For the 25th year in a row, Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge brought Christmas to Jasper a month and a half early, with its 12-day-long Christmas in November celebration.
People from across the country pay a hefty price to hunker down at the lodge every year to bask in a holiday atmosphere and learn new Christmas recipes and decorating ideas from celebrity chefs and designers.
鈥淭he spirit of Christmas in November is to get people in the spirit of Christmas and to get them to learn,鈥� explained Markus Treppenhauer, general manager of the lodge.
The celebration was 鈥渢he brainchild鈥� of writer Judy Schultz, who got it running with help from Fairmont鈥檚 then executive chef David MacGillivray. The lodge had just winterized itself, allowing it to stay open year-round, and was looking for ways to attract people during the winter.
鈥淚t started with very, very small beginnings 25 years ago,鈥� Treppenhauer said.
The early years saw just a handful of people attending presentations from local experts over one weekend. But in 25 years, the event has grown to three separate sessions, spanning almost two weeks and attracting more than 1,500 guests.
Add to that a star-studded list of celebrity chefs and it becomes quite the event.
Gail Hall, a well-known Edmonton chef, has been presenting at the festival for 23 of its 25 years.
Sitting at a table as the festival鈥檚 final brunch wound down, Hall reminisced about her years presenting at Christmas in November. Her eyes shone from behind stylish glasses and a woolen hat, and as people filtered out of the dining room, she often stopped to wave or wrap a departing friend in a hug.
When the lodge first started hosting the event in the 80s, before retailers started 鈥渃reeping鈥� the Christmas season earlier and earlier into the year, the idea of a Christmas celebration in early November was unheard of. Hall said the novelty of a November festival dedicated to Christmas, combined with the unique setting of JPL was the perfect mix to create the warm and festive atmosphere it still enjoys today.
鈥淚n the beginning there wasn鈥檛 anything like this in the country that we knew of,鈥� Hall explained.
After 10 years, the lodge took over the festival completely, and that鈥檚 when a concerted effort was made to bring in the big names the festival is known for today.
鈥淏ut luckily for me they always kept a local focus as well,鈥� Hall said with a grin.
She said that Fairmont has tried similar celebrations in other parts of the country, but they鈥檝e never been successful.
鈥淭here鈥檚 just something about this location that makes it work,鈥� she said.
Treppenhauer said he believes it鈥檚 that mix of star power, setting and local feeling that keeps people coming back. About 70 per cent of the guests each year are repeat customers, he says, and some have been coming for decades.
Since this year was the 25th anniversary, Treppenhauer said JPL tried to make it the biggest and best one yet.
Part of that was welcoming new faces, like the Food Network鈥檚 Bob Blumer, as well as welcoming back old favourites, like Elizabeth Baird, food writer and recent Order of Canada winner.
At one of the mid-week sessions, Baird bantered with chef Emily Richards, as the two prepared a mushroom pate for a nearly full banquet room.
鈥淢ushrooms are the perfect sponges for flavour,鈥� Baird said as the smell of simmering portabellas filled the room. As she and Richards chopped and stirred, Baird cracked jokes to the delighted audience.
鈥淢y husband hates when I serve anything with pits, sticks or tails at a dinner party, because he would have to clean out all the potted plants the next day,鈥� she said with a bemused smile.
Fanning out from the prep table, about 75 people watched the chefs work. Many were dressed in wooly red sweaters or Santa hats. Some sipped wine.
After the presentation, Donna Paul and Shandel Kotanko stood to the side of the room, munching on holiday shrimp. The mother and daughter were first-timers to the festival, and said they were already planning to come back next year. They said they love the atmosphere, and are excited to put to use all the tricks they鈥檝e learned.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been amazing; we鈥檝e learned all kinds of stuff, and the food!鈥� Paul said, her eyes widening. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great mother-daughter time, you know, and who doesn鈥檛 love Christmas?鈥�
Hall echoed Paul鈥檚 sentiments. She said that every year she learns something new and she has such a good time that she can鈥檛 imagine not coming back year after year.
鈥淎fter 23 years, it鈥檚 almost like it鈥檚 in my DNA to come here,鈥� she said.
Trevor Nichols
[email protected]
