AUTUMN IN THE OKANAGAN

23rd Annual Okanagan Fall Wine Festival, fall golf packages and an outstanding harvest season await
KELOWNA, BC – Crisp autumn mornings accented by bright blue skies seem all the more remarkable in Kelowna this year. As the threat of forest fire becomes a memory, visitors and residents are taking the time to reflect on the characteristics that make Kelowna special – clean mountain air, spectacular landscapes, lots of warm sunshine, and the recently uncovered human strength and resiliency of our residents.
“It’s a special time,” says Nancy Cameron