Sports, art, farming and fungus: So many things to see and do this weekend in Kamloops, Okanagan
With beautiful autumn weather and the harvest in full swing in the Okanagan and Kamloops, there are many events happening in September it could be hard to decide which one to attend.
Here are four upcoming fun family events to choose from.
The 10th edition of the popular Canuck Young Stars Classic hockey tournament is on in Penticton this weekend, where four teams will go head-to-head in a six-game, round-robin tournament featuring talented prospects from the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets.
To add to the excitement the hometown Penticton Vees will be playing an exhibition game against the Chilliwack Chiefs on the Saturday.
Lots of other fun community events will be underway during the four-day tournament including the annual Young Stars Classic Party on the Plaza, minor hockey skills and referee clinics and a hockey talk with Canuck assistant general manager Cammi Granato.
Located at the South Okanagan Events Centre at 853 Eckhardt Ave., the tournament runs Sept. 15 to 18 with the first game starting at 4 p.m on Friday. Go here for more information or to purchase tickets.
A festival celebrating South Asian cultures and identities is kicking off in Kelowna as the Okanagan’s first South Asian arts festival returns for another year.
OKGN Mela’s two-day event takes place at both the Lake Country’s Creekside Theatre on the first day, and Kelowna’s Innovation Centre on the second.
The Lake Country event promises musical performances, a local artisan market and food and drinks from local businesses as young artists celebrate South Asian culture, while the event in Kelowna is an immersive one that explores the South Asian arts scene with spoken word poetry, an art gallery and artists talk.
“We are so grateful for the support we received to grow the OKGN Mela into a two day festival this year,” said OKGN Mela founder Sami Brar in a media release. “During some incredibly difficult weeks this past summer, we saw our community come together in a way that made us proud to call the Okanagan home. We decided to move forward with the Mela as we believe art is a tool for healing and bringing people together.”
The OKGN Mela starts in the Creekside Theatre in Lake Country with a market at 5 p.m. and a show at 6 p.m. on Sept. 16. The fun continues at the Innovation Centre in Kelowna from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 17. Tickets can be purchased here.
The “Know Your Farmer, Explore the BX” 3rd annual BX Farm Tour is on all weekend in Vernon, where eight farms and ranches will open to the public to allow residents make a connection to local foods and farmers.
The BX is a rich agricultural region with lots of hiking trails and many small farms are there producing a variety of products.
Participants follow a map by car or bike to each farm to see the unique offerings, meet the farmers and have a chance to buy fresh produce.
Farms on the BX Farm Tour are open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 16 and 17. Go here for more information and a map of the participating farms.
Residents in the Kamloops area might want to take a drive to check out the 18th annual Sicamous Fungi Festival, an unique festival packed fungi fun.
The event hosts foraging and educational walks with mushroom experts, mushroom displays, presentations, gourmet food and demonstrations. There will be a farmers' market running and live music all weekend long.
“It’s an interesting festival, we have a lot of mushroom varietals in this area," said festival organizer Deb Heap. "We’re still small but it’s getting more popular so we’re hoping to grow it more on the music, food and market side. The weather is gorgeous this time of year, we hope to see a lot of people come out."
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While the long foraging walks are booked up there is still room for those to attend the other activities.
The Sicamous Fungi Festival runs downtown at the Legion grounds on Sept. 15, 16 and 17. Go here for more information and a list of events.
Did we miss an awesome event in your neck of the woods? Let everyone know about it in the comment section below.
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