Three Okanagan Fall Festivals not to miss
Festing is one of the things we do best in the Okanagan and harvest season is when we really get down for some major celebrating. Food and wine celebrations are happening up and down the valley, check them out and get tickets and partake in our legendary harvest season.
Three Fantastic Fall Festivals to hit:
September 20-21, check out the 18th Annual Similkameen Sizzle Pepper Festival! Canada’s only pepper festival happens in one of our most prolific vegetable growing areas, the beautiful Similkameen. The event kicks off with a dance on Friday night, Sept. 20, from 6 -10 p.m. with a dance at Memorial Park in Keremeos. Admission is free and there are food vendors on site. Saturday is the main event starting with the 8 a.m. pancake breakfast followed by the annual Chili Cook Off at 11 a.m. Don’t miss the hot pepper eating contest at 4 p.m. — get ready to see some steam coming out of the contestants' ears. There is a ‘beverage garden’ both days for adults to wet their sizzling whistles and a farmers market to shop at to buy pepper stuff. Find more information here.
September 27-28 – Hopscotch is a Festival of Whiskey, Beer & Spirits and has been rated as one of the best fests in the world. What originally began in Vancouver 24 years ago, expanded to the Okanagan, now marking the event's 11th year here. The Grand Tasting Hall is set up at the Kelowna Curling Club and expects 2000 people who can enjoy craft and premium beers, spirits from around the globe, Scotch and other whiskys, as well as a selection of wine and lots of food. Event happens Friday night from 6-10 p.m., and Saturday from 1-4 p.m., and then Saturday night from 6-10 p.m. There is an onsite liquor store and live music. For those who want to party on, the Vancouver event is November 18-24 and info is on the website here.
Sunday Oct. 6 is Festival of the Grape in Oliver. ‘Crushing it’ since 1997, this fun wine festival attracts more than 4,500 attendees annually. There is a pile of activities from wine tasting to dancing and shopping. There is an interactive Kids Zone, an artisan Merchant Market and a Fall Art Show and Sale. New to the event this year is a VIP area where you can enjoy meeting the winemakers, artisans and regional contributors to this community event. Also new for 2019 is the on-site liquor store, which makes it fun to purchase the favourite wines that you tasted at the event. If you have ever wanted to roll up your pants and crush grapes the old-fashioned way, make sure you get your team of three together and register to partake in the grape stomp competition. Sign up info on the website.
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