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Christmas 2015
Taking the cash out of Christmas: Vernon event brings back the joy of bartering
VERNON - There are two rules at an unconventional Christmas fair in Vernon this holiday season, the first of which is: No cash allowed. That’s because participants will be trading for the goods and services on hand. Hosted by Jaye Coward and her partner Mireille Gourlay of Farm Bound the Holiday Barter Fest is perhaps...
Tree of Memories at Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetery
KELOWNA - Residents can honour a loved one this holiday season by placing an ornament on a Tree of Memories at the Kelowna Memorial Cemetery. Visitors can place an ornament on the tree under the dome in Promontory Green Interment Garden or on the spruce trees in Bennett Memorial Circle between Monday, Dec. 7, and...
Inspired by music, this Kamloops tree lights up when it feels the beat
KAMLOOPS - You might have noticed the festive lights strung across several trees on Victoria Street, but there’s one tree different than the rest. The tree, in front of Blenz Coffee shop, will only light up when a passerby connects its sensor to an instrument. “It’s actually very simple,” developer Aras Balali Moghaddam says. “The...
Downtown Kelowna Light Up to be a little less bright
KELOWNA - The 27th Annual Downtown Kelowna Light Up, happening this weekend, is going to have a lot fewer lights this year, but there are still plenty of holiday events over the next few weeks to brighten up your Christmas spirit. The Rotary Club of Kelowna announced Monday, Nov. 30, their application for an electrical...
Christmas giving tree warming Kelowna one decoration at a time
KELOWNA - There are no lights or ornaments and it’s not very pretty, but Downtown Kelowna has a new Christmas tree which could make cold nights warmer for the people who need it most. Traci Savel and Sherri Baker started hanging cold weather items on a downtown tree over the weekend. The tree is located...
Operation Red Nose will give you a ride home in Kamloops
KAMLOOPS – The car service that helps you get home safely after having a little too much to drink is back. Operation Red Nose kicks off the annual service tonight, Nov. 27, in Kamloops and will accept calls for rides from 9 p.m. until 3 a.m. program coordinator Katie Klassen says. “Last year we gave...
Unique gifts for sale at Indigenous Arts and Craft Fair in Penticton
PENTICTON - A 10-year-old Christmas tradition continues on the Penticton Indian Reserve this weekend. The Indigenous Arts & Craft Fair takes place at the En’owkin Centre from 10 a.m until 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5. Those looking for unique Christmas gift ideas could find what they are looking for a short drive west of...
Summerland Christmas Express nearly sold out
PENTICTON - For those wishing to take a ride on the Summerland Christmas Express, the last train with any room on board will be leaving the station sooner, rather than later. Kettle Valley Steam Railway marketing manager Tracey Slattery says this year’s Christmas schedule is nearly completely sold out - and that includes an additional...
New Life focuses on Christmas programs and looks to do even more
KAMLOOPS – A Kamloops community organization is hoping to reach out and help more people this Christmas. New Life Community Kamloops, previously called the New Life Mission, wants to focus on the social aspect of the holiday season says executive director Stan Dueck. Christmas dinner is still planned for the Dec. 24 but Dueck says...
Get in the Christmas spirit with these holiday events around Kamloops
KAMLOOPS - If the unseasonably cold weather isn’t enough to help send you into a panic that Christmas is getting close, the holiday events starting this week should give you the boost of Christmas spirit you need to get through the next month. The official kick off to the holidays starts Thursday night, Nov. 26,...
Buying local, without leaving home, a popular choice for Okanagan holiday shoppers
OKANAGAN - It’s already well known that online shopping has taken over a large piece of the Christmas retail pie, but that doesn’t mean people are giving up on buying local to fill the stockings this Christmas. You don’t have to go out to a farmer’s market or holiday craft fair to buy local, you...
Photos with Santa fundraiser at the South Okanagan SPCA
PENTICTON - The South Okanagan SPCA will host a special event this weekend to get pets and pet owners in the mood for the festive season. 'Photos with Santa' takes place Saturday, Nov. 21, from 1 to 3 p.m at the South Okanagan SPCA branch, located at 2200 Dartmouth Dr. in Penticton. Owners can have...
How you can help make the holidays a bit nicer for the Kamloops women living in shelters
KAMLOOPS - If you’re looking to give something back to the community this holiday season, consider taking part in the Shoebox Project to help a local woman feel special. Monique Bastemeijer is leading the Kamloops chapter of the nation-wide gift program, which assists women with lesser means feel pampered. Bastemeijer says the charity has already received...
Vernon Food Bank looks to community for helping hand this holiday season
VERNON - The local food bank is calling on the community to help make the holidays bright for the less fortunate. The Salvation Army is launching its annual Christmas Kettle Campaign on Saturday, Nov. 21 and is looking for volunteers. “Christmas should be about celebrating, good memories, and family coming together,” Captain Jean-Curtis Plante says...
Two Christmas toy drives in Penticton this year
PENTICTON - Penticton is going to have two Christmas toy drives this year. The 22nd annual Toys for Tots to Teens will return this year at a new location and with a new format, according to event coordinator Karen Davey. This year’s Toys for Tots to Teens will take place Nov. 24 from 7 a.m....
Community toy drive aims to give Penticton kids a special Christmas
PENTICTON - A new collaborative effort between two Penticton businesses hopes to make Christmas a little more special for local children in need. Gateway Casinos and Entertainment, through Lake City Casino in Penticton, is partnering with Locolanding Adventure Park to collect new, unwrapped gifts for underprivileged children in the South Okanagan. The first annual Community...
Feast on Thompson-Okanagan fare at the Christmas dinner table
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Our region is a food producing mecca, and with Christmas on the way, what better time to take a look at what we can buy locally to put on the table? We took a look at the region and came up with five opportunities to make that big Christmas meal tasty, healthy, and...