Jasper Heritage Rodeo Aug 18-21 2010

Dating back to 1926, the Jasper Heritage Rodeo takes place every August in Jasper Alberta and to this day both locals and tourists still enjoy this exciting cowboy event which includes bull riding, bareback riding, barrel racing and steer wrestling.
The 2010 event will take place from August 18 to 21, and each evening from 7pm you’ll be able to see thrilling rodeo events at the Jasper Activity Centre, with August 19 being a special Family Night. Doors open at 6pm, and tickets are available at the Athabasca Hotel 10am to 4pm or from 4pm at the Jasper Activity Centre, costing $20 for adults and $12 for children 5-14 yrs, 4 & under free. Family night (Aug 19) has a special rate of $52 for 2 adults and 2 children.
Throughout rodeo week there will be fun events around town, with the Jasper Rodeo Wranglers giving prizes to people dressed in ‘western’ attire, and Miss Rodeo Jasper riding through downtown with prizes to be won depending on her horse’s bathroom habits!
From August 18-20 you’ll be able to grab a great lunch while admiring the scenery at the annual Rodeo BBQ from 11am to 2pm in the CIBC parking lot, while also helping the fundraising efforts of the Jasper Grizzlies Girl’s Hockey Team, who are organizing the Barbecue.
Kids will get their own chance to take part in the rodeo during the Stick Pony Parade on August 18. Open to all, and free of charge, the parade will start at 10am from the Jasper Activity Centre parking lot and proceed through town with Miss Rodeo Jasper.
August 21 sees the Tough Enough to Wear Pink night at the rodeo, in the name of breast cancer awareness, with funds being raised for this worthy cause. To round off the 2010 Jasper rodeo, at 9pm the same night the Rodeo Dance ($20) takes place in the curling arena, with live music featuring Brett Kissel.
All in all the Jasper Heritage Rodeo is a fun event for the whole family, and a great time to visit Jasper.

For more information about the Jasper Heritage Rodeo visit www.jasperheritagerodeo.com.
To find accommodations in Jasper during the rodeo, visit www.jasperhotels.com

Victoria Day Weekend in Jasper

May long weekend is almost upon us, and in 2010 the holiday falls on Monday May 24, which means it will indeed earn its colloquial name of the May two-four weekend. Victoria Day weekend, for many, signals the start of summer, and it’s always a busy few days in Jasper. As the weekend approaches there will be fewer and fewer vacancies in Jasper hotels. Needless to say, reservations ahead of time are strongly recommended to guarantee yourself a place to stay. At the time of writing (May 12) some Jasper accommodations had already filled their standard rooms for either May 22, May 23 or both of those dates, however there were still some vacancies available, but you need to act quickly.
**Update** As late as May 20th we were still able to find availability at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge for the whole Long Weekend. We were quoted $329 for a Fairmont Room, but the best deal seemed to be with a Bed & Breakfast package which for $349 includes a 1 night stay in a Fairmont Room plus breakfast for 2 the following morning, meaning that you get a hearty buffet breakfast for just $10 per person instead of the usual $26. To book this package, click here.

If you are visiting Jasper between May 21-24 and have not yet booked your accommodation, we recommend you browse the JasperHotels.com website and contact your preferred accommodation as soon as possible to make a reservation.
To see a list of recommended hotels and motels in Jasper, click here.
To see a list of recommended cabins and chalets in Jasper, click here.

Easter Weekend in Jasper

Easter is a wonderful time to visit Jasper Alberta, with the skiing at Marmot Basin still wide open and a hint of spring in the air downtown.
To celebrate this special weekend in style, the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge is offering a fun filled Easter Weekend Package which includes three night’s accommodation, Friday night dinner, Saturday Easter dinner, Easter Sunday brunch, and family activities all weekend.
The Easter activities include story time, family movies, scavenger hunts, family bingo, Easter egg decorating, Easter bunny workshop, and lots more.
The package can be booked for April 1-4 or April 2-5 and starts at $399 per night for two people in a Fairmont Room, for a minimum 3 night stay.

