Kelowna Archives - Event Decor Supply

Posted on 17 August 2022 by admin

Events to welcome return of kokanee salmon – Kelowna News

Return of kokanee salmon

Photo: RDCO

It’s spawning season for Kokanee salmon.

Hardy Falls Regional Park is hosting a free event “Welcome the Kokanee,”on Aug. 27 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Regional District of Central Okanagan park interpreters will be on site with displays and information about the life cycle of the Kokanee salmon.

Representatives from GoFishBC and WildSafeBC Central Okanagan will also be there to meet and answer any questions.

There will be a guided walk along Deep Creek, as the fresh-water cousins of the sockeye return to spawn.

You can also check out the Kokanee Salmon Festival on Sept. 10 at Mission Creek Regional Park between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

The festival includes guided walks with interpreters along the spawning channel, where you can learn about the Kokanee’s significance in Syilx culture, lively performances from local entertainers, fishy displays and plenty of hands-on natured inspired activities.

Posted on 16 July 2022 by admin

KFX returns with three-day event – Kelowna News

Kelowna Fan Experience ’22

After a three-year hiatus, the Kelowna Fan Experience is back with a three-day event loaded with celebrity guests, artists, cosplayers, comic book writers and more.

“KFX is kicking off! We’re coming back in a big way because we couldn’t put on the event for the last couple of years, so we really wanted to come back in full swing and give the Okanagan a jam packed event where there is really something for everyone,” explained KFX producer Kimberly Billinton.

Many event-goers filled the Delta Grand Hotel ballroom Friday night dressed as their favourite fictional characters, and everyone seemed happy to share the experience with fellow content lovers and creators.

“It feels amazing! It’s great to be back, it’s awesome to be here. And honestly, it’s really just a great vibe with great energy. I’m just glad people have been so positive in the community in the lead up to it and in the event so far,” said KFX Founder Brock Grattz.

The weekend is filled with events in several locations including the Delta Grand Hotel, the Rotary Centre for the Arts, the Library, and Black Box Theatre featuring some big name guests doing meet and greets with the fans.

“We’ve got some really exciting guests coming out tomorrow. We’ve got Jett Klyne, who plays Tommy Maximov in Wanda Vision and Doctor Strange. And Baylen Bielitz who plays the young version of Billy in Wanda Vision, we’ve got Roark Critchlow from Days of our Lives and Pretty Little Liars, we’ve got comic book artist John Delaney who’s coming to do a panel,” said Billinton.

The event runs from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Saturday, and wraps up on Sunday at 4:30 p.m.

Posted on 5 July 2022 by admin

‘1 in 10-year event’: Experts react to severe flash rain events in the Okanagan – Kelowna Capital News

Monday afternoon’s rainfall in the Okanagan was so significant that meteorologists say such an event may not happen for at least another 10 years.

Within 45 minutes between 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. on July 4, more than 12 millimetres of rain fell to the ground in Penticton, prompting the evacuation of 16 homes, 86 structures flooded and the activation of a local state of emergency.

But Environment Canada meteorologist Doug Lundquist says the focus of the event should be more on the “return rate” of the rain, as opposed to overall precipitation statistics.

“All the way from the U.S. border at Osoyoos and to the suburbs of Kelowna, there were storms that recorded a return rate of 10 years, at the minimum,” he explained. “That’s just based on where our weather stations are, though. In all likelihood, the return period is probably even longer than that.”

Though it was Penticton’s emergency operations centre who responded to 86 flood-related calls from residents on Monday, Lundquist says that Summerland actually experienced the heaviest rainfall in the South Okanagan.

Based on the location of the local Environment Canada weather centre, Summerland set its own all-time precipitation record for the day of July 4, experiencing more than eight millimetres of rain in one hour with 15.7 mm in total.

Lundquist added that Osoyoos also broke its own daily precipitation record on Monday (14.1 mm).

While Penticton fell short of setting a daily record, what set the city apart compared to other Okanagan communities was the number of different neighbourhoods that were affected by the heavy amounts of rain.

“What’s unique about this is for Penticton that the most severe weather hit right where people live,” Lundquist said. “There have been storms like this in the high terrain, which is why Mission Creek in Kelowna has peaked out a couple of times in the last month or so.

“But we haven’t seen something like that this year and it seems as though it affected people in Penticton the most.”

Before the anticipated heatwave next week — where temperatures are expected to reach up to 32 C — Lundquist says that people in the Okanagan should still be on guard for severe storms until Thursday.

“We’re not out of the woods just yet,” he said. “‘There’s another storm that may be coming on Thursday, and we’re worried about that, too.”

