The 36th annual Kamloopa Pow Wow begins Friday, July 31 at 7 p.m.

(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)

KAMLOOPS – The B.C. Day long weekend is set to be a hot one in Kamloops and a number of events will make it even hotter.

Environment Canada is calling for temperatures in the mid- to high-30s all weekend, along with lots of sunshine. You can enjoy the heat by a beach or water park or seek shade in one of the many city parks, or you can head out to one of the many fun events planned this weekend.

Music in the Park will continue with a mix of blues and rock performances this weekend and as always the farmers market will take place on St. Paul Street by Stuart Wood School on Saturday morning, but that's not all that's happening this weekend.

Expect some heavy traffic on the North Shore this weekend. The annual Kamloops Invitational Soccer Tournament, celebrating 25 years, will be bringing hundreds of players to McArthur Island and Singh Bowl for games Friday through Monday.

Kamloopa Pow Wow at the the Tk'emlups Indian Band Powwow grounds

The annual Kamloopa Pow Wow begins Friday, July 31, and is expected to bring at least 5,000 people a day to the Tk'emlups Indian Band Powwow grounds. This year more specials — performances honouring accomplishments or a person’s memory — than last year.

Tk’emlups Chief Shane Gottfriedson, who will be stepping down after four consecutive terms to take on the role of B.C. Regional Chief, will be hosting the men’s fancy on Saturday evening, one of the most athletic of all the men’s dances.

A new Kamloopa Princess will be crowned at the pow wow. This young lady, between 13 and 17 years old, will represent the event at other pow wows, as far away as New Mexico, over the coming year. This year’s outgoing princess will perform a special in honour of her late father.

General admission is $10 per day or $20 for the entire weekend. Grand entries are Friday, July 31, at 7 p.m., Saturday at noon and 7 p.m. and Sunday Aug. 2 at noon.

Alpine Blossom Festival at Sun Peaks

The alpine wildflowers began blooming early this year, and this weekend you can see them during the Alpine Blossom Festival Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 1 to 2.

The festival will host a wide variety of events, including hikes to the Tod Mountain summit, live music, kid-friendly events like face painting and a bouncy castle, photography workshops and an outdoor movie, Big Hero 6.

Anita Eccleston Trio at Monte Lake Country Garden Greenhouse

Musical act Anita Eccleston Trio performs for a worthy cause, Sunday, Aug. 2, at Monte Lake. Dinner and live music begin at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $65 and available at the Smorgasbord Deli and Moviemart. All proceeds from the event go towards the Phoenix Centre, a Kamloops society for drug and alcohol services.

Teddy Bear’s Picnic at B.C. Wildlife Park

The long weekend ends with the Teddy Bear’s Picnic at the B.C. Wildlife Park, Monday, Aug. 3, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The picnic features children’s entertainer the Ta Daa Lady, a puppeteer, singer, dancer and storyteller. In addition to the normal zoo activities, there will be a barbeque, bouncy castle and teddy bear doctor performing triage throughout the day.

Rockin' River Musicfest in Merritt

Country music fans can finally stop counting down the days to the long-awaited music festival in Merritt. With Dierks Bentley, Lady Antebellum, Big and Rich, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and many more set to perform it will be a solid weekend of country music fun.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Dana Reynolds at dreynolds@infonews.ca or call 250-819-6089. To contact an editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

News from © iNFOnews, 2015