Glenn Kohaly
Summer Fun in Kelowna
Waterfront Park, aptly located along Kelowna's beautiful lakefront, is the setting for "Celebrate Canada Day - Kelowna" which is held every year on July 1st.By Glenn Kohaly
Historic downtown Kelowna wraps itself around the shoreline of Okanagan Lake with an exciting blend of parks and beaches alongside a thriving commercial and cultural neighbourhood. You will find an excellent variety of unique shops and boutiques, cafes ranging from casual to fine dining, architecture that encompasses everything from heritage buildings to modern edifaces, movie theatres, live theatre, art galleries and museums. To accompany a relaxing afternoon at one of Kelowna's many beaches, grab something to read at Mosaic Books - Okanagan Valley's largest independent bookstore located right in the midst of downtown. They have been a legend with both their new and "bargain" books, also providing a large selection of magazines, road and lake maps, puzzles and value-priced music. Calona Vineyards has the distinction of being British Columbia's original winery. In their cozy, cellar-like tasting room, you will be able to experience their award winning VQA wines – culminating your tour at their wine and gift boutique.
Waterfront Park, aptly located along Kelowna's beautiful lakefront, is the setting for "Celebrate Canada Day - Kelowna" which is held every year on July 1st. Spend your day enjoying live music and other family entertainment, the multicultural food fair, the children’s activity area, the assortment of multicultural displays, arts & crafts that line the walkways and streets of the downtown core. At 10:30 pm, find yourself a nice patch of lawn, sit back, relax and watch the fireworks display – fierce colours emblazoning the sky and streaking across the water. Parks Alive! presents numerous musical gatherings from June to September each year - many held right at the downtown waterfront area. For a great overview of Kelowna, head to the top of Knox Mountain. The lookouts in this nature preserve provide the best view of Okanagan Lake, the city, orchards, vineyards and the mountain peaks beyond.
From boating and fishing to swimming and scubadiving; water skiing and wake boarding to para-sailing and kayaking; if water sport adventures are what you seek, then Kelowna is your Shangrala. Though the cool refreshment of the lake is tempting, try to put aside time for the abundance of award winning golf courses and wineries that surround this city that is renowned for both. Pull over at any number of stands in the area and delight in Kelowna's fresh cherries, apples, peaches, pears, apricots – a plethora of fresh fruit and vegetables grown locally. If you are a thrill seeker and love the outdoors, Kelowna really is in the heart of it all. Enjoy spectacular hiking, fishing, mountain biking, rollerblading and cycling (to name a few) in the warmer months – or bundle up in winter for some world-class downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling.