Nightlife

The most popular nightspot in town for younger travelers is the Atha-B, in the Athabasca Hotel (510 Patricia St., 780/852-3386), where bands play some nights. It gets pretty rowdy with all the seasonal workers, but it’s still enjoyable; there’s a minimal cover charge. This hotel also has a large lounge and a bar with a pool table and a popular 5–7 p.m. happy hour.

Pete’s Club (upstairs at 614 Patricia St., 780/852-6262) has a jam on Tuesday night and bands playing Friday–Sunday. The music varies—it could be blues, rock, or Celtic.

Right downtown, the Whistle Stop Pub, in the Whistlers Inn (105 Miette Ave., 780/852-3361), has a great atmosphere with a classic wooden bar and memorabilia everywhere. Downstream Bar (620 Connaught Dr., 780/852-9449) has live music Friday and Saturday.

You don’t need to be a guest of Jasper’s finest hotel, the The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge (780/852-3301), to enjoy the ambience of its three lounges: the Emerald Lounge has comfortable indoor seating and a long outdoor terrace overlooking Lac Beauvert; Tent City is a sports-style bar with a relaxed atmosphere and two pool tables; while Palisade’s is a winter-only bar attracting the après-ski crowd each evening.

Festivals and Events

Canada Day (July 1) celebrations begin with a pancake breakfast and progress to a flag-raising ceremony (in front of the information center) and a parade along Connaught Drive. Live entertainment and a fireworks display end the day.

The Jasper Heritage Rodeo (www.jasperheritagerodeo.com), on the second weekend of August, dates from 1926 and attracts pro cowboys from across Canada. Apart from the traditional rodeo events, the fun includes a mechanical bull, a children’s rodeo, a casino, pancake breakfasts, the ever-popular stick-pony parade, and the crowning of Miss Rodeo Jasper. Most of the action takes place in the arena at the Jasper Activity Centre, behind town on Pyramid Lake Road.

On the other side of the calendar, winter is not totally partyless—Jasper in January is a two-week celebration that includes fireworks, special evenings at local restaurants, a chili cook-off, discounted lift tickets at Marmot Basin, and all the activities associated with winter.

© Andrew Hempstead, from Moon Western Canada, 3rd Edition