City Of Kelowna BC

Okanagan British Columbia Tourism
Summer Vacation Ideas

The city of Kelowna BC is the largest city in the Okanagan Valley, in the Central Okanagan Regional District, and also the main hub for almost everything in the region, including air travel. Sometimes misspelled as 'Kalowna', the city has a population of over 100,000 and offers many family friendly attractions, and a little something for everyone.

Kelowna Canada

Years ago, traveling to the city of Kelowna with siblings and our parents was a big summer family vacation for us. We visited family in nearby Winfield, and the city of Kelowna was much smaller. Many tourism attractions we enjoyed then, are now replaced with shopping centers and malls and residential areas. But there are still many fun things to do in Kelowna now.

Vineyards and wineries were relatively unknown in an area where fruit orchards dominated the landscapes and economy. Family we came to visit had their own peach orchard, right in their backyard, and that was quite a thing!

These days, Kelowna BC is a large, busy, thriving city, home to many wonderful things that bring visitors here for vacations year after year.

What you'll find:

- great places to eat
- fun things to see and do for everyone
- entertainment for every age
- wonderful places to stay from luxury waterfront resorts to cozy and friendly vacation oriented accommodations to comfortable bed and breakfasts.

And, if you're thinking about retiring here, you'll also find some of the best retirement communities in the Okanagan Valley.

Kelowna Tourism

Kelowna's beaches are fantastic - 9 beaches in all! Lots of grass areas, shade, picnic areas, concession stands, tennis and volleyball, as well as playgrounds and washrooms are either along or within an easy distance from most of the beaches.

And in addition to the beaches there are several kid's waterparks, and waterfront walkways for strolling along and admiring the views.

Shopping

Orchard Park Mall - the main shopping mall in the city. Everything from department stores to upscale boutiques.

Downtown Bernard Avenue Lots of unique gift shops, boutiques, specialty bakeries, coffee houses, and art galleries.

Pandosy Village Boutique shoppers heaven with designer clothing, fine teas, organics, ethnic dining, a bakery for dogs and cats and art shoppe.

Kelowna Festivals

Fun for everyone, families, children and sporting festivals and events throughout the summer.

Fat Cat Children's Festival A fun family event, takes place at Waterfront Park in downtown Kelowna. There are scheduled shows and also a variety of shows and entertainment on the festival site.

Kelowna Music and Arts Festival An annual festival held on the fourth weekend of July every year, the Music and Arts Festival features professional performers and artists entertaining families in an energetic, fun event.

Center of Gravity The Center of Gravity is one of the largest multi-sports festivals in British Columbia! This is a great family event, and offers activities including a Kid's Zone and an Exhibitor's Village.

Dragonboat Festival Over 160 dragon boat teams compete, plus a concert, events and live entertainment.

Summer Sports & Outdoor Adventure

Whether it's golf, mountain biking, cycling the Kettle Valley Trail, back country hiking, fishing or an ATV adventure, summer sports and recreation is one of the main draws to Kelowna BC and the entire Okanagan Valley.

Winter Sports

Big White Ski Resort the closest to the city of Kelowna (45 minutes).

Silver Star Ski Resort in Vernon.

Crystal Mountain in Westbank.

Apex Ski Resort in Penticton.

Mount Baldy Ski Resort in Oliver BC.

BC Wine Museum Inside the Laurel Packinghouse, offers insight into the culture and history of wine industry in British Columbia.

Wineries Kelowna BC has over a dozen wineries itself to try out wine tasting, tours, and fine cuisine for a complete experience!

Guided Wine Tour With more than a hundred wineries throughout the Okanagan Valley, there's simply not enough time to visit them all on one vacation! A wine tour is a great way to learn about wine.

Okanagan Wine Festival The Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter Wine Festivals...starts in January, ends in October. Lots of special events.

There's just so much to explore and enjoy in Kelowna BC. Whatever you love to do, we know you'll find activities and great family friendly attractions in this beautiful city to fit your own definition of leisure and recreation, and easily make your vacation plans come together to create the perfect summer or winter holiday. Visit our top kid's My Okanagan page to see some of our favorite family and kid friendly attractions and get more summer vacation ideas for the area.

We hope to see you soon. Remember, in the Okanagan, 'Kalowna' is really Kelowna BC!