Invictus Spirit at The Whistler Children’s Festival
A little rain and lower than normal temperatures didn’t stop us from having a great time at the Whistler Children’s Festival over the May long weekend. Nor did it stop the kids from coming out in full force. Day one featured umbrellas, puddle jumpers, rain boots and plenty of toothy grins.
The clickety-clack of our trivia wheel had the kids lining up at our Invictus tent to answer questions, and we’re not sure whether the wheel spinning or the exciting prizes of stickers and chocolates were more alluring. Kids and adults enjoyed sharing their “I AM”, which ranged from “I AM adaptive & strong,” to “I AM built different,” to “I AM the smartest person in the world!”
Featuring all things arts, culture, creativity, and imagination, this is Whistler’s longest-running festival, which celebrated 41 years for the 2024 edition. The weekend was jam-packed with theatre performances and creative workshops.
The Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025, presented by ATCO and Boeing, was proud to be part of the first-ever Street Party outside the Maury Young Arts Centre, with lots of entertaining booths, a chance to try luge, roving stilt walkers, and circus performers. Bubbles filled the air, and kids jumping up to catch them was a common sight. Chalk drawings graced the sidewalk with a whole lot of hearts, rainbows, clouds, and positive affirmations.
One of our trivia questions asks whether the reader has a connection to the military. Kids often turn to mom or dad with a puzzled look and are then prompted to remember that one of their grandparents or great-grandparents served. One young fellow didn’t hesitate for a second and launched into a detailed story about his great-grandfather’s time in the Navy. The young boy took great pride in sharing this story, which was so moving for our volunteers.
Conversations with kids at our community booth are always entertaining. Lots of kids happened to weigh in with their creative interpretation of the curling stone icon featured in our trivia game. They shared some great ideas, including a gondola, a submarine, a hamburger, and a juice box!
Our amazing crew of Whistler volunteers connected with almost 400 people each day. With most booth visitors being local or from the Lower Mainland, they were eager to learn more about how they can get involved come Games time. Where are you going to be February 8-16, 2025?
Thank you to Arts Whistler for hosting us at the Children’s Festival, and congratulations on a successful 41st anniversary.
