After several years of cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, downtown Kelowna is ready for a block party.
The association’s 31st annual downtown Kelowna party took over Bernard Avenue on Saturday, with dozens of local vendors showcasing their wares, along with live entertainment and delicious food.
“Basically, it’s a celebration of craft merchants, family, getting outside, getting around downtown without having to worry about traffic,” DKA executive director Mark Burley said.
This is the first time the Block Party has been held since Kelowna’s Meet Me Bernard initiative, the closure of downtown Bernard Avenue to vehicular traffic during the summer months.
“It allows us to try something different by fitting all of our vendors, entertainment, features and everything within Meet me on Bernard, so I think it’s a really great addition to it, so we’re really happy,” Burley said.
Crowds came to the event early Saturday, Burley said, even before the official 10 a.m. start.
“It’s busier than I thought it would be … we’ve had a lot of traffic down here,” he said. “There is a need from the community, they want to get out and they want to do things.
“When we first came out of public health orders, the phones started ringing – ‘Are you doing this, are you doing that?’
DKA will host a new car show on Bernard Avenue on August 20 and the Winter Street Market will return to downtown Kelowna in December.
“We may have a few other surprises as well,” Burley said.
Saturday’s Block Party runs until 4 p.m
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