Upcoming Christmas Events in the North Okanagan

It is that time of year again when we start to think about Christmas and begin our yearly preparations. As part of your preparations this year, you may wish to add some of the awesome Christmas events found in the North Okanagan.

2nd Annual Gingerbread House Event  (November 27th)

Make sure you come out to support the Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs at this wonderful, family friendly event. See the amazing gingerbread creations, bring in your own gingerbread house or make one while you are there. The event is located at the Parkinson Recreation Centre on November 27th from 10am to 3pm.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gingerbreadEvent 
Twitter: @gingerKelowna  use #GingerbreadEvent

 

Enderby Community Christmas Celebration (Dec 2)

This family tradition includes a Santa Parade, River Candle Walk, sleigh rides, bonfire, carols, nativity and free soup and hot chocolate. An excellent way to get into the Christmas spirit, this family event starts with the Parade, located in Downtown Enderby on Cliff Ave at 6 pm.

Some Pics of Santa from the Community Christmas Celebration in years past.

Enderby's Santa getting ready to start the parade.

Santa waving at the crowds during the parade.

Santa in between visits with the children at the festivities after the parade.

Downtown Vernon's Festival of Christmas Traditions (November 25th)

Located  on 30th Avenue (from 29th Street to 35th Street) in Downtown Vernon, this Christmas Light-up includes entertainment, a bonfire, pony rides, carriage rides,  face painting, storytelling, a nativity, and a visit from Santa! The Festival of Christmas Traditions runs from 5:00pm - 9:00pm on Friday November 25th 2011.

If I have missed a local event, please let me know so I can include it. Planning on attending, please leave a comment below. 

Fall 2011 in Enderby, British Columbia

I must confess it has been a month since my last post (gasp!). I know, I know. It is not so much that I haven't been able to find a couple of minutes to write, more that I have not been able to find the time to get out and enjoy this incredible area. Renos combined with work and now Christmas has left us with little free time and we haven't had a chance to get out and do the things we love.

But while I am writing, every now and again, I take a look out at the magnificent view out our patio doors and sometimes even remember to snap a pic. We have a great view of not only Enderby, but the Enderby Cliffs and Mabel Lake Valley as well.

Pics taken early in the morning as mist was rising off the Shuswap River.

Mist coming off of Shuswap River.

View down Mabel Lake Valley in the morning.

While it hadn't rained anywhere in town that day, there was this amazing rainbow visible at sunset. A few days later we had this fabulous sunny day, something that does not happen all that often in Enderby in fall. Just a couple of weeks ago, the Enderby Cliffs were a striking pink. I caught a shot of it near the end of sunset.

A rainbow at sunset down Mabel Lake Valley.

A sunny fall day in Enerby.

Sunset on Enderby Cliffs.

I am also including a pic of our family of pumpkins from this Halloween.

Our pumpkins this Halloween.

Have you stopped to appreciate the spectacular fall colours this fall or a scenic sunrise or sunset? I would love to hear what you love best about the fall? Leave a comment below!

2nd Annual Gingerbread House Event

 An awesome guest post about this year's Annual Gingerbread House Event!!! 

Whether you are new to gingerbread house making, an old pro or just want to view all the delicious creations, please support this excellent event.

*************************************************

2nd Annual Gingerbread House Event

In the summer evenings along Kelowna's lake shore you may have noticed some long boats with 20 paddlers slicing their paddles into the water. Like pistons in an engine the paddles lift vertically up and down in unison, powering the boat ahead. This is the sport of dragon boating which originated in China over 2000 years ago and has become a popular paddling sport in North America and the world in the last 25 years.

Dragon Boaters

Dragon boaters are generally outgoing; you'd have to be to join such a strange and wondrous sport! Dragon boaters are fun, enthusiastic, passionate people who come together from all walks of life with one common goal: To Have Fun!

In 2010 the Red Hot Chili Paddlers, a local co-ed recreational dragon boat team with the Kelowna Dragon Boat Club, decided to take their enthusiasm into the community to create a premier event, a Kelowna family tradition, and an annual fundraiser to support the Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs, and the local community.

