldi and Alice Lake Provincial Parks.

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Squamish Days Loggers Sports Festival

Squamish Days Loggers Sports Festival

by | Jul 2, 2016 | Squamish Events

This year marks the 59th consecutive year of the Squamish Logger Sports festival. The events will span four days, from July 28th through August 1st.

Thursday, July 28th will begin with the Kettle Boil Challenge, held at the Squamish Valley Golf Course at 6:00pm. Teams of two will attempt to boil water in the fastest time. It’s free to watch, $15 to enter.

On Friday from 3:30 – 5:30pm, across from MacDonald Realty on Cleveland Avenue, the World Championship Chair Carve will be held. It’s a free event to watch. Chairs will be auctioned off after the contest, with proceeds going to Big Brothers & Big Sisters. And then at 6:30pm, the Squamish Days Bed Races will be held on Cleveland Avenue. Each team of 4 pushers, and one rider, will have to navigate through and obstacle course spanning two blocks.

9:30am on Saturday, there will be a free Kid’s Festival, held in O’Siem Pavilion Park. There will be face painting, races, bouncy castles, a bean bag toss, bubble station, mini golf, balloon art and more. At 1:30pm the Novice & Intermediate Logger Sports Show will be held at the Al McIntosh Loggers Sports Grounds. During the show, the Rotary Beef Barbecue will be held. It’s a 50 year tradition, with meat slowly cooked over a bed of alders.

Saturday night, the Axe Throwing Invitational will be held at Chances, at 6:00pm. 30 entrants will battle it out. It’s a free event and everyone’s welcome. Following the axe throw, Chances is holding the Logger’s Stomp Dance, at 9:00pm. There will be live music and dancing for a 19+ audience.

Sunday morning, the Peter Harris Logger’s Pancake Breakfast will be put on by the Squamish Elks, from 7:00 – 11:00, at the Chieftain Centre Mall. The price is $8 for adults and $6 for children under 12. At 8:25am, the tenth annual Squamish Days 8K Run will begin at Howe Sound Secondary School. Ten minutes later, at 8:35, the Squamish Days Flashback Mile even will begin. The Flashback Mile focuses on speed instead of distance. Post race, there will be awards and refreshments.

At 11:00 on Sunday, July 31st, the Festival Parade will make its way down Cleveland Avenue, from Vancouver Street to Pemberton Avenue. The main even begins at 1:30pm sharp at the Al McIntosh Loggers Sports Grounds. Admission for the World-Class Open Loggers Show is $10 for adults, and $5 for seniors and children under 12. During the show, the Rotary Beef Barbecue will again be held.

Monday morning, August 1st, the festival will wrap up with a Picnic at the Pavilion. The event will be held at O’Siem Pavilion Park. Enjoy a picnic, or purchase drinks and refreshments from vendors on location, while listening to live music.

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4 Days of Music, Water and Art in the 3rd Annual Squamish Wind Festival

4 Days of Music, Water and Art in the 3rd Annual Squamish Wind Festival

by | May 24, 2016 | Squamish Events

Squamish Wind Festival is an annual event that brings a wide range of live performances by artists, thrilling watersport activities and incredible art exhibits in a span of three or four summer days each summer.

The event takes place in an outdoor setting in the grounds near Howe Sound, the world’s best wind and water sports playground. Some of the highlights of this festival include sailboat races and traditional dance ceremonies by Squamish locals.

This year, the festival will again feature free music by many different performers in an incredible outdoor environment. There will also be a high calibre outdoor beer garden and a wide selection of food vendors. As it gets dark there will be a movie under the stars.

Other features in the festival will include kids’ crafts, musical theatre, sports demos, kite flying, roaming buskers and even a farmers market. Regardless of your age, there will always be something for you to do at the Squamish Wind Festival. The Squamish Wind Festival offers fun for the whole family. Why not make it a family tradition and give everyone something to look forward to each summer.

The organizers of this year’s event are the Squamish Arts Council and the Squamish Yacht Club. The yacht club will be racing sailboats in their annual regatta dubbed SOAR. SOAR is a must see event many are beginning to refer to as the West Coast’s best kept secret. It features a spectacular venue with very consistent winds that make it ideal for sailboats. It even won the award of the best party in the Pacific Northwest in the Vancouver Area Racing Council awards.

The event will start on Thursday July, 21 and will run until Sunday July 24. It will kick off on Thursday at 6.00pm and the evening will culminate with the Movie Under the Stars, presented by Squamish Savings. Attendees will have access to art exhibits, food and fun throughout the entire feature.

On Friday, you will be treated to a wide range of events for people of all ages. The day will start with the Squamish Yacht Club’s Inflow Regatta, filling most of the daytime hours. After the regatta, there will be the Making Waves Summer Art Gallery at the Squamish Arts Council Building which will start at 5.00pm. At the Junction Park, the Ta’kaiya Blaney, Bluesberry Jam, Squamptones and House Arrest are the entertainment events that will be taking place between 5.15pm and 9.00pm. Dj Praiz & EmotionZ will be in charge of entertainment in the evening at Junction Park.

On Saturday, the festival will kick off with the Squamish Yacht Club Howe Sound Loop at the Squamish Yacht Club before proceeding to the Squamish Arts Council Building for the Making Waves Summer Art Gallery. Other daytime events at the Junction Park include Broadway or Bust Production by SAM, Overcomers, Emma Wong & Friends, TANGA, The Burn Ins, Magik Spells, Disco Funeral and Flowshine.

Sunday will start with the outflow regatta by the Squamish Yacht Club followed by a kiteboarding contest and dragon boat demos. The food truck, beer garden and kids zone will be available during all these events.

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