Environment Canada weather News Okanagan

Posted on 14 May 2022 by admin

Kelowna residents want music to be focus of city’s next signature event – Kelowna News

Making Kelowna ‘eventful’

Photo: City of Kelowna

After nearly five years of work, the City of Kelowna is pulling back the curtains on its grand plan to fill the calendar and support the local event industry.

On Monday, city council will take a look at the final draft of the city’s event strategy, a broad 10-year plan that aims to return Kelowna to an “eventful city.”

The city has for many years toyed with the idea of bringing a “signature event” to Kelowna. While Penticton has Peachfest and Vernon has its Winter Carnival, Kelowna has to look back decades to the Regatta since it was home to a truly iconic event.

Public consultation conducted as a part of the creation of the event strategy shows 71 per cent of residents want the city’s next signature event to be focused on music. Opportunities for retailers, history, water sports and competitions were also popular focuses.

“A city-led organizing committee comprised of community residents is currently in the process of planning a one-day family-oriented event for Saturday, August 27,” said a report to council accompanying the event strategy.

Details of the August event were not revealed.

The strategy notes that the majority of events hosted in Kelowna are either smaller events of less than 500 attendees or weddings. Most events are held in the downtown core or surrounding area.

Survey respondents reported that they felt there currently is not enough of a variety of events throughout the year, and when asked what barriers contributed to not attending events, the bulk of respondents cited lack of awareness and cost as the main reasons.

Event organizers were generally satisfied with Kelowna as a host community, although just 52 per cent of events were able to recruit enough volunteers. Rising costs, lack of marketing and aging infrastructure were also highlighted as challenges for event organizers.

Check out the video below for the story behind the Kelowna Regatta, which defined the Okanagan summer from 1906 until 1987.

Posted on 8 May 2022 by admin

600 people came out to enjoy the Spring Wine tasting event Saturday – Kelowna News

Sipping wine, feeling fine

The Okanagan Wine Festival is back in Kelowna this year and people were flooding into the Rotary Centre for the Arts Saturday night to get their hands on some of the best wines the Okanagan has to offer.

According to an organizer of the Spring Wine tasting event, Jennalyn Christopherson, it’s been a long road back to hosting full-capacity events for the Okanagan Wine Festival Society, as the pandemic has spoiled several plans.

“It feels incredible. It’s been a pretty big roller coaster these past couple years. We’ve been planning events and cancelling, it’s just been a roller coaster, so it’s great to see some smiling faces and some people ready to drink some wine,” said Christopherson.

To bring things back with a bang after such a long time away, the Okanagan Wine Festival Society completely sold out the Spring Wine tasting event, with 600 wine lovers showing up.

“Spring Wine Festival is 10 days with more than 70 events throughout the Okanagan Valley,” said General Manager Elan Morris.

“We produce three signature events. This one being our first … then we have From Cellars to Classic at the Laurel Packing House this Thursday and then Blush and Bubbles which is a celebration of all rosé and sparklings in the Valley.”

Known for being one of the best spots in the entire world when it comes to incredible-tasting wine, wineries from across the Okanagan have missed being front and centre for people to discover.

“We’re just excited to get back to events and do the important business of helping put our B.C wineries on the stages they so well deserve. It’s been a rough couple years for everyone, us included,” Morris said.

“We miss doing events and I know the wineries are really excited to get back and have 600 captive wine lovers to try their products. It’s been a long time coming.”

The Okanagan Wine Festival has several more events happening between now and May 15.

Posted on 10 April 2022 by admin

Athletes compete at Kelowna event aimed at identifying future Olympians – Okanagan | Globalnews.ca

Dozens of young athletes gathered at UBC Okanagan on Sunday to compete in a series of events designed to test their athletic abilities.

They were there to see how they stack up against other athletes, and if they might have the potential to represent Canada.

The Kelowna event is part of the RBC Training Ground program. It aims to identify young Canadians who have the potential to reach the highest levels of sport.

The Training Ground program travels across the country putting athletes through their paces in tests of endurance, speed, and strength.

“We are able to take these scores that these athletes do today and match them up against benchmarks. That information is passed on to our nine partner sports that are involved in RBC [Training Ground]. If anyone gets close to the scores that we are looking for, the sports will then connect with them and try to bring them into their programs,” explained Andrew Latham, who works for Canadian Sport Institute Pacific, which helps run the RBC Training Ground program.

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Click to play video: 'RBC program helps find Olympic athletic talent'

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RBC program helps find Olympic athletic talent

RBC program helps find Olympic athletic talent – Jan 18, 2022

The testing can act as a bridge between young athletes and lesser-known sports. It can help identify athletes who might excel at a particular discipline even if they’ve never competed in that sport.

“Kids may be in the right sport. But they may not be in the right sport and part of this program is to try to find what might be a better fit for them,” Latham said.