For further information and to book this package, visit www.fairmont.com/jasper.

Jasper Winter Pride Weekend

From February 5 to 7 2010, Mountain Park Lodges and Jasper Tourism will be hosting the first annual Jasper Winter Pride Weekend.
The Chateau Jasper and the Lobstick Lodge are offering $74 room rates for the event, where you will receive a welcome kit detailing the many discounts available throughout the weekend. The Welcome Reception takes place in the Skyline Room at the Lobstick Lodge from 7pm to 10pm on Friday February 5, and on Saturday February 6 there is live music from Linkomatics from 8pm to 1am in the Downstream Bar ($5 cover).
At Marmot Basin there will be a 25% discount on lift tickets and 15% off lessons and rentals, and several Jasper activities companies are offering discounts on some of their tours. Sun Dog Tours are offering 10% off dogsled and snowmobile excursions and 15% off half day rail tours and wildlife discovery tours. Walks and Talks Jasper are offering 10% off guided walking tours, and the Jasper Adventure Centre are offering a 25% discount off their Maligne Canyon Ice Walk.
Further discounts on rentals are available at Freewheel where you can save 25% on ski or board rentals and demos, and Edge Control Ski and Outdoor Store are offering a $4 saving on adult cross country ski rental packages.
Further discounts can be found at several stores in downtown Jasper, and for dining there is a variety of discounts and specials offered by a number of Jasper restaurants.
To book your room for this event, call 1-888-852-7737 and use reference #56005 for Chateau Jasper, or #673529 for the Lobstick Lodge. For more details about these Jasper hotels, visit the Mountain Park Lodges website by clicking here.
For details of other Jasper accommodation options, click here.

Jasper in January

Find discounted Jasper hotels and cheap lift tickets at Marmot Basin ski resort from Jan 15th to 31st 2010 at the 21st annual Jasper in January event.
If you are looking for a Jasper hotel and ski pass, Marmot Lodge has a keenly priced Jasper in January Ski Package including 1 night’s lodging, a ski pass for Marmot Basin and daily hot breakfast for $114 per person based on double occupancy. Also, both Tonquin Inn and Maligne Lodge are advertising a Jasper in January Eat Sleep and Ski Package which includes accommodation for 1 night, dinner and a Marmot Basin lift ticket starting at $116.79 person based on double occupancy.*
If you just need a lift ticket, day passes for Marmot Basin will cost $54.29 + GST during Jasper in January, which is a 25% discount off normal rates.
The Jasper in January 2010 schedule promises an exciting range of fun events taking place throughout the town, including street parties, skating parties, terrific food and wine, and lots of live music.
On the first weekend, to get the festival started, the Whistle Stop Pub is hosting a Kick Off Party from 6pm on Friday Jan 15th (no cover), and on Saturday 16th a Dual Slalom race will be taking place all day at Marmot Basin. On the evening of the 16th, choose between the Ducks Unlimited auction with wine and cheese at the Sawridge Inn from 6pm ($20) and the Family Street Party on the 600 block of Patricia St between 6pm and 9pm (free). On Sunday 17th, why not take part in the Skating Party & Cabane a Sucre at 1pm on Mildred Lake ($5), and then in the evening go and see the local ice hockey team, the Jasper Wolves, play at the Jasper Activity Centre at 8.30pm ($6/$3).
On Friday Jan 22nd, the ever popular Annual Chilli Cook Off takes place at the Jasper Activity Centre from 6pm, including DJ and dancing ($15, adult only event), and on Saturday 23rd the Whistle Stop Pub hosts Tastes with Ale at 7pm, where retired Parks Canada wardens share some of their interesting experiences over a pint (no cover). The Bear’s Paw Polar Dip sounds like a sobering way to round off the weekend, taking place at 1pm on Sunday Jan 24th at Lake Edith ($15, pre-registration 12pm).
On the final festival weekend our pick for Friday 29th is the Wine in Winter Tasting at the Fairmont Chateau Jasper at 7pm ($25), while on Saturday 30th, the Evening of French Canadian Food starting at 8pm at the Jasper Inn looks like a great way to round off Jasper in January 2010 in style ($24.95).
Above is just a brief selection of the events taking place during Jasper in January 2010. To view the full schedule published by Jasper Tourism in pdf format, click here.