Red Hot Chili Paddlers

So it is with great excitement that we are now announcing the 2nd Annual Gingerbread House Event which will take place on Sunday, November 27th at Parkinson Recreation Centre in Kelowna, BC. This event aspires to bring our community together to experience the enjoyment, creativity, and beauty of gingerbread houses in support of the Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs.

Partial proceeds from this event will directly support the Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs’ Cool Moves Program which promotes increased physical activity and healthy eating among school aged kids.

The packaged kit category commences at 10am and at the same time people can start dropping off their open category creations. From 10am-3pm families can come to Parkinson Rec Centre together and build a gingerbread house right at the event. 

Family with Gingerbread House Kit

An Open Category Gingerbread House

With the support from local chefs, we aim to display some of the amazing talent found in the Okanagan Valley. The public viewing will take place from 3-6pm. Viewing entry is $2/adult and $1/under18, or a non-perishable food donation which will go towards the Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs' Christmas hampers.

If you’d like to participate in this event, please visit the registration page of gingerbreadevent.com. Sponsorship and donation opportunities are also available. 

Gingerbread House Image

All of the information you need to become a sponsor, a participant or a spectator can be found on our website at: gingerbreadevent.com.

Let us know if you have any questions by emailing the event chairman Clinton Dixson at chairman atgingerbreadcompetition dot ca.

Gingerbread House Event Poster

  

We would be pleased to hear any feedback you have including where you first heard of this event. If you live in the Okanagan you may have heard ads on the radio from our media sponsors at EZRock101.5, SunFM and AM1150 ! Have you seen our website, our twitter page, posters, facebook page, flyers, or posters? Or is this the first place you are reading about it?

For more information, visit our press release: http://www.prlog.org/11691789



 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gingerbreadEvent
 
Twitter: @gingerKelowna

A Visit to the Log Barn Near Enderby, BC

For a long time, like most locals, I drove right on past the Log Barn. Wrote it off as a tourist trap. Well, while the prices of most items found there are definitely tourist inspired, there is plenty to do for free and it is a great place to take the kids.

Outside the Log Barn Store

The mountains in the distance.

Shaded sitting areas.

Towards the parking lot.

My daughter LOVES to go and feed the goats and Ryley the horse. We usually make the trip out every couple of weeks in the off season, but less often during peak season as it can be quite busy. It is located on Highway  97A between Enderby and Armstrong and is open Monday thru Saturday from 7 am to 7 pm. You can buy goat feed for a quarter and a piece of apple to feed Ryley for 50 cents. There are also a number of slide areas, a children's sitting area and some non-functioning mall rides (good for kiddie imaginations).

Immobile kids ride

Goat area

Children's sitting area.

Feeding the goats

Log Barn goat

Goat walking down goat walk.

Adults can do a little gift shopping as well as shopping for a variety of fresh, local produce and homemade goods. After all that shopping and playing visitors can purchase fresh pie, candy or ice cream. Some of our favourites include the pepperoni sticks, saltwater taffy and rocky road bars.

Sitting area.

Looking out from goat area.

I love driving by there during the fall leading up to Halloween. The Log Barn decorates the entire area in pumpkins for sale. They range greatly in size and shape and because they are nicely spaced you are sure to find the perfect pumpkin.

Have you ever been to the Log Barn? What is your favourite treat when stopping there? Let me know in the comment section below.  

YogaDance Class at Kingfisher Hall near Mabel Lake

Early last Saturday morning, I attended my first YogaDance class at the Kingfisher Hall near Mabel Lake offered by my yoga instructor Alison of Yoga North. It was a bright and sunny morning so we had the class outside behind the hall. A great group of ladies, we danced, opened our chakras and had great fun. I was able to grab a few pics but I didn't manage to get any of the dancing as I was far to busy dancing and having a great time, myself!

Alison sitting on bench at Kingfisher Hall

Sitting out in the sun in Anjali Mudra.

A stretch after dancing.

