The Point Artist-Run Centre (PARC) is about to reach a milestone: year 10 of its recurring Winter Carnival.
Scheduled during the B.C. Family Day long weekend, the 2025 Carnival promises to deliver its usual mix of hearty food, lively entertainment and kid-friendly outdoor activities.
Expect an opening act on Feb. 16 titled "Comedy & Winter Art Auction by Laugh Out Live!" Local favourites Ira Pettle and Rebecca Mason will present a brief comedic skit before hosting the art auction itself—a role they inherit from usual auctioneer Chris Quinlan, who's unavailable this time around.
Headlining the dinner show is Petunia & The Vipers, a band known for its original, genre-spanning music: jazz, Western swing, punk, ragtime, Mexicana, French cabaret, Romanian, folk and six decades of country all in the same kaleidoscopic blender of sound. The group's frontman does indeed go by the mononym "Petunia."
"They sound like a really unique band … and I like their little tagline: 'hillbilly-flavoured, swing-inflected, ragtime good time,'" comments PARC director Stephen Vogler. "I think they'll fit the bill well in getting people up on the dance floor, but also bringing a real variety of styles. Petunia sounds like a real vagabond and I know he surrounds himself with the best musicians on the West Coast, so it should be a great show."
According to the Vipers' website, Petunia is "a modern musical enigma" who has spent more than two decades playing at churches, dive bars, rundown theatres, street corners and hitchhiking junctions across Europe and both Americas. This restless spirit was nurtured during his youth in rural Quebec, a place full of pristine land and secret haunts.
Petunia also works as a theatre actor and writer, but when on stage he rotates through multiple sets of supporting performers depending on his location. The Vipers are based in Vancouver, like he is.
Free festivities
Don't forget about a slate of family-oriented activities on Feb. 17.
The PARC will come alive with a colourful afternoon of free stuff like snow sculpting, doughnut eating and guest appearances by costumed character Frosty and DJ Ira's Dance Party. Greg Kelly returns to provide live campfire music with partner-in-crime Rachel Strobl in tow.
While conditions can always change, the recent cold snap bodes well for Alta Lake's ice to stay firm. If so, expect classic Canadian pastimes like shinny, curling and ice dance to join the mix. Food and beverages are provided by Cypress Point Café and Harrop’s Bar.
"We're going to amplify the outdoor music this time because around-the-campfire acoustic is kind of tricky on a cool winter day," Vogler explains. "The ice is looking solid. Angie Nolan has always run the ice dancing: you get groups of kids or families, they choose a tune they want, we play it and they do the moves that they just made up. More in the spirit of fun than true Olympic competition."
Vogler wishes to thank presenting Carnival sponsors like Nesters Market, Pasta Lupino, Burnt Stew Consulting Services and the B.C. Arts Council along with other partners like the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW), Steamworks Brewing, Whistler Blackcomb Foundation, the Whistler Wine Guy and Gibbons Whistler. He also expresses gratitude for locals who support the PARC year-in, year-out.
"We are over here on the other side of the lake. It's a lot more difficult in the winter for people who don't have a car [to reach the Point]," acknowledges Vogler. "We're kind of lobbying to get transit back on the west side of Alta Lake … but we really appreciate people making the effort to come over here and it's well worth their while."
Doors open for Sunday's dinner show at 6 p.m., with Petunia & The Vipers taking the stage by 8:15 p.m. Monday's festival runs from noon until 4 p.m. Learn more about the 2025 PARC Winter Carnival at thepointartists.com/events/9th-annual-winter-carnival-at-the-point-ma3gp.
