As Kelowna opens up to tourists and new residents that flock to our beautiful city and surroundings, more events and ways to explore our bounty begin to emerge.
A Taste of Kelowna food tours is a new idea that lets us explore our city’s food and culture through two-hour guided experience.
Starting at the Laurel Packinghouse and winding its way around the Cultural District, the tours stop along the way to let guests taste, drink, visit and learn about the various venues.
There are two daily tours, the first at 11 a.m. and again at 2 p.m. It costs $79.99 per person, which includes 6-8 stops for tastings of Vietnamese delicacies, fire-roasted pizza, local wine, craft beer and liquors, baked goods, ice cream and a few more surprises along the way. Tours take place rain or shine and if it does rain, the company provides umbrella upon request.
Check their website at atasteofkelownafoodtours.com
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Lots of live music is happening all over the valley.
Tonight, rockers Typical Underground perform on the Island Stage in Kelowna’s Waterfront Park. This three-piece rock band formed as a result of wanting to focus solely on writing and performing their own music.
The band consists of guitarist/vocalist Jeff Martin, bassist/vocalist Patrick Spinks and drummer Scott Cudney. For more information visit their website at: typicalunderground.com.
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Farmstrong Cider Company, 4300 Maw Rd. in Armstrong has updated their calendar with a full roster of live music every Thirsty Thursday Nights for the months of July and August.
Tomorrow night’s talent is Revelstoke-based singer/guitarist Jared Wayne. With influences of Bruce Springsteen, Ryan Adams, Neil Young, to name a few, this artist will pair well with a cold cider and a bite to eat. No cover charge but there will be a donation jar for the Shuswap North Okanagan Rail Trail from Armstrong to Sicamous.
The cidery has been open since 2016 and continues to flourish because of a strong family passion for sustainable products. They offer Farmstrong-grown poultry and beef alongside their great tasting cider and they also have a passion for restoration projects that include the heritage barn built in 1896 now being used as the main tasting bar and venue.
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On Friday at Sperling Vineyards,1405 Pioneer Rd., in Kelowna, it’s live instrumental jazz with Wood Wire and Fire beginning at 5:30 p.m. Bring your own chairs or get there early to secure a picnic table. Tickets are $20 through exploretock.com/sperlingvineyards/checkout/confirm-purchase
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Forbidden Spirits distillery in East Kelowna has a weekend of live music with Forbidden Fridays, Sinful Saturdays and Soulful Sundays.
Derek Joel performs on Friday night. He’s a musician specializing in ambient house music and his performance begins at 6 p.m.
Saturday is NFA, a dance rock band that performs from 6 p.m. onwards.
Soulful Sundays is when Loni Moger and I hit the stage at 4 p.m. to give you a more mellow tone of jazz, pop and soul to end the weekend with.
Visit their website at forbiddenspirits.ca/events/. The distillery is located at 4400 Wallace Hill Rd.
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Penticton Museum and the District Community Arts Council are celebrating their heritage until the end of the month.
Anyone with a sense of curiosity can join in on a self-guided scavenger hunt that will take you on an inquisitive journey through the city, looking for clues and discovering facts.
A fun colouring book coincides with the hunt and is a collaboration with local artists who reimagined historic places in their own style.
Visit pentictonartscouncil.com and follow the prompts to download the information booklet or use the provided QR code on the site.
You can also pick up a hard copy in person at the museum, 785 Main St. or Penticton and District Community Arts Council, 220 Manor Park Ave.
A fun fact I was not aware of is that the name Penticton comes from the nsyilxcen word snpintktn, which is commonly translated as “a place to stay forever.”
I go a quite a few times from Kelowna for day visits to enjoy the abundant resources, creative people, and both Okanagan and Skaha lakes, and understand how it would be named as such.
Anna Jacyszyn is an award-winning jazz singer. Email: [email protected].
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