Kelowna’s downtown core has always been a hot spot for tourists to experience a wide range of festivals, markets, and nightlife, but two years ago, in 2024, the Kelowna Downtown Thursday Night Market debuted as part of the Meet Me on Bernard program. The market has grown since and has helped shape how the downtown looks in the evening.

After the COVID-19 pandemic swept the nation and affected many businesses, especially in the tourism industry, the market has been a successful addition to the Meet Me on Bernard program, which has helped many downtown businesses attract more traffic beyond the usual weekend days of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The addition of the market on Thursdays has been a big boost to traffic downtown.

Kelowna Downtown Thursday Night Market cools off summer evenings | iNFOnews.ca — A local restaurant with an extended patio for Meet Me on Bernard events

The market started this year’s season on May 22, 2026, and has been going steadily into the peak of Kelowna’s tourism months of July and August. The Downtown Kelowna Thursday Night Market brings locals and tourists to the downtown core to enjoy an evening of shopping, food, and entertainment as the sun starts to go down over the hill. The market wraps up with its final evening on Thursday, September 3, 2026, as many tourists start to head home as the weather cools off.

Each evening from 4:30 pm to 9:30 pm, you can find a lively scene of vendors selling a wide range of things, including handmade jewelry, baked goods, clothing, art, and plenty of other artisan goods from many local business owners. Each Thursday evening features a mixture of returning vendors and rotating vendors, so each visit will find something new.

The market is centred on the 200 and 300 blocks of Bernard Avenue, sectioning off a pedestrian-friendly evening experience in one of Kelowna’s busiest commercial areas. It’s easy to plan a nice dinner, do some shopping and exploring, and end the evening with a nice walk along the water in Stuart Park or City Park.

Parking might be a bit busy on the main nearby streets, but multiple parkades surround the area, with a short walk to the market and free parking after 5 pm. These include Memorial Parkade, Chapman Parkade, and the Library Plaza Parkade.