Vernon – Sunshine Festival
April 07, 2009Known as the largest one-day festival in the North Okanagan, the Vernon Sunshine Festival attracts thousands from all over BC, with great live performances at both ends of Main Street, barbeques, and games for all ages. Merchants along Main Street work together to create the hottest sidewalk sale in the region. Look for great deals on clothes, or relax in one of the many street cafes. For adults, there are festival beer gardens, and for entire families, there are spectacular art and culture demonstrations.
For kids, there are a variety of children’s activities. The most popular attraction are the inflatable toy bouncers, which are filled throughout the day with kids jumping around while trying to keep their balance. There’s also a bungee run, a jousting and inflatable boxing ring, a climbing wall, and a Kids Fun Zone which features face painting.
The Sunshine Festival is held every June on the Saturday before Father’s Day.
Love the Sunshine Festival! You meet a lot of interesting tourists from all over while enjoying a glass of iced tea at one of the sidewalk cafes. Last year I became friends with a woman from Santa Barbara – she came up here to escape the California heat, but was disappointed when she didn’t find any snow! We still exchange e-mails.
Many of the merchants and activities at the Sunshine Festival are organized by theme. Last year, we had the “Extreme Zone,” which featured inline blading, skiing, cycling, scuba diving, and other sports.
If you love sunshine, Vernon is the perfect place to go! It gets much warmer here during the summer than Vancouver.