Local pride is flying high in anticipation of the annual Jasper Pride and Ski Festival.
As it’s done for 16 years now, the festival is once again flaunting Jasper’s diverse and welcoming community.
From April 4-13, Jasper Pride will bring in flocks of unique visitors to the community and surrounding national park, but how many of them know how to celebrate Pride like a local?
Luckily for them (and you), The Jasper Local is here to help!
Where to Eat
Jasper has an excellent array of eateries and there’s simply too many for us to pick a favourite, but for fun, funky and fresh, we suggest you indulge in the devilishly delicious Cowboy Sushi at Evil Dave’s Grill.
You can sample an even more sinister selection from Evil Dave’s during the festival’s April 10 Friendship Dinner—a family-style meal meant to help forge connections.
Where to Drink
The Maligne Range is doing amazing things with whisky, but it’s their sister distillery, Last Best, whose flavours we’re savouring lately. The Maligne Range features two of Last Best’s gins, which are foundational to two of Jasper’s best cocktails: the mountain bike trail-inspired Water Tower and the Vaux’s Botany, a herbaceous tribute to artist and naturalist Mary Vaux, who gained fame for her paintings of wildflowers. Try these excellent elixirs at Pride on the Rocks, Friday April 11 at 4 p.m.
Where to Meet
Why waste a minute of the 10-day celebration? To ensure you don’t miss a chance to mix and or mingle, get yourself to the Jasper Pride and Ski Festival’s opening party at the Whistle Stop Pub. Casual and small-town friendly, the festival kick-off is your chance to connect with friends, meet new faces, and soak in the spirit of Pride in a warm and welcoming space. It all starts at “The Stop” at 3 p.m. on Friday, April 4.
Where to Create
If you’re coming to Jasper for Pride, you obviously have an open mind. Why not continue that ethos of exploration by letting your creative side shine? Join local artist Karly MacDonald-Ireland and Paint the Rainbow at Terra, at the Crimson Hotel on April 6. Karly is an award-winning illustrator who specializes in unlocking entire groups of beginner painters’ inner artists. Arrive as an art appreciator, leave as an art maker!
Where to Dance
Celebrating Pride like a local often means dancing like no one’s watching, but in this case, if you’re on the dance floor at the Phoenix Rising party, you’ll be part of a swirling, sexy sea of humanity. No where does fabulous like the Fairmont, and for the festival’s penultimate party, the Jasper Park Lodge will be decked out like something out of a diva dream.
The signature Pride event is an unforgettable night of celebration, connection, and community, so gather your crew, secure your tickets, and get ready to rise up!
Where Else?
Of course you don’t want to miss flying the Pride flag on the sunny slopes of Marmot Basin during Proud Peaks on Saturday, and raise your hand if you know where to find the best gay trivia night in the Rockies (hint: it’s at the Forest Park Hotel). There’s Pride for families, Pride for teens and Pride for students, where youth are encouraged to embrace differences and imagine a world where everyone can be their authentic selves. Lastly, our local Pride performer pick is troubadour, artist and innovator Gregory Deagle, who will strum to the Rhythm of Pride at Terra on April 5 and 12.
The Jasper Pride and Ski Festival continues to surpass its benchmarks as a world-class celebration in a small, rural town and as a 10-day celebration, is one of the renowned community festivals not just in Jasper, but in all of Alberta.
See you there!
Bob Covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com
