A mini Peach Festival is coming to Penticton this summer.
The Penticton Peach Festival volunteer board of directors, in conjunction with the City of Penticton announced that Mini-Peach, a one-day festival, will be held on Aug. 7 at Gyro Park in Penticton.
The Peach Fest board made the announcement on the bandshell at Gyro Park Thursday.
“While we could not host the full festival this year, we wanted to do something for Penticton as it has been a difficult two summers without having an event to bring the community together,” said Don Kendall, Peach Fest president. “After receiving answers from Interior Health on BC’s Restart Plan, and support from the City of Penticton, we decided to move forward with a Mini-Peach celebration.”
Entertainment will run from noon to 9 p.m. with local performers and the Canadian Tire Mega Motocross, featuring some of the top motocross riders in Canada who will put on their popular high-flying show on Main Street in front of Gyro Park.
A small parade that will consist of the Peach Fest float and a marching band will make its way down Main Street starting at 3:30 p.m. and will end at Gyro Park. The evening will finish with Peach Fest crowd favourite High Voltage, an AC/DC cover band.
A limited number of vendors will be set up at Gyro Park and those planning to attend Mini-Peach are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs.
Shooting Star Amusements will be set up in Rotary Park, but on a smaller scale than they typically are for Peach Fest.
“The City is excited to partner with the Penticton Peach Festival board of directors to host a Mini-Peach celebration this August. Peach Festival’s presence has been the cornerstone of summer in Penticton for over 70 years, and this year’s Mini-Peach is a fantastic way to start to bring our community back together in celebration.”
All of the Mini-Peach entertainment in Gyro Park and spectator access to the Canadian Tire Mega Motocross will be free of cost. The Penticton Farmers’ Market, which typically operates on Saturdays in the 100-Block of Main Street, has graciously agreed to temporarily move to the 400-Block of Main Street for the day to allow Mini-Peach to happen.
Both the Mini-Peach event and Shooting Star Amusements will follow the communicable disease prevention guidelines provided by the province of B.C.