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. 

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.  

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!

Cowabunga

This past weekend (May 6th and 7th), the local theatre group in Enderby put on a Moo-dun-it (comedy) fundraiser for MacKenzie Camp, located just east on Mabel Lake Road. Set in the United Church, a dinner was provided in the dining area before the show.

This family appropriate, moo-licious show offered plenty of laughs and featured numerous songs, all set to a cow theme written by local Linzy Lunkwist. Did Bully the Cud try to kill Farmer Brown or was another member of the herd responsible for the attempted crime? If you weren't there for the show...I guess you will never know.

Pics of the cast before the show (Some of the pictures were provided by friends and family of cast members).

 

 

 

 

 

Opening Song

Cow Court In Session.

On the Stand.

The Sacred Cow

Song & Dance

Final Song

Great show guys. Can't wait to see what you do next year!