Panorama Pride & Ski Festival Gets Set for Year Two
The first-ever Panorama Pride & Ski Festival took over the mountain resort community last year for three days in March. It featured on-mountain games and tours, crafts, yoga and an inaugural Drag Ball with big-name headliner, Vanessa “Miss Vanjie” Mateo, a contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race. (Though the drag performer was told to “sashay away” early in Season 10, she went on to become a viral sensation with her now-famous “Miss Vanjie… Miss Vaaanjie … Miss Vaaaaanjie” exit line.)
“It’s probably the most remote that she’s ever been,” says Cory Archer, Panorama’s manager of food and beverage, on L.A.-based Miss Vanjie’s voyage to the mountains. “She thought the coolest part was that this small town in Canada would be hosting a pride event at this level.”
Born and raised in nearby Invermere, B.C., Archer initially sparked the idea of a Pride festival at Panorama. Archer has plenty of experience with Pride events, both as an organizer and by performing as the drag queen ChiChi.
He says the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in the Columbia Valley is vibrant and thriving — but it wasn’t always that way. Archer didn’t always feel accepted growing up in Invermere in the mid-2000s. “We’ve come so far,” he says. “This festival is just another way to celebrate those achievements of how far this community has grown.”
The stage is now set for the second annual Pride & Ski Festival, happening this year from March 20 to 23. A range of activities ensures there is something for everyone. Archer stresses that many events are intended to be kid-friendly — all daytime events are open to minors. There’s also a designated all-ages meet-and-greet with drag queens and events designed to accommodate first-time skiers.
“Sport, in general, can lack inclusivity, so anytime we can show that it is [inclusive], we will,” Archer says.
On the slopes, intrepid explorers can learn about the local Purcell Mountains on a Pride Guided Mountain Tour. Team sports also abound hillside, including the return of the Amazing Race scavenger hunt — a fan favourite that drew 90 participants of all ages to scour the ski runs in search of clues last year. The 2025 festival will also see the return of standout group events, including the Wonderland Après & Disco, Showoff Your Pride (a celebratory group lap down the namesake run), and the second annual Drag Ball and after-party. The cost for activities varies, and many events are free.
Some of the festival’s most wonderful moments are the unplanned ones: stopping to rest during the Showoff Pride run, just as the coloured snow fog explodes; watching drag performers death-drop in front of a window that reveals gently falling snow; and entering a packed after-party at T-Bar & Grill and seeing a scantily clad man crowd surf.
Organizers estimate more than 1,000 people joined the fun last year. This year’s festivities will be even bigger and better, promises Archer. “We’ll turn the mountain way more rainbow,” he says.
Panorama Pride & Ski Festival 2025 runs March 20 to 23, panoramaresort.com/pride.
Celebrate Pride Your Way at Panorama
On the Slopes
Skiers and snowboarders can find fun strapped into their gear on Panorama’s nearly 3,000 acres of terrain. While this year’s schedule hadn’t been confirmed at press time, Slopeside Pride events at last year’s festival included the Amazing Race scavenger hunt and Showoff Your Pride, where participants don their most colourful gear and do a group lap down the namesake run.
In the Village
Après all day! There is no shortage of events off the slopes. Last year’s events included the Drag Ball and after-party at T-Bar & Grill, as well as Wine & Paint and Morning After Yoga. Your schedule is sure to be full –
even if you leave your gear at home.
Head into Town
Head into Invermere to experience the mountain village’s growing 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Get friendly with locals at several brunch, lunch and dinner spots, like The Station Pub for a beautiful view of the Lake Windermere Whiteway, one of the longest skating trails in the world. Pop into local shops like Four Points Books and Kootenay Clothing Company on your way back up to Panorama.
Jasper Pride & Ski Festival Carries On
After the 2024 wildfires that devastated the town of Jasper, the mountain community is more than ready to welcome visitors back — and that includes 2SLGBTQIA+ friends and allies for the long-running Jasper Pride & Ski Festival. “Our banners will fly high, our spirits will be even higher, and Jasper will welcome our community and the world to another fabulous festival,” Jasper Pride said in a written statement.
Jasper Pride dates back to 2009, when two locals started the event in response to an incident where someone tore a Pride flag sticker off the front door of a local café.
This weeklong festival highlights all Jasper offers the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, both on and off the slopes. Participants can anticipate parties and events at a variety of locations throughout the town, head to Marmot Basin Resort to shred the slopes and enjoy the Proud Peaks Après Ski scene, or take in Jasper’s beautiful natural landscapes with guided hikes and exploration.
Jasper Pride has earned praise over the years for the incredible show of community support it gets, but this year, Jasper Pride is emphasizing its support for the community, with family and youth programming and Seniors Drag Bingo.
More than anything, Jasper Pride organizers are excited to continue celebrating the Jasper and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, sending the message that their town is, indeed, open and ready to welcome everyone back.
Jasper Pride & Ski Festival runs from April 4 to 13, 2025, jasperpride.ca
Golden Pride Ride
Looking for a good reason to hit the slopes at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in Golden, B.C., this year? Come for the third Pride Ride. Golden Pride organizes year-round events, including community discussions, barbecues and potlucks, as well as the winter ski and summer bike Pride rides. The large group run sets out from the top of Kicking Horse Resort at 1 p.m., and the day concludes with a Mardi Gras-themed après-ski party at the Whitetooth Grill in Golden.
Golden Pride Ride is on March 15, 2025, at Kicking Horse Ski Resort, kickinghorseresort.com