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Kiddies dress up downtown for parade

To kick off the final day of Peachfest, youngsters will be closing down the streets of Penticton to show off their splashed out rides
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Kids will parade down Main Street on Sunday for the annual Peach Festival Kiddies Day Parade.

To kick off the final day of Peachfest, youngsters will be closing down the streets of Penticton to show off their splashed out rides.

“It’s their turn to dress up and have fun and walk down Main Street to show off what they’ve done,” said Kerri Milton, executive director of the DPA.

Just before noon on Aug. 9, the Downtown Penticton Association (DPA) is inviting children from throughout the South Okanagan to bring a set of wacky wheels to the Kiddies’ Day Parade.

“There are secret judges, and they choose who they think was dressed the best in a variety of different categories, and we also have the very famous peoples choice where people vote on their favourite one is,” Milton said. “There have been themes from the Snowbirds, (Disney’s)Frozen to you name it — there are all sorts of costumes and themes.”

The rider with the coolest creation will be going home with a new bike from the title sponsor Bike Barn.

“They can come dressed however they want but it’s more about what they’re bringing, like bikes, trikes, wagons – decorating that kind of this.”

Judges will decide the winners for the top three entrants, and another winner will be declared by the “famous” peoples’ choice award.

“They choose who they think was dressed the best in a variety of different categories.”

The parade kicks off the A&W Kiddies Day at Peachfest, which runs at Okanagan Lake Park until 3 p.m., followed by regular Peachfest entertainment until 10 p.m. The event will commence with an escort by the Cranbrook Girls’ Bugle Band and the Vancouver Travelling Band.

“Then the fire department is involved, leads of the parade with one of their trucks which is one of the highlights,” said Milton.

Kids who want to be a part of the parade can asked their parents to print off applications fromdowntownpenticton.org, or call their office at 250-493-8540.

“They love being able to come walk down Main Street and push their bikes. they get all excited and dressed up — sometimes I think it’s the parents that are more excited than the kids because they get to deck them all out.”

The parade lasts about 30 minutes and begins in the city centre parking lot at 11:30 a.m. Following the parade, entertainment starts with children’s entertainer Cotton Candy at Okanagan Lake Park