The 62nd annual Vernon Winter Carnival in February has events running throughout the city for residents to enjoy. Organizers are waiting for updated public health orders on indoor gatherings during the festival, but outdoor events are still planned to go ahead.

(BEN BULMER / iNFOnews.ca)

Looking to get out of the house in February?

The 62nd Annual Vernon Winter Carnival started as a way to bring tourists to Vernon and foster community spirit, but over the decades has become a yearly festival that has something for everyone to look forward to.

The 10-day festival in February usually has 100 events running throughout the city.

“There’s something for everyone, all ages, all incomes, indoors, outdoors, whatever you are looking for, there is definitely something to participate in,” Vernon Winter Carnival executive director Vicki Proulx said.

Currently, all the indoor events are paused until Jan. 18, due to public health orders. However, tickets for virtual events and outdoor events are still available for purchase.

As it stands, event organizers are planning for the popular carnival parade to go ahead this year.

“Things are still fluid, we had planned for a normal carnival, but Omicron had different plans for us,” Proulx said. “We’re still adjusting at the moment, luckily we planned a lot of outdoor events, and anything outdoor can go ahead."

Going forward, the carnival will follow public health guidelines, and work under the guidance of Interior Health.

“Last year, we had to adapt and adjust really quickly to the changing restrictions, and we’re willing and able to do that again this year,” Proulx said. “We’re in the business of giving people something to look forward to, and we need that more than ever right now in this community.”

Last year, the carnival went ahead with the drive-thru ice sculpture park event, where people stayed in their vehicles.

“We did a lot of virtual events, and things people could do on their own time in their own family units like scavenger hunts around town or a chilli cook-off. They were really great last year,” Proulx said.

READ MORE: iN PHOTOS: Vernon Winter Carnival pulls pandemic pivot with drive-thru ice sculpture park

The carnival is all about fostering the community spirit and promoting Vernon as a winter destination.

“A lot of people think Vernon as a summertime place to visit. It’s something our community can jump on board with, there are a lot of ways to get involved, and there are events for everyone,” Proulx said.

Proulx is thankful for the understanding and the flexibility the community has shown the carnival, as the team navigates through COVID public health orders. 

“We’re in the planning stages of transition, adapting and adjusting. We will have events in February, what they will look like at this point, unfortunately, we can’t say, but we did plan a lot of outdoor events for this reason,” Proulx said.

The carnival is a good opportunity for Vernon and surrounding area residents to find out about winter experiences and winter activities in the community they might not typically get a chance to enjoy.

“Why not try something new this year?” Proulx said.

For a full list of events, and to register, visit the carnival website here. 

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