Penticton residents will be the first in B.C. to have an opportunity to experience the spectacular ‘Luminarium: Arborialis’ attraction on home soil. This immersive art installation is arriving from the United Kingdom as part of Ha Ha Ha Kidzfest and is anticipated to attract crowds from far and wide.
“We’re excited to see this breathtaking exhibit set up at Okanagan Lake Park next week,” says Mayor Julius Bloomfield. “Thank you to the event organizers for bringing this world-renowned feature to our backyard, which is a first for British Columbia. We started off the year with the impressive Frost Fest Winter Carnival and it’s events like these that continue to place Penticton on the map.”
The 11,000-square-foot Luminarium structure is a walk-in exhibit featuring colourful mazes of winding paths and soaring domes. It’s fully wheelchair accessible and geared toward both adults and children.
Ha Ha Ha Kidzfest, presented by Complete Storage Centres, will take place at Okanagan Lake Park from June 5-7. The Luminarium: Arborialis will also be open on Sunday, June 8, and there will be a community concert in the park on Friday evening. All schedule information available on their website, hahahakidzfest.com.
Tickets are available to purchase now and the organizers are encouraging Penticton residents to book ahead if they wish to reserve a specific time slot. Otherwise, tickets will be available at the gate.
This event will require a temporary road closure on Lakeshore Drive next to Okanagan Lake Park from June 5-6 only to accommodate school buses.
Next weekend will be one of Penticton’s busiest of the year, featuring the following events:
- Penticton Beer Run (June 7): With 11 breweries and 4 local eateries, this fun run/walk event beginning and ending at Rotary Park is a flurry of colourful costumes and laughter, pentictonbeerrun.ca .
- PedalFest (June 7): This event features a full day of all things cycling, including group rides and finishing with a block party at 124 Estabrook Ave., bikepenticton.com.
- Penticton Farmers’ Market & Downtown Community Market (June 7): Peruse the dozens of vendors, purchase fresh produce and soak up the vibrancy of this lively event, with free bike valet service from 8 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., pentictonfarmersmarket.org and downtownpenticton.org.
- Okanagan Super Sprints (June 7-8): Fun, fast sprints on Skaha Lake, with teams arriving from all over to compete, pentictonpaddlesports.com.
- Wildstone’s Colour4Kids Run (June 8): This family-friendly event starts with a blast of colour, followed by a 2.5 km or 5 km run along the waterfront, with all proceeds going to OSNS Child Development Centre, wildstone.com/run/
- Pride Parade (June 8): Meet on the front lawn of the SS Sicamous at 1 p.m. and then walk, roll or ride down Lakeshore boardwalk. The parade ends at 107 Martin Street for a block part at the Activate Penticton outdoor rink from 2-4 p.m.
