Dancing and playing highly encouraged in local parks this summer

KELOWNA – With summer full on, expect a lot more activity in urban parks around the Central Okanagan.

The City of Kelowna wants locals to bust a move with the Dancing in the Park program, now in its fifth year and held each Wednesday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Stuart Park.

All ages and experience levels are welcome to get their groove on under the eye of experienced dance instructors. The program begins July 8, with a new theme each week.

Starting with zumba next week, the program moves on to line dancing and two-step, throwback night, hip hop, groove method, dancing through the ages, salsa night and the grand finale dance party August 26.

Would-be dancers are encouraged to bike or walk to the event if possible and bring a refillable water bottle.

Kids are the focus of Park and Play, now in its seventh season, runnning at 10 different Kelowna parks.

Starting off Monday, July 6 at Summerside Park, Park and Play crews will fill local parks with games and other activities for all ages. Kids must be accompanied by their parents.

This year, Park and Play will be run in conjunction with some of the Parks Alive performances, which features local musicians playing in local parks.

Park and Play runs from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and rotates through different urban parks all over Kelowna. Schedule information is available by visiting the City of Kelowna website.

Over in West Kelowna, the newly minted city is bringing back the popular Music in the Park program in Memorial Park.

Each Friday from 6:45 p.m. to 9 p.m. a pair of local musical acts take to the stage for a free concert providing the audience with a variety of musical genres. West Kelowna recreation staff will be hosting a kids play centre on site and a food truck will be stationed on site.

This Friday, Ben Klick will headline the first concert with supporting acts Nicole Sumerlyn and Ayla Buckberry.

To contact the reporter for this story, email John McDonald at jmcdonald@infonews.ca or call 250-808-0143. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.