Among those looking for athletes who show potential, was Wes Hammer of Canoe Kayak BC whose sport requires good aerobic capacity and strength.

Hammer said the Training Ground program is a good way to direct athletes competing in more high-profile sports to other sports where they have more potential.

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“We are really trying to redirect athletes who have maybe started in a different sport such as swimming or even hockey, who won’t make the Olympics or high levels in those sports but they could in our sport,” Hammer said.

Latham said five athletes who went through the RBC Training Ground program competed at the Beijing Olympics and three won medals.

Track athlete Avery Willis said the testing also helped with her personal training.

“I think it is a great opportunity to kind of get a feel of where my skill set is at the moment and look at what I need to train and work on in the future,” Willis said.

Click to play video: 'With Olympics in mind, Saskatoon track and field athlete shifts gears to cycling'

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With Olympics in mind, Saskatoon track and field athlete shifts gears to cycling

With Olympics in mind, Saskatoon track and field athlete shifts gears to cycling – Apr 22, 2021

Others were there looking for athletic direction.

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Bradley Spurge recently wrapped up a college volleyball career and was at the event looking for new challenges.

“Myself, I came here really looking for the jump test and the sprint test and hoping that those can take me in a direction because…I just finished my years at the college, so that career is done, but I don’t think my body is done. So hopefully these results go out to a few of the coaches and maybe I get chatting with them to see if we can go somewhere,” Spurge said.

“I am so open to jumping into anything if they tell me I’m going to fit in there. I sure know I’m going to give it my all and hope I can prove them right.”

Spurge said when he was a kid he searched online for “How to be in the Olympics” and still dreams of representing Canada.

Posted on 28 March 2022 by admin

Penticton dinosaur event has no connection to controversial Kelowna show | iNFOnews

FILE PHOTO – Jurassic Fest is stopping in Kelowna.

Image Credit: FACEBOOK/Jurassic Fest Canada

March 28, 2022 – 7:35 AM

A Penticton animatronic dinosaur exhibit titled Jurassic Quest says it has no ties to a controversial Kelowna dinosaur show.

Last year, Jurassic Fest, an opportunity to come “face-to-face with various gigantic moving prehistoric creatures to see their teeth, see them blink, swaying tails and hear their majestic roar” in Kelowna was promoted on Facebook and scheduled for February 2022.

Those dates have since been changed to May 13-15 but no site location has been announced, nor have ticket sales commenced. Organizers didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Now, a similarly titled Jurassic Quest dinosaur event is being planned at the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton.

“Jurassic Quest is in no way associated with this organization. We have no direct knowledge of Jurassic Fest’s history or management and cannot find evidence of any successful previous events held in Canada or the United States. There is absolutely no connection between our company and theirs,” said Robert Hardy, CEO of Jurassic Quest Holdings, in an emailed statement.

“We regret any confusion or inconvenience caused to families in these markets. Jurassic Quest has worked hard to establish a best-in-class reputation for guest experience, and we look forward to sharing our experience with families across our upcoming eleven city tour of Western Canada this April and May.”

In Montreal last year, Jurassic Fest was sold by its promoter as an outdoor, week-long “mesmerizing, world-class dinosaur exhibition featuring over 20 life-size animatronic, robotic dinosaurs,” according to a report by The Canadian Press.

But less than a week after a parent bought the non-refundable tickets, the Australian company promoting the event announced the venue that was to hold the show was pulling out, leaving parents concerned the show was a scam.

According to the event organizer’s website, the Montreal show is now scheduled for July 22-26. Tickets are now on sale but a venue has yet to be announced.

David Huni, the South African promoter of The Dino Expo, the organizer of the Canadian shows, said in a previous interview with iNFOnews the event was postponed due to the pandemic and they have truckloads of dinosaurs that will be in Canada for the next three to four years.

Jurassic Fest is also scheduled to hold an event in Surrey at the beginning of April at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds. The city, which owns the fairgrounds, said it has signed a contract with organizers and a schedule of events is expected to be announced this week.

Organizers also inquired about using CIty of Kelowna property but have not submitted an application, said communications manager Tom Wilson with the City of Kelowna. No dinosaur event has been scheduled at Prospera Place in either May or June, said Prospera Place director of marketing George Fadel.

– With files from The Canadian Press

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Posted on 6 March 2022 by admin

Global Citizen Events puts Reconcili-Action in the spotlight with several events this month – Kelowna News

March of Reconcili-Action

Photo: Global Citizen Events

One of the Reconcili-Action events is March 20 at the Rotary Centre for the Arts

The next step in reconciliation is action, and Global Citizen Events has several events planned this month, most of them free, to educate and engage the community.

