Vallea Lumina: The multimedia night walk takes place at Cougar Mountain, nightly at sundown with shows running every 20 minutes, through Oct. 15. Shows staged rain or shine. Access to show site is by complimentary shuttle from Whistler Village. Book your tickets ($29 for adults, $24 for youth, and free for children five and under) online here or by phone at 1-855-824-9955.
A new outdoor attraction in Whistler promises more than a mere walk in the park.
Vallea Lumina transforms the alpine resort’s old growth into an immersive multimedia experience.
Through lights, soundscape, scenography, video and interactive features, the multimedia night walk sends participants into the woods in pursuit of hidden wonders and on an hour-long journey that melds the forest’s natural beauty with spectacular special effects. Staged along a groomed 1.5-kilometre trail at Cougar Mountain, just eight minutes north of Whistler Village, the summer attraction welcomed its first visitors last week.
Vallea Lumina creates magical moments and enthralls guests “by exploding the computer interface and taking people instead into an immersive outdoor world,” according to a statement issued by its co-creator, Whistler’s The Adventure Group, which partnered with Montreal-based multimedia production studio Moment Factory to mount the attraction.
It’s a first for the resort community – and for the West Coast – but not the first of its kind. This is the eighth night walk for Moment Factory, which mounted its inaugural Lumina experience in Quebec’s Eastern Townships in 2014, produced its first winter night walk two years later – at Kingston’s historic Fort Henry – and has since staged Luminas in China, Japan and Singapore. Moment Factory’s multimedia productions have also lit up the concert stage for Arcade Fire and Nine Inch Nails, the domed ceiling of old Montreal’s Notre-Dame Basilica, the façade of Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia, and show theatres aboard Royal Caribbean cruises.
Nature unplugged, this is not. Vallea Lumina is the great outdoors for the wired generation, with a multisensory surprise at every turn of the path and an abundance of photo-friendly backdrops for the selfie seekers. And that might not be to everyone’s liking – especially those of us on the North Shore who enjoy nature on our doorstep – but the attraction appears to have found its niche. As guests at last week’s preview event wandered out of the old growth, there were murmurs of “enchanted” and “magical” overheard in the chatter. The ensuing social media reaction was equally effusive. “Life-affirming, powerful and utterly inspiring. … One of the most memorable pieces of art I’ve ever seen,” one guest posted on Instagram. “We were constantly in awe,” posted another. Yet another, “It will blow your mind!”
The event’s presenters recommend booking tickets in advance as many show times are already sold out, and to follow twitter.com/vallealumina for last-minute ticket releases, depending on availability.
They also recommend wearing layered clothing and donning sturdy footwear as well as packing insect repellent – and your camera, of course.
