Recommended itinerary
- Start from Kamloops–Shuswap–Amstrong–Vernon–Penticton
- Day 1: Vancouver-Kamloops
Stay 1 night at Kamloops hotels in downtown
Day 2: Kamloops to Shuswap
Visit Kamloops Arts Council in the morning
Kamloops to Shuswap
Enjoy 6 stage performances at Shuswap Theatre
Stay 1 night at Shuswap hotels
Day 3: Shuswap to Vernon
Visit Caravan Farm Theatre in the morning
Amstrong to Vernon
Enjoy cowboy show and museum at Historic O’keefe Ranch in the evening
Stay 1 night at Vernon hotels
Day 4: Vernon to Penticton
Visit Betweens the lakes Pow Wow
Stay 1 night at Penticton/Kelowna hotels
Day 4: Back to Vancouver
Route point 1
Rivertown Players in Kamloops
Description (What are the activities/experiences? Outcomes for visitor?)
When: Throughout July and August
Description:
This program is organized through the Kamloops Arts Council to provide paid opportunities for Theatre students who are currently enrolled in university to develop skills in such things as play-writing, directing, design and public engagement. The program focus on providing child and family-centered entertainment. Prior to the Pandemic, the River-Town players performed at numerous outdoor venues in and around Kamloops. This past summer, they moved the program to a virtual-delivery model to allow for social-distanced viewing through Vimio.
Experience:
Educational, engaging and fun performances for children and their families.
Location: Pre-Pandemic: Various locations in and around Kamloops including, but not limited to Sun Peaks and Merritt. Most shows are held in Kamloops.
Outcome for Attendees: A fun, family-friendly experience.
Image (impressive and high quality photo)
Route point 2
Shuswap theatre (Walk-about theatre)
Description (What are the activities/experiences? Outcomes for visitor?)
Shuswap Theatre is an amateur community theatre offering high quality performances to the Shuswap area. Walk-About-Theatre was one of Shuswap Theatre’s solutions for returning to the stage while respecting health restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.Performances will be 10 minutes in length, with small, physically distanced audiences rotating from stage to stage to take in each theatrical offering. This is a perfect outdoor activity for families to enrich their lives through diverse and inspiring live entertainment and opportunities for creative dramatic experience.
Time (must be in summer)
During the pandemic, they postponed indefinitely the show since March 17th, and had their first walk-about theatre on August 28th-29th, and another one will be on October 16th on their calendar.
Image (impressive and high quality photo)
(First Walk-about theatre on Aug 28th)
Location (google map link)
41 Hudson Ave NW, Salmon Arm, BC V1E 4M2
Route point 3
Caravan farm theatre
Description (What are the activities/experiences? Outcomes for visitor?)
Caravan Farm Theatre is an open air theatre which is well known as its creativeness and uniqueness in every play since 1978. Choosing the land as the venue, the fields and forests as the stages, this is a perfect outdoor theatre for families to enjoy the unique arts and unforgettable emotions together in nature. Every production in Caravan will lead you to an extraordinary world of happiness and mystery. Caravan Farm Theatre is open year-round with a variety of experiences in each season. Some of the spectacular shows are “The Coyotes”, a magic and fairytale in summer, “The Gift Of The Magi”, a sleigh riding show in winter and “The Walk of Terror”, a walk-through experience with impressive sound and visual performances. This is a cultural event unlike any other, completely Canadian, and one your friends will envy you for until they seek it out themselves. This is a handful of Canada’s best stage actors performing a gem of a musical under the stars in a breathtaking field. Besides the main performing arts, you and your family can enjoy the music, local craft beer and wine, as well as non-alcoholic beverages and free marshmallow for the kids.
Time (must be in summer) Although the theatre cancelled the summer 2020 season shows, they are coming back with an amazing walk-through show, The Walk of Terror in October 2020, and is expecting to bring more unique experiences for the visitors with Covid-19 protocols in effect in the next summer.
Image (impressive and high quality photo)
One of the play in Caravan in summer
Location (google map link)
Route point 4
Historic O’Keefe Ranch
Historic O’Keefe Ranch is a historic ranch in the Okanagan region of British Columbia. The ranch was founded in 1867, and it has many valuable historical artifacts. Some of them are housed in an on-site museum, and visitors can see them. Also, there are ten main historic buildings from the 19th century, and these open from May to October. Visitint the Historic O’Keefe Ranch, you can step back in time to the early days of the Okanagan Valley. This site gives your family the opportunities to learn the history and culture of the Okanagan, and you can feel to be part of the 19th-century era.
Historic O’Keefe Ranch is providing some activities.
1, Cowboy Campfire (July)
In the evening, cowboys start to gather around the campfire, and they perform to sing songs, tell stories, and cowboy poetry of adventure. Historic O’Keefe Ranch keeps doing this performance to share cowboy traditions with guests. Families can join this performance and get new experiences. Mostly, kids can enjoy learning about cowboy traditional stories.
2, Ghost & Cemetery Tour (August)
Historic O’Keefe Ranch brings guests to the popular Ghost Tours. Visitors can explore the ghost world while they are listening to ghost stories. This tour may not be for small children, but if they are interested in ghosts, they must be excited and feel enthusiastic moments through these tours. This ghost tour has been run by Mr. Newman for seventeen years. He encourages people to join this tour to learn about many of the people buried in the cemetery under unmarked graves.
Location (google map link)
9380 BC-97, Vernon, BC V1H 1W9
https://goo.gl/maps/X3684tt2eTFNCzMH6
Route point 5
Between The Lakes Pow Wow
Description (What are the activities/experiences? Outcomes for visitor?)
Between The Lakes Pow Wow is an annual Indigenous event showcasing culture of the Syilx (Okanagan) people, taking place by a Cultural School between 2 lakes on the Penticton Indian Band area. It is well known as the biggest First Nations cultural event in the South Okanagan. This outdoor family-friendly event takes place every second weekend of August and consists of a variety of performances, activities, vendors selling handmade arts and crafts, dance competitions, and so much more. This festival not only attracts visitors from all over the world but also is a great opportunity for different First Nations communities across Western Canada and USA to celebrate and showcase their traditions together. Hundreds of dancers from 150+ Indigenous bands from all groups of age attend this festival every year.
Visitors can learn about tradition and culture of the South Okanagan and many Indigenous communities across Canada, in addition to drumming culture, regalia tradition and so on. Each dancer gets to make their own outfit based on anything they need to present who they truly are and this is one of the best attractiveness of this event.
Time (must be in summer)
This annual event takes place every second weekend of August for 3 days starting from Friday at 7.00PM and ending on Sunday late afternoon.
Image (impressive and high quality photo)
Tyrone Kruger (left), of Penticton, and William Burnstick, from Vancouver Island, carry the flags in the grand entry of the Between the Lakes Pow Wow last year. (Western News file photo)
Source: https://www.vernonmorningstar.com/news/biggest-first-nations-cultural-event-in-the-south-okanagan-returns/
Location (google map link)
In the Penticton Indian Band Reserve, by Outma Sqilx’W Cultural School