Participants will bare their underwear at a fundraiser at Riverside Park Sunday.

Image Credit: Kamloops Ridge Runners via Facebook

KAMLOOPS – What would summer be without outrageous fundraisers, outdoor entertainment, sport events and maybe a community festival or two thrown in? This weekend promises to offer all this and more as Kamloops, Sun Peaks and Salmon Arm all prepare to host a unique blend of activities.

At Sun Peaks the annual retro concert weekend is set to take place Friday through Sunday as Heart, AC/DC, Bob Marley, The Tragically Hip, ZZ Top, The Rolling Stones and Ray culCharles and James Brown tribute bands fill the weekend with free music.

Jo's Road Race also takes place Saturday during the retro weekend with one, five and 10 kilometre races. Participants are encouraged to embrace the retro theme and come dressed to party.

In Salmon Arm Bruce Cockburn and Daniel Lanois will be among the nearly 50 performers helping the annual Roots and Blues Festival celebrate 21 years. There will be a total of five stages during the day and two at night featuring a mix of blues, world, alternative-roots, folk and dance music. A family fun zone and stage, food village, workshops and artisan market are among the other activities available over the course of the weekend.

In Kamloops Overlanders Day will take place on Saturday while several fundraisers take to the streets, parks and hills Sunday.

Overlanders Day starts at 10 a.m. at McDonald Park and will include lots of live entertainment, kids zone, Tastes of North Shore Food Fair, demonstrations and a business expo. While the food fair does require tickets the costs are low and the rest of the events are free.

Sunday McCracken Pub is hosting a scavenger hunt as a fundraiser for MS Society of Canada while the United Way is hosting “I'm 'basically' climbing Mt. Robson for Poverty.” Participants will climb to the Kenna Cartwright tower three times, the equivalent of climbing Mt. Robson.

Also on Sunday will be the Bare as You Dare event at Riverside Park, an eight kilometre “underwear walk/run-a-thong.” The event began several years ago as a fundraiser for the Kidney Foundation but proved to be so much fun the Kamloops Ridge Runners decided to continue the event as a local fundraiser as well.

While the event has seen lower registration than in past years, partially due to a change in date, Sherry Maligaspe is excited for the event that is focused on what you are not wearing. Last year one runner wore a very skimpy piece of underwear while this year there are rumours that one man plans on wearing just duct tape.

Maligaspe notes it is all based on your comfort zone and not everyone bares that much.

“It's all about your comfort zone,” she says, “most people wear their underwear overtop of their running gear.”

She adds the food and fun are the main driving reasons people attend the event, which is one of three annual events held by the club. The pants drop at 9 a.m. at Riverside Park.

As always, Music in the Park continues through the end of the month, as do X Fest theatre performances. The Broncos will also host a home game at Hillside Stadium this weekend.

To contact a reporter for this story, email jstahn@infotelnews.ca, call (250)819-3723 or tweet @JennStahn.

News from © iNFOnews, 2013