Alison of Yoga North

It was also my first time at the Kingfisher Community Hall. What a beautiful building. It has been recently renovated and is a great event and function space. It is a moments drive from the Mabel Lake community and  is across the road from the Shuswap River.

Kingfisher Hall welcome sign.

Front of the Kingfisher Hall

View of the side of the Kingfisher Hall and the school behind it.

The new stage at Kingfisher Hall.

I will be visiting the area again soon. There are always numerous events happening at the hall and visitors are welcome. 

Have you been to the Kingfisher Hall?Leave a comment or opinion below.

Blogger's Awards: Why YOU Should Apply

This is a guest post by Murray Newlands for the Blogger's Awards

*****************************************************

Blogger's Awards: Why YOU Should Apply

There are actually tons of excellent bloggers and publishers doing very good work, and those who stand out deserve to have their work recognized, connect with each other, and see their readerships grow. That’s why the World Media Awards exist- to recognize and reward great contributions to media from bloggers and publishers.

In my own career, I’ve learned and benefited so much from others that I wanted to help build some way to give back to an industry I love show appreciation to the up-and-coming leaders. The World Media Awards will culminate in a 1 day event in San Francisco that will celebrate the best in blogging, forums, publishing and media from around the world.

So if you are a first class blogger, why should you enter?

1. 1. Get Recognized- You Deserve It :)

You put a lot of work into making your blog remarkable. You understand it and your readers know it. The World Media Awards is a way for you to get authoritative credit from other bloggers and industry experts. That recognition will help you build your readership, make new collaborative connections, and hopefully have a few warm fuzzy moments that make all the late nights even more worthwhile.

1. 2. Meet Other Bloggers Who Care

Blogging, forums and most other online media is about conversation and interaction, but sometimes it’s easy to end up hiding away behind a screen in your office or home all alone. Meeting other bloggers and publishers keeps the fire lit and the conversation going. When you enter the World Media Awards, you’ll be listed alongside other bloggers and publishers who put the same level of satisfaction, attention and work into making their blog great.

1. 3. Expose Yourself to New Partners

If your blog or forum is part of your organization, being part of the World Media Awards will increase your exposure by putting your name in front of the thousands of visitors to our site and the award ceremony. That means you can find out who else is doing great work, strut your own stuff, and expand your network of contacts and collaborators.

1. 4. Make Yourself Irresistible to Clients

What helps your chances at winning that next pitch more than growing your network? Telling that network that you are the winner of a World Media Award. Winning an award shines a light on your achievements, and it serves as an example of the commitment, engagement and exacting standards you apply to your work.

1. 5. Be Part of the Beginning of Something Big

Because 2012 is the first year for these awards, you have the one-time opportunity to be the inaugural winner and set the standard for the World Media Awards in your category. Getting in on the ground floor of these awards will open opportunities for you as a blogger and a publisher.

The bottom line is, the World Media Awards will shine a spotlight on the year’s most successful bloggers and publishers, and on the businesses that serve and interact with them.

Now is your chance to be one of them.

The sponsors include Growmap, Pace Lattin, VigLink and Trancos.

World Media Award judges include Steve Hall, Sarah Austin, Chang Kim, Julie Wohlberg, Pierre Zarokian, Ivka Adam, Cheryl Contee, Krystyl Baldwin, Adrian Harris, Jeremy Wright, Rob Bloggeries, Dave Duarte, Tanya Alvarez, Dana Oshiro, Tom Foremski, and Judith Lewis. hashtag #wmads on Twitter.

Media partners include Adrants, Bloggeries, MediaVision, The Affiliate Marketing Awards, Read Write Web, My Blog Guest, Web Traffic Control and FeedBlitz.

Murray Newlands is author of How to Make a Blog Book and Online Marketing; a User Guide. He is also founder of the Affiliate Marketing Awards. Born in the UK, he now spends his time in San Francisco and New York. Murray works for Audience Mindshare and consults for Trancos Ins as well as being an advisor for VigLink. Actually he is working on his new book: The Email Marketing Book.

