Penticton's non-profit music venue Dream Cafe survives nightmare summer | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Penticton's non-profit music venue Dream Cafe survives nightmare summer

Dream Cafe general manager Kevin Rose and head chef Matt Martin pose for a photo.
Image Credit: Dan Walton, Local Journalism Initiative

Highway closures, a travel ban and thick smoke took a heavy toll on Penticton’s Dream Cafe over the summertime.

The non-profit venue was forced to cancel 12 shows and refund more than $40,000 worth of tickets.

“It was rough,” manager Kevin Rose said. “We are a year-round business and see similar numbers every month, but closing any time for three weeks is pretty devastating.”

The Dream has long been a fan-favourite because of how soulful performances can be; and it’s beloved by the regular performers because of the venue’s ability to engage and captivate audiences.

The cafe’s board of directors took advantage of the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loans when they were offered during the pandemic. They were on pace to have that debt paid off by the Dec. 31 deadline, but then the series of cancellations began.

Julie Fowler is the secretary on the board of directors.

“This put us in a bit of a scramble to make sure we pay that loan and keep everything rolling,” she said.

Fortunately, the venue has plenty of opportunities to recoup their losses before the end of the year — more than 30 concerts and a pair of comedy shows have been booked.

There’s also a major fundraising event — Keeping the Dream Alive Auction — which is happening Nov. 4, and donors have come through with numerous valuable items. Some of the things up for grabs include a helicopter ride to Vancouver for a dinner for two, signed gear from artists, and tickets to next year’s Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Music Festival or Vancouver Island Musicfest. Tickets to the auction cost $75, which includes food and beverages, and can be purchased online at: thedreamcafe.ca.

A few of the upcoming concerts at the Dream - ones that haven’t yet sold out - include Joe Rotundo and the Interstellar Riders Oct. 20, WiL Oct. 28, Leeroy Stagger Nov. 1, and Rum Rugged Nov. 16.

Okanagan acts taking the stage this fall include SO_CO Sound Company with Stephen Buck Oct. 21 and the Justin Glibbery Quintet Oct. 27.

There’s also a new head chef to look forward to, Matt Martin. Before taking over the role in September, Martin worked at Michelin-starred restaurants in Copenhagen, Denmark and San Francisco, California before returning to the Okanagan where he became the executive chef at Liquidity Wines.

— This story was originally published by the Penticton Herald.

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