*The hotel rates shown above are subject to change without notice.
To confirm packages and for reservations, please contact your Jasper hotel directly.

New Year at the Jasper Park Lodge

To accompany our recommendations for Christmas activities at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, we’d like to tell you about some of the great events and celebrations taking place at the Lodge over the New Year period. From Children’s parties to fine dining, no matter how you choose to bring in the New Year, it looks like New Year’s Eve at the Jasper Park Lodge will be hard to beat.

Piccolo Carnivale

This is a superb idea for families with young children – a special New Year’s Eve celebration just for 5-12 year olds with kids’ entertainment, movies and snacks, taking place in Ballroom C from 6.30pm to 12.30am, and costing $40 per child.

Banquet Carnivale

European inspired New Year’s Eve celebration, including a delectable dinner buffet in the Beauvert Ballroom, including ticket for the Carnivale Dance celebration for adults (see below) or the Piccolo Carnivale for children (see above).
Adults $129
Children 5-12 $58
Children 13-17 $78

Carnivale Dance

New Year’s Eve party in the Great Hall including a signature cocktail on arrival and a night of live music and entertainment. Tickets for this party are included with the Banquet Carnivale above, or can be purchased for the party only.
Adults $30

New Year at the Edith Cavell Restaurant

As an adult-only alternative to the Banquet Carnivale, the Edith Cavell offers a 7 course fine dining experience in sophisticated surroundings, with entertainment provided by a musical trio.
Adults $199 including ticket for Carnivale Dance

New Year’s Day Brunch

There’s no better way to start off the year than to indulge in a wonderful variety of breakfast and lunch items at Jasper Alberta’s finest brunch in the Beauvert Dining Room from 10am to 1.30pm.

As well as the celebrations and dining options shown above, there is a whole array of activities available at the Jasper Park Lodge throughout the Christmas and New Year period. You can find full information in the Festival of Christmas brochure on the hotel’s website.

To make reservations for New Year dining, please call the Jasper Park Lodge directly at 780 852 6052.

New Year in Jasper

New Year’s Eve is a fantastic celebration in all parts of the world, but there is something about being surrounded by snow in the majestic Canadian Rockies that make New Year in Jasper difficult to beat.
If you are planning to visit Jasper for New Years, you will probably want to find a special place to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Depending on where you will be staying some hotels in Jasper offer special New Year packages which include accommodation, and a New Year dinner and party, while others have multiple celebrations to choose from, which can be booked in addition to your room.
As well as the hotel celebrations, many Jasper restaurants will have a special New Year menu on offer, and for a lively New Year party the Atha-B nightclub is bound to be rocking until the early hours.
New Year’s Day may be a day of recovery for many, but for those with some energy in reserve, skiing at Marmot Basin would be a great option, or to continue the indulgence, New Year’s Day brunch at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge would be the perfect way to carry on the party.

Jasper at Christmas

Jasper is a wonderful place to spend the Christmas holidays. The warm hospitality of the town combined with the snow covered mountain peaks, and abundance of winter activities make Jasper Alberta the ideal destination for a Christmas vacation.
The more active visitors will enjoy activities such as skiing & snowboarding or dog sledding, while a more relaxing time can be had on a horse drawn sleigh ride.
Of course, a large part of the Christmas celebration is Christmas Eve and Christmas Day itself, when most families will want to enjoy a fabulous Christmas dinner in one of Jasper’s hotels or restaurants.
Whatever your plans are, there is no doubt that Christmas in Jasper will be a memorable one for the whole family.