Summer staples: Peach Bin Race launches 2019 Peach Festival

PENTICTON – The 5th annual Peach Bin Races ran in the 100 block of Main Street in Penticton Wednesday afternoon, signalling the start to this year’s Peach Festival.

Gyro Park was already busy with the Rona Kids Zone before hundreds of spectators lined the street for what has become the annual kickoff event to Peachfest.

RCMP Cpl. Don Wrigglesworth returned in red serge, acting as master of ceremonies for the event, which consisted of teams from Greyback Construction, the visiting Snowbirds Air Demonstration squadron, the BP Wood “Lumber Rumblers,” Nature’s Fare Markets, the Penticton Fire Department and the family team of Tate BEE Lun.

A total of a dozen heats were run before Wrigglesworth announced the Snowbirds team winners for 2019.

And heats they were, with most teams in a free sweat from the plus 30 Celsius noonday sun after a short run from the Gyro Park access road to the corner of Main and Lakeshore Drive and back.

The Lumber Rumblers dropped out due to “technical difficulties” at one point, only to get back into the race when the fire department offered their peach bin after they were eliminated.

Even the Snowbirds had some technical issues, but a cordless drill and a few screws were all they needed to get back on the winning track.

Top three finishers included the Snowbirds (first), Greyback (second) and the Tate BEE Lun team (third).

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