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WATCH: Smoke doesn’t hamper B.C. Day celebrations

Penticton’s festivities still brought hundreds to Gyro Park, despite air quality warnings
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The Penticton Indian Band’s Maryssa Bonneau sang the Okanagan Anthem at B.C. Day festivities: “We are beautiful because our land is beautiful and that makes all of us beautiful.” Dustin Godfrey/Western News

Smoky skies didn’t hamper turnout to this year’s B.C. Day celebrations in Penticton.

Put on by the Downtown Penticton Association, the event brought hundreds to Gyro Park to participate in a number of activities, despite an air quality alert from Environment Canada.

“We have lots of fantastic food vendors, we’ve got vendors that are towing different, lots of stuff to buy, from sunglasses and dresses and all sorts of different arts and crafts,” DPA executive director Lynn Allin said.

“We have an amazing selection of music that’s coming this afternoon.”

Among the other activities, an inflatable rock climbing apparatus was set up for children to climb on, as well as an inflatable water slide.

“We’re expecting hundreds of people to come down and enjoy it, and of course there is a cake,” Allin said.

That was in the form of a couple hundred cupcakes held together by an overarching icing making the form of a B.C. flag.


@dustinrgodfrey
dustin.godfrey@pentictonwesternnews.com
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There was plenty of dancing at B.C. Day festivities in Penticton’s Gyro Park. Dustin Godfrey/Western News
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Penticton-bred Cosmic Brew performed at B.C. Day festivities in Penticton’s Gyro Park. Dustin Godfrey/Western News
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An inflatable climbing wall was availble for kids to try their scaling skills at B.C. Day festivities in Penticton’s Gyro Park. Dustin Godfrey/Western News
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Country musicians Beamer Wigley and Abby Stewart perform at B.C. Day festivities in Penticton’s Gyro Park. Dustin Godfrey/Western News
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Cartoonist Marzio Manderioli did caricatures and drawings at B.C. Day festivities in Penticton’s Gyro Park. Dustin Godfrey/Western News
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The Henna Hut was offering henna tattoos at B.C. Day festivities in Penticton’s Gyro Park. Dustin Godfrey/Western News
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A small, inflatable slide was set up at B.C. Day festivities in Penticton’s Gyro Park, with a staff on hand to water down the slope and, at times, take a ride with the kids. Dustin Godfrey/Western News
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Couns. Campbell Watt and Judy Sentes, Mayor Andrew Jakubeit and local MP Richard Cannings dish out the cupcakes at B.C. Day festivities in Penticton’s Gyro Park. Dustin Godfrey/Western News