Christine Van Winkle, PhD

Biography

Dr. Christine Van Winkle is committed to community-based research that explores the role of festivals, events and attractions in the community. Van Winkle combines practical experience with theory-based research to inform her practice. Through her research, She has worked with more than 30 different festivals and attractions nationally and internationally. 

Dr. Van Winkle's research explores festival experiences, emergency management at events and the role of festivals and events in community recovery. Her work has been published widely and appears in various tourism, leisure and event journals, books, conference proceedings and reports. Currently, she is a Regional Editor for Event Management and Associate Editor for the International Journal of Event and Festival Management. She serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, Leisure/Loisir and on the board of Directors of Winnipeg’s Gas Station Arts Centre.

Education

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, Clemson University, South Carolina, (2007)
  • MA Recreation Studies, University of Manitoba (2002)
  • Bachelor of Recreation Studies, University of Manitoba (2000)

Research summary

Dr. Van Winkle's research explores the impact and outcomes of festivals and events. To date, her research has explored the social and cultural impact of festivals, free-choice learning in event settings, the role of information and community technology at events, emergency management at festivals and the role of community events in disaster recovery.

Recent publications

Van Winkle, C. M., Shafto, K., Sánchez Aguirre, D. P., & Slick, J. (2025). Gathering in the Face of Disaster: Understanding Festivals’ Roles in Wildfire Emergency Management. Event Management.

Van Winkle, C. M., Sánchez-Aguirre, D., & Liu-Lastres, B. (2025). Navigating uncertainty: exploring festival and community events’ crisis management in three North American countries. Tourism Recreation Research, 50(2), 402-419.

Van Winkle, C. M., & Gaudry, L. (2025). Volunteers’ Roles in Festival Emergency Management: Lessons from Shambhala Music Festival. Tourism Cases, (2025), tourism202500044.

Van Winkle, C. (2025). Looking Beyond the Screen: Smartphone Effects on Festival Engagement. Duignan (Ed). Events and Society. Routledge

Van Winkle, C. M., & Shafto, K. (2024) Preventing a Festival Fiasco: Preparing for the Unexpected. In International Case Studies in Event Management (pp. 90-97). Routledge.

Van Winkle, C. M., Sánchez-Aguirre, D., & Liu-Lastres, B. (2023). Navigating uncertainty: exploring festival and community events’ crisis management in three North American countries. Tourism Recreation Research, 1-18.

Van Winkle, C. M., & Kullman, S. (2022). Remaking the Festival Business Model During a Pandemic. Event Management. 26(6), 1335-1350.

Van Winkle, C., & Corrigan, S. (2021). Communicating on social media during a# FestivalEmergency. International Journal of Event and Festival Management.

Van Winkle, C. M., Bueddefeld, J. N., Halpenny, E. A., & MacKay, K. J. (2019). The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2: understanding mobile device use at festivals. Leisure Studies, 38(5), 634-650.

Highlights

Resources

Gathering in the Face of Disaster Tool Kit

Recent Media

“Lismore Lantern Parade Selected for Global Study”, Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Current Projects

  • Van Winkle, C. M. (Principal Investigator) & Slick, J. Torn and Mended. UMSSHRC Explore
  • Van Winkle, C. M. (Principal Investigator) & Slick, J. Gathering in the Face of Disaster. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (Partnership Engage Grant with The Festival Academy)
  • Van Winkle, C. M. (Principal Investigator), Slick, J. Revelry and Resilience. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (Insight Development Grant with The Festival Academy)

Areas of interest and exploration

  • Tourism and events in exclusion areas
  • Festivals, emergency management and disaster recovery.
  • Mindfulness in leisure and tourism
  • Arts-based research methods (collage, photography and screen printing)
  • The role of festivals and tourism in dystopian fiction
  • Community development and engagement through recreation, tourism and events
  • Cross-cultural research in tourism and events

Courses

  • Event Management (REC 4400)
  • Program Planning and Evaluation (REC 3220)
  • Introduction to Leisure Travel (REC 2100)