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VOL.46 ISSUE 65
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PEACHFEST A TREAT FOR EVERYONE Steve Waldner Western News Staff
The end of August means two things in Penticton: another summer winding down and another Penticton Peach Festival come and gone until next year, when it will again be back to entertain locals and tourists alike. This yearâs event represented the eventâs 65th anniversary, and as beÂżtting such a milestone, was the best yet, said Don Kendall, the festivalâs president. âWe couldnât be happier. We thought it was a great festival. The comments weâve got have all been positive,â he said. Kendall attributed the festivalâs success to two things. The Âżrst, being a free festival with what he described as spectacular entertainment and the second, that the festival strives to be a genuine familyfriendly event. âA lot of events bill themselves as family events, but this is truly a family event,â he said. âWe get people that come back from different parts of Canada year after year, and they like the theme of having a family event.â Over the years, the event has grown, hitting a new high this year, said Kendall. âWe believe itâs the largest crowd (weâve had) in history,â he said. âThe Peach Festival we used to have one or two, maybe three nights with big crowds, but we had Âżve nights with big crowds.â The crowds certainly had good reason to pack Okanagan Lake Park, where the stage played host to well-known bands Lighthouse and 54-40. However, the event also showcased over 20 local acts, such as Nikita Afonso and Dale Seaman,
Steve Waldner/Western News
FAIRY GODMOTHER ANGELINA SEBASTIAN (right) looks on while sister Danica and Kiana Halverson are driven on a somewhat improvised coach by Isabelle Sebastian during the annual kiddies parade at the Penticton Peach Festival on Sunday. For more photos from Peachfest see Page 27.
whom Kendall described as âhighlights.â Aside from bringing local artists into the spotlight and providing Âżve days of free entertainment to the city, the festival brings more subtle beneÂżts in the form of tourist dollars. Between the long weekend and Peachfest, August is a busy month for the hospitality and tourism industries in the city. However, Peachfest brings a marked difference in the crowds venturing to Penticton.
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âThereâs deÂżnitely more families,â said Fernanda Ladeira, manager at the Penticton Slumber Lodge. âPeople that come for Peachfest are more family-oriented. They bring their kids to the parades and that sort of thing.â The inĂux of families brings an important boost to the local economy. âWhen we have so many tourists travelling to the area for something like Peachfest, theyâre staying in our hotels and eating out at restaurants, which is exactly what weâre
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hoping theyâll do,â said Tracy Reis, marketing specialist with Penticton and Wine Country Tourism. âThe beneÂżts are widespread throughout the community and through all the businesses here.â Reis said during Peachfest, Pentictonâs information centre â a hub for tourists new to the area â saw an increase of 34 per cent, compared to last yearâs festival. As well, Reis tracked the festivalsâ presence on social media, and liked what she saw. âIt was all really, really positive,
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people saying things like, âPenticton was awesome,â and just talking about how great Peachfest was and what a memorable time it was,â she said. This positive reĂection of the community on social media is extrememly important, said Reis, as more and more people are relying on social media feedback to help them plan their vacations. âSocial media is such a driver, so having such great comments like that on our social media sites is so great for Penticton,â she said.