The 68th annual Penticton Peach Festival promises five days of free, family fun. On the final day of Peachfest, the Kiddies Day will provide plenty of fun for the young and the young at heart.
Kiddies Day, sponsored by A&W, is scheduled for Aug. 9 in Okanagan Lake Park kicking off with the Kiddies Day Parade, sponsored by the Downtown Penticton Association. Costume judging in several categories takes place at the corner of Martin and Wade. The parade leaves that corner at 11:30 a.m. and heads down Main Street to Okanagan Lake Park.
Hundreds of youngsters with their bicycles, tricycles, wagons and colorful costumes will be escorted to the park by the Penticton Fire Dept., the Cranbrook Girls’ Bugle Band and the Vancouver Travelling Band.
At the park, prizes will be presented in multiple age groups. Then, the A&W Kiddies Day kicks off with well-known children’s entertainer Cotton Candy.
Keeping with the Peachfest theme of free fun, Kiddies Day director Rebecca Ogden said there are more activities for kids than ever before.
“Every family can afford to have fun at Kiddies Day,” Ogden said. “Our sponsors make it possible for us to hold a great event with no admission charge.”
In addition to live entertainment, the free fun includes face painting, a petting zoo, bouncy castles, a waterslide, balloon animals and a Lego play table. The petting zoo is sponsored by Home Hardware.
There will be an admission charge for pony rides and for Shooting Star Amusements rides in nearby Rotary Park.
Events are scheduled from noon to 3 p.m., followed by regular Peachfest entertainment until 10 p.m.
Peach Festival takes place Aug. 5-9. For more, go to peachfest.com.