Festivals A Go Go...

Festivals, ya gotta love em. And apparently people in the Okanagan do. Every summer there are a plethora of ones to choose from, stretching from Osoyoos in the south to Salmon Arm in the north.

How about the Annual Pacific Northwest Elvis Festival in Penticton in June (How mad is that? And this was its 13^th year!). Or Kelowha Arts and Music Festival in Waterfront Park, Kelowna last weekend.  Or the upcoming Centre of Gravity festival (all things sports and music) coming up next weekend (July 25-27) in City Park Kelowna. And then there is the 22^nd Annual Roots and Blues Festival in Salmon Arm, Aug 15- 17^th. Not to mention Peachfest in Pentiction, Aug 6-10^th.  I could go on, but I think you get what I am driving at.

If you really want to get an idea of the breadth of what’s going on this summer, keep an eye out for the 2014 Ultimate Festival Guide published by BC Musician.  The new summer issue of ICON Okanagan also has some listings for what is going on over the next three months.  But the bottom line is, whatever your interest – be it dragon boats or bluegrass – there is something to tickle your fancy.

 So... what makes festivals so enduringly popular? And Kelowna such a popular location for them? "Festivals are so much fun," enthuses Anita McFarlane. "There are all kinds of vendors, and activities, different types of food. There's just so much to do and experience. The weather in the Okanagan Valley really lends itself to festivals as well. Generally, it is always quite gorgeous."

Sadly, I have to admit that for all my years in the UK, I never once made it to Glastonbury; not even the year my husband’s best friend’s band was playing and we had backstage invites. Why we passed on that I have no recollection, but we obviously must had had a better [?] offer that weekend. So… maybe this summer is the perfect opportunity to start making up for lost time?

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Image from http://cdn.top100festivals.com