January is a time for new beginnings and big resolutions. It’s a time to look at the months ahead of you and plan to be your best self. But who said you have to spend the rest of the year making those resolutions come true? If you’re all about productivity, then it’s time to consider spending this January in Jasper.
While the rest of the country will be researching gym memberships and making lists, Jasper rings in the new year with dozens of activities across three themed weeks of fun and adventure. Embrace the great outdoors (and break in your new cold weather gear) during Adventure Week (January 11-14), refuel and expand your culinary horizons during Appetites Week (January 18-21), and keep yourself cultured during Arts Week (January 26-28).
So before you get lost in the rush of planning all of your 2018 adventures, don’t let the amazing and exciting winter wonderlist of activities in Jasper pass you by. Here are 15 can’t-miss reasons to start your year in Jasper, and then venture beyond.
Get Extreme
In Jasper, you can climb a waterfall. What else needs to be said? This 6-hour tour will give you all the tools and information you need to turn solid water into your personal climbing gym, and then you and your group are off to make memories and embrace adventure. If you are fit enough to climb a ladder, you’re in good enough shape to scale a waterfall. If that’s not extreme enough for you, then sign up for Frosty’s Fat Bike Race Series, featuring fat biking events for riders of all skill levels as well as a main event Endurance Race with multiple champion riders fighting for a cash prize. What a time to be alive.
Snowshoe By Starlight
Take the opportunity to get away from it all with a Dark Sky Snowshoe trek through Jasper National Park. This unforgettable (not to mention free) event gets you active, gives you an opportunity to learn about the nocturnal habits of local animals, and let’s you take in the serene beauty of Jasper’s moonlit sky.
Sleigh Rides Alongside Pyramid Lake
Don’t let the magic and fun of a horse-drawn sleigh ride be limited to only the Holiday season; this is an experience that lasts all winter long! Enjoy a classic sleigh ride, complete with bells, thick blankets, and stunning views that you can only see by riding off the beaten path.
And Then Dog Sled Across It
Let a team of sled dogs take you across a frozen lake as you embrace the tranquility and beauty of Pyramid Lake alongside a friendly and hardworking group of Alaskan Huskies. Just think of the profile pictures you’ll get out of it!
Take A Brewery Tour
When you’re ready to trade the cold outdoors for a cold one indoors, it’s time to pay a visit to Jasper’s National Park Brewery. This January, they have six signature beers brewing on-site, all made with local ingredients, including spring water from the Rocky Mountains. So you can add “drink a mountain” to your resolutions for 2018.
Train Like A Lord Of Winterfell
Winter is coming? Winter is already here! And there’s no better time to embrace your secret (or not-so-secret) love of swords and combat by taking a Medieval Martial Arts workshop. Learn the ways of the dagger, longsword, and spear while you wait for a certain fantasy series to return.
Eat All You Can
Enjoy the Food-A-Palooza of Jasper’s culinary crawl, featuring food prepared by 10 different establishments ranging from breweries to bistros. After all, you can’t tackle new adventures on an empty stomach.
Fight The Chill With Some Chili
The Mountain Park Lodge’s Chili Cook-Off is a local event that you won’t want to miss. The judges require that all participating teams make all their ingredients from scratch, and beans are strictly forbidden. However, this isn’t Hell’s Kitchen; teams are known to don costumes, put on a show, and make their fight for the Chili Championship as entertaining as possible.
Lift Your Spirits
The Annual Whiskey, Wine and Hops Festival showcases the hottest tastes in liquor and spirits, as well as local and internationally-brewed beers. With the view of the Rockies in the distance, this is your best chance to play sommelier in good company, and maybe learn a thing or two as well.
Party Loud & Proud
The 8th Annual Loud & Proud Party returns to Jasper, and you can add yourself to the guest list for free. The theme this year is “Beauty in the Beast,” and you may regret it for the rest of the year if you don’t find out exactly what that means.
Capture The Moment On A Photography Tour
Photographer Luuk Wijk wants to show you the beauty of winter wilderness in a way only Jasper can provide. His limited-space photography tour, with a percentage of proceeds going to the Jasper Artists Guild, will provide a lifetime of memories (and unforgettable shots) for all active and aspiring shutterbugs.
Three Words: Pond Hockey Tournament
There are two reactions to that phrase: Either an interest to watch it happen, or a burning desire to face other teams in the sport you’ve been playing since you were a child. If you can put together a six-person team (four active players and two alternates), you can go for the championship challenge against 20+ other teams. It really doesn’t get more Canadian than this.
Catch Some Live Music
From street parties to cozy intimate sets, Jasper isn’t lacking for live musical acts in January. Enjoy shows by Mourning Wood, Smalltown Revival, the Harvard Krokodiloes Singing Group, and several more. And to cap it all off, Delhi 2 Dublin will be headlining the ATCO street party. Do your ears a favour and go give these bands some love.
Enjoy Some Winter Fireworks
Why should spring and summer monopolize all the fireworks? The ATCO Walk of Lights and Fireworks will dazzle your senses with both exploding and non-exploding light displays in Centennial Park.
Keep It Social
End your January in Jasper on the right foot by learning how to partner dance! From the Salsa, to the Hustle, to Zouk, and more, there’s nothing like picking up some dance skills to leave you with some lasting memories of your adventures here (and maybe to help knock another resolution or two off your list).
