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Writer's pictureDean Nelson, (he/him) CTC, LLD

Cornucopia Whistler Ultimate Foodie Festival

Updated: Jan 19, 2021

Join us at North America's premiere Ski Town - Whistler, BC, Canada for the ultimate foodie festival - Cornucopia Whistler running November 7-17, 2019. Click here for accommodations

Whistler Cornucopia the ultimate foodie festival

Self proclaimed as the "True North of food & drink festivals" it truly is a place of incredible culinary experiences where the wild meets the refined.


The #gaynamicduo of Barb Snelgrove and Dean Nelson will be making their return to Cornucopia where we will attempt to survive the action packed foodie extravaganza and we want you to join us. New to the festival is Sashay, Fillet! Whistler on Thursday, November 14th. Imagine if you will, the dynamic worlds of culinary and drag collide for an evening that is surely to go down in the Whistler herstory books... west coast chefs will be teamed up with a cast of Canadian drag queens for an unforgettable night of dragalicious delights and scrumptious performances!



This “RuPaul's Drag Race meets Top Chef competition” sees five talented chef and drag pairs judged on a series of culinary and performance based challenges, until just one duo is crowned winner.

Sashay Fillet - Whistler Cornucopia Drag Race meets Top Chef

You’re in for an entertaining evening of heated competition and spicy runway performances, paired with tasty canapés and wine, beer and spirit samples. 


The glamorous Jaidynn Diore Fierce is your emcee, alongside sassy head judge Laila McQueen, known for their performances on the hit TV show RuPaul's Drag Race. Rounding out the judging panel is esteemed restaurant critic Alexandra Gill, Daily Hive’s Dished Editor Hanna McLean and blogger Ryan Massel.


The dragalicious teams that are ready to sashay their way from the kitchen to the catwalk are:

Chef Dawn Doucette (Douce Diner, Vancouver) + Kendall Gender Chef Shelley Robinson (UBC Okanagan) + Ivy League Chef Neal Harkins (Centerplate, Whistler) + Eddi Licious Chef Luis Valenzuela (Carmen, Toronto) + Mina Mercury Chef Daniel Mongeon (Howe Sound Brewing, Squamish) + Gia Metric


Get your tickets - as this is one of those rare events you know you have to be at and the tickets will sell out! Click here to get your tickets now.


More than just Wine...

Over the years Cornucopia has long been known for their exceptional wine tasting and wine paired dinners, however, the festival has evolved into some unique and notorious food + drink experiences you just need to see for yourself. Here are some of the events the #gaynamicduo will be keeping an eye on and may just need to sashay our way over to!

If you have watched "My Favourite Places" on OUTtv you will know that the Scandinave Spa is my go to favourite places to visit while in Whistler. For the past couple years Whistler Pride has also taken over the Spa for one of our signature night parties and it is always so much fun. So I was super excited to see that this year there is a special Cornucopia inspired party that will get us all steamy with excitement. The Scandinave Spa Bubble Bath is the perfect event to kick start your getaway. Jennamae Webb will be belting out live acoustics, the Collective Kitchen dishing out some tantalizing canapés and the Okanagan valley winery, haywire, will be pouring their "Bub" - Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in traditional method sparkling wine. Sign me up!


One of my most favourite venues is the Audain Art Museum. The venue is absolutely gorgeous and truly a signature gem for the resort of Whistler. Last year the #gaynamicduo checked out their first annual Cornucopia event and it was a total rage. I always get super excited when the creative mind is allowed to go wild and produce an event space that stimulates all the senses. This year we can expect the museum to be transformed into "an ephemeral space inspired by the iconic Warhol Factory." The event producers are encouraging you to come dressed in "Creative Cocktail" and participate in the Warhol Pop Culture era. I can hardly wait!


The 9th annual Bearfoot Oyster + Caesar Battle is an event made of legends. This is one event that you will want to ensure you get your tickets early as it sells out quick. Both Barb and I love this event - no surprise considering Barb is featured in the Motts Clamato “50 Years 50 Stories” Coffee table Caesar Book and won best Caesar recipe with the Vancouver Courier a few years ago. The Bearfoot well known for their reputation on how to celebrate - this is an incredible afternoon of unlimited oysters and award winning Caesars. Just be sure to make your reservations for the Betty Ford clinic after the weekend.


Cornucopia's Signature Mega Events

Whistler Blackcomb have well been known to have adjectives such as MEGA... and EPIC associated with them, so it is no surprise that a Whistler signature festival such as Cornucopia also has such superlatives associated with them too with two anchoring events.

This is the one event wine lovers swoon for. Around 70 - yes, SEVENTY, wineries will be pouring 2-4 varietals or labels throughout the night. Showcasing wineries from British Columbia and around the world plus delicious morsels from some of the best Sea to Sky restaurants to keep you going throughout the night. Sip, savour and sample your way through the night as you meet and mingle with winemakers, cheers with friends and discover wines to be added to your list. Perhaps one of the things I like most about this event, other than how social it is, Liberty Wine store is on location so you can pick up your favourite wines you have just discovered. There are some excellent packages still available with rates starting at just CAD$102/person/night that include tickets to CRUSH! Click here for more info.


This signature event is ideal for the person that is looking to experience an array of beverages - it is the PRIDE of Cornucopia with the most diverse, all-encompassing drink event at Cornucopia. Your opportunity to taste spirits like scotch, gin and vodka; expertly crafted BC beer and ciders; and an assortment of wines from around the world. There are bountiful grazing stations to keep you energized. Again a wonderfully social event where you are able to connect with beverage experts and your friends. Package rates start at just CAD$95/person/night that include tickets to POURED. Click here for more info. For other activities and accommodations click here.

Interested in joining the #gaynamicduo or going on your own? Feel free to contact me by clicking here or visit WhistlerCornucopia.com


Follow the #gaynamicduo

The #gaynamicduo of Dean Nelson + Barb Snelgrove at Whistler Cornucopia

Be sure to follow our Journey to this year's #Cornucopia2019 with the hash tag #gaynamicduo and Barb @megamouthmedia and Dean @departuresXdean on both Instagram and Twitter.


Here are some of our posts from last year's festival:








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