Big White opens for summer with Canada’s highest birthday party

With the Bullet Express chairlift spinning from 11am – 5pm on the day, Lucy and Loose Moose will head to the top at 1pm on Friday, July 1 to cut our Canada Day cake at 7057 feet (2151m) above sea level.

The day’s festivities will also run in the Village, with a free children’s outdoor carnival and live music. Visitors are encouraged to dress in their best Canada Day gear.

This Friday also sees the opening of Big White’s hiking trails and the launch of chairlift rides on the Bullet Express chairlift. Hiking trails will be open daily, with chairlift rides running Saturday, Sunday and holiday Mondays until the season ends on Monday September 5.

Fresh additions to summer at Big White this year include two new hiking trails, new events in the summer events calendar and the opening of Clocktower Coffee Co. in the Village Centre Mall, serving fresh coffee, lunch and specialty ice cream sandwiches.

Beyond Canada Day, Big White’s summer calendar also includes the following events:

- Movie on the Mountain, June 30: Enjoy ‘Star Wars, The Force Awakens’ under the stars at 5800ft on a giant outdoor screen in the Village! Bring the family, a blanket and a picnic, and experience the big outdoors at Big White with a big movie.

- Craft & Country Beer and Mountain Fest, July 2 & 3: Featuring tastings from 20+ breweries and cideries, live music, an artisan craft market, outdoor kids carnival and a hoedown at the Globe Café & Tapas Bar.

- Big White Wellness Weekend, July 16 & 17: Come and salute the sun at 6627ft. Our first-ever Wellness Weekend features two days of yoga classes at the base of The Cliff, plus meditation seminars and cooking classes - all inspired by the beauty and serenity of the mountains that surround us.

- L’Alpe de Grand Blanc Road Bike Race, July 24: L’Alpe de Grand Blanc is a 60 kilometre, fully supported road bike race from Kelowna to Big White Ski Resort.  

- Sip, Hike + Seek Cidefest & Geo Hiking, July 30, 31 & August 1: Take part in our Geo Hiking GPS Scavenger hunt - we’ll have courses for all abilities and ages, from first times hikers to backcountry experts. Make sure you also check out our 2nd Annual Ciderfest, featuring local cideries from all over BC.

- Huckleberry Festival, August 20 & 21: Come witness our attempt at baking the World’s largest Huckleberry Pie, and participate in the Huckleberry Hunt - a family friendly scavenger hunt. On the Sunday, enjoy a huckleberry pancake brunch and Country Fair Bake Off.

- Big White Chairlift Challenge, September 3: BC's latest Adventure Race - The Big White Chairlift Challenge! Traverse the top of all 10 chairlifts at Big White. Choose from either a 9.5km Adventure Race with 604m of Elevation gain, or a 6.5km alternative.

Big White is an easy 40-minute drive from Kelowna in the summer. Visitors will enjoy the chance to spot wildlife along the scenic drive, including moose, elk, deer and even the occasional bear. The mountain is consistently cooler than downtown, generally maintaining temperatures around 10 degrees lower than Kelowna.

Full details on all hiking trails, chairlift hours and summer events are available on bigwhite.com, or on any of our summer social media pages:

Facebook:facebook.com/summerbigwhite
Instagram: @summerbigwhite
Twitter: @summerbigwhite