Organizer Nadine Gagne says they have dubbed it Reconcili-Action. “Because it’s really about not just talking about reconciliation but actually getting out in your community and learning about local Indigenous culture and engaging in different cultural learning experiences.”

The month of events kicks off with a virtual tour of the Westbank First Nation Sncewips Museum on March 11.

That will be followed by a free concert featuring Cheryl Bear at Metro Hub in Kelowna on March 12. Bear is a multi-award winning singer/songwriter from the Nadleh Whut-en First Nation who is also a noted speaker and teacher. She has travelled to over 600 Indigenous communities sharing her songs and stories.

On March 20 at the Rotary Centre for the Arts, it’s a night of honouring Indigenous women, where local recording artist Arlette Alcock will be among the performers. The night will also feature fashion shows and a screening of ‘Mel’s Story’, a video production by a local artist about murdered and missing Indigenous women.

A water ceremony is planned for March 22, on World Water Day.

Things wrap up with a Children and family storytelling day on March 26, at the Westbank First Nation’s Community Outdoor Pavilion, and March 27, with Sylix storytelling by Madeline Terbasket in the Kekuli Pithouse at Summerhill Winery.

Several other free events are scheduled throughout March and you can find details and tickets through the Global Citizen Events website.

Founded by local community leaders in 2003, Global Citizen Events is an annual initiative that promotes the UN Sustainable Development Goals and celebrates the impact Okanagan citizens have in global and local humanitarian efforts. It partners with various locally-based organizations to target events at a specific age group or particular focus that encourages social responsibility and inspires positive change.

Posted on 14 February 2022 by admin

Art on the Line gala returns as an in-person event at UBCO

In its 20th year, the Art on the Line gala returns as an in-person event after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19 restrictions.

UBCO’s annual fine arts fundraiser is a lively event that brings together the local arts community to celebrate the work of students, faculty, alumni, as well as artists practicing in town.

The black-tie gala evening on March 5th, raffles off original works of art donated by local artists, UBCO faculty and fine arts students all in the name of raising funds for student projects, activities and organizations.

This includes the Visual Arts Course Union, the 2022 BFA graduate exhibition and catalogue, the visiting artist program, fine arts student travel grants as well as local non-profit Cool Arts Society, which provides art opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities.

“We invite people to join us for an evening of fine art and face-to-face fun,” says Abby Bloome, event co-organizer and a fourth-year Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) student.

“This is our chance to come together as a community and support our local artists. Art on the Line is an amazing event that gives students a chance to grow. And community members can collect one-of-a-kind pieces for their homes.”

Only 100 tickets are sold for the chance to choose from 150 works available in this one-of-a-kind juried art exhibition.

Tickets cost $200 for two people to enter and will guarantee one piece of artwork. Tickets will also be available for people who would like to attend, but not bid on artwork; they will be at the door for $20 or $10 for students.

Each year, 10% of the proceeds go to a local organization. This year, the Sncewips Heritage Museum will be the recipient.

Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies (FCCS) Visual Arts Instructor David James Doody describes Art on the Line as a great opportunity to enjoy a beautiful selection of original art, fine food, refreshments and a touch of suspense.

“I have been taking part in this event for almost 20 years when I began my BFA in 2002,” he recalls “I still remember as a young artist the first time my art was chosen. It was absolutely the coolest feeling ever. Art on the line is one of the most important exciting events in our students’ calendars.”

Organizers are still collecting two-and three-dimensional artwork to be donated and raffled during the event.

Local artists who are interested in supporting this fundraiser can email aotl2022@ubcovacu.org for a submission form and submission guidelines. Donations should be of suitable quality and equivalent to the auction ticket price.

The event is planned to be in-person, but will also be live-streamed for those who cannot attend. If current public health measures change, this event will take place virtually.

To purchase tickets or find more information on the event, click here.

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Posted on 6 February 2022 by admin

Castanet’s new events page makes it easy to know what’s shaking – Kelowna News

Events page ready for action

Castanet Staff – Feb 6, 2022 / 4:52 pm | Story: 359085

Photo: Contributed

Castanet has revamped its events page, making it easier than ever for you to see what is happening in the Okanagan.

The new page improved the event categories, making things easier to find, the search tool is more intuitive than it was before, and a new “featured events” section that highlights the most popular happenings can be found at the top of the page.

Best of all, the page is more mobile friendly.

“As B.C. and Canada start to ease COVID restrictions, we wanted to take a look at ways we could improve our events section so that as people start to leave their homes again, it will be easier for them to find activities that interest them,” Castanet creative director Robin Jones said.

That makes this the perfect time to promote your event on Castanet. Click here to submit your information.