Radium Hot Springs & Invermere

I am definitely behind in my blogging, especially since we haven't done much this summer that hasn't involved renoing the house. My goal is to be much more on top of things by mid-fall, but only time will tell.

My daughter and I took a short trip to Radium Hot Springs to stay with some good friends who had rented a cottage. First I must point out that this two-level, two suite "cottage" was incredible. Very modern with every convenience. There are truly some amazing accommodations in Radium. Second, I meant to take a whole lot more pictures, but I was so busy having fun, I only got a handful.

We arrived Thursday afternoon and left early Sunday morning. In that time we went to the actual hot springs three times. The prices we quite affordable. We went once Thursday evening about supper time (which was a great time as it was pretty empty) and twice on Saturday with their "All Day Pass". We went in the morning when it opened at 9 am (it was almost empty and it was delightful) and then about 8 pm that evening (it was packed rather like "human soup" as my friend called it). The first two times we did both the cool (which is actually nice and warm) and the hot pools (amazingly warm). Our last trip we just soaked in the hot pools and then grabbed an ice cream cone from the gift shop on the way out. 

I stopped to grabbed a few pics of the gully near the parking lot that evening.

Gully near Radium Hot Spring, BC.

Sunset near Radium Hot Springs.

Radium road in stark colors.

Road to Radium Hot Springs from town.

Near Radium Hot Springs parking lot.

Sun setting near Radium, BC.

 

Friday we spent the better part of the day in Invermere. Just 15 minutes from Radium, this town has plenty to offer visitors including the most affordable groceries found in the area at the Sobey's. There is plenty to do and see downtown and I managed to grab a couple of shots in between window shopping. There is also a fantastic cafe called the Kicking Horse Cafe, located near the highway, which we visited every morning. I managed to grab a few pics of that as well.

At the bookstore in Downtown Invermere, BC.

Downtown Invermere, BC

The Kicking Horse Cafe in Invermere, BC.

Kicking Horse Cafe sign.

Patio seating at the Kicking Horse Cafe.

All in all it was a great trip. Very relaxing. Can't wait to visit Radium Hot Springs and area again. There was lots we didn't get the chance to do and see. Have you ever been to Radium Hot Springs? Have you ever visited any hot springs before? Love it or hate it? Please leave an opinion or comment below.

Canada Day in Enderby

This post is only a month late. I suppose better late than never!

A lovely morning for a parade, neither too hot nor too cool, the crowds gathered along Belvedere Street and Cliff Ave to watch. Enderby delivered up an excellent Canada Day parade this year with a combination of old favourites such as the marching band with bagpipes, the Red Hatters and classic cars and tractors as well as some new editions including the talented River Town Roller Girls, a mobile wrestling ring and the appearance of Ozzy Osbourne on a scooter (compliments of LOL House). Ozzy's second time in Enderby, he helped boost the Canadian spirit of parade watchers as he zipped back and forth with his scooter shouting "Happy Canada Day Enderby" and taking time for "high fives".

The beginning of the Canada Day Parade in Enderby!

 

A marching band.

The Red Hats

Classic Car

The Lion's Float

Players from Runaway Moon

Ozzy Osbourne riding a scooter in the Parade...

...on behalf of LOL House in Enderby.

Ozzy gets the crowd hyped up!

After the parade, viewer walk a couple of blocks down to Barnes Park where there was free entertainment and children activities like a bouncy castle, sumo wrestling and inflatable globes as well as games, food and a classic car show. Entertainment included a roller derby and wrestling demonstration as well as a live rock band Still Munro. Ozzy and the LOL House  performed a skit of poetry reading and music during the bands break.

Ozzy getting into the Canada Day Spirit!

Ozzy getting a little crazy!

Plenty of people at Barnes Park.

Still Munro plays for the people at the park.

Still Munro plays plenty of favourites.

LOL House getting ready to do their skit.

 

Amazing cars at the Classic Car show.

What did you do for Canada this year? Leave a comment below. Enjoy reading my blog? Sign up for updates in the box to the right!