Image Credit: Vernon Winter Carnival/ Silmara Albi Photography
February 04, 2016 - 11:43 AM
VERNON - A ten-day marathon of local events kicks off tomorrow with the 56th annual Vernon Winter Carnival.
This year’s theme is A Mardi Gras Carnival, and there are over 80 individual events to get the party started. Most events are free, but don't wait to reserve a spot in those that aren't — tickets are going fast.
Starting things off tomorrow, Feb. 5, are several iconic carnival events. The snow sculpture competition at Silver Star will see contestants transform blocks of snow into works of art. Awards will be presented Sunday, Feb. 7 and the sculptures will be left up for one to two weeks afterwards for viewing.
Depending on the weather, there will also be the hot air balloon glow and hot air balloon fiesta. Stay tuned on the carnival website and Facebook page for times, locations and whether or not the events are going ahead.
Saturday features the carnival parade in the morning, and is followed by Bandarama, a free family entertainment variety show at the Vernon Rec Centre. Adults over 19 can check out a concert at the Elks Hall featuring music by classic rock band MACE.
On Sunday, you can watch, or participate, in a Polar Bear Swim in support of the Zimbabwe Project.
Make the most of your stat holiday on Family Day Monday by checking out a variety of events in Polson Park, including face painting, games and a bon fire complete with hot chocolate and smores.
Carnival continues thorughout the week with numerous events, including free dance lessons, dinner theatre, music, the Jopo house luncheon, a Mardi Gras masquerade, a mini Blues festival, a chili cook-off, and a 10 km running race.
These are just some of the events scheduled between Feb. 5 and Feb. 14. Full details can be found online.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2016