Fun festivals for foodies in Okanagan, Kamloops
Foodies in Kamloops and the Okanagan might want to mark their calendars for some unique upcoming festivals in the region celebrating pickles, garlic, tomatoes and hot peppers.
The inaugural Farmstrong Cider Pickle Festival in Armstrong kicks off on Friday, Aug. 8 with local pickle-inspired events running through to Aug. 21 including a nacho night featuring pickled nachos and a lacto-fermented pickling workshop.
On Saturday, Aug. 9, visitors can spend an afternoon in the Farmstrong Cider orchard at a mini food market meeting local producers and learning how to make pickles and butter, roast coffee and grow microgreens. There's opportunity to meet, cuddle and take a photo with Steele, a micro miniature Highland cow from EE Mini Ranch. This free activity running from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at 4300 Maw Road.
At the 5th Annual Ghostly Garlic Festival in Lake Country on Aug. 10, visitors can explore varieties of fresh local garlic and meet the growers while enjoying family-friendly activities, artisan vendors and live music.
This family-friendly celebration of garlic runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Oyama Community Club at 15710 Oyama Road.
At the 16th Annual Grindrod Garlic Festival on Sunday, Aug. 17, visitors can enter their homegrown garlic to win in categories including the biggest garlic, most unusual shaped garlic and best coloured garlic. There are categories for best garlic pickles and best home baked garlic bread, along with best paintings of garlic the kids can participate in.
There are garlic braiding classes, a garlic talk and a garlic eating contest scheduled.
The Grindrod Garlic Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Quilakwa Ball Park at 5679 Quilakwa Road.
Kicking off on Saturday, Sept. 6 and continuing to Sept. 13, the 13th annual Farmer’s Market Tomato Festival in Kamloops showcases a variety of tomato-based foods while featuring activities that promote local food security. The public can taste tomatoes from local growers and vote for the best tasting tomato for the People’s Choice Award.
The Kamloops tomato celebration takes place daily from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the 200 block of St. Paul Street and the Stuart Wood Schoolyard.
The 20th annual Sicamous Fungi Festival is running from Friday, Sept. 19 through to Sunday, Sept. 21 this year. Mushroom lovers can go on educational foraging walks with experts, see mushroom presentations and dig into gourmet fungus forward foods. There will be live music and a local market for the three-day event that celebrates everything fungus.
The Fungi Festival runs all day for three days at the Legion grounds at 322 Main Street.
On Saturday, Sept. 20, the country’s only hot pepper festival gets spicy in Keremeos. At the Similkameen Sizzle Pepper Festival visitors can dive into spicy pepper eating challenges, try out dishes and food trucks and shop at a big market.
The spicy festival starts at 10 a.m. at 417 7 Avenue. Go here for updates as the big event gets nearer.
Did we miss any interesting food festivals? Let us know at news@infonews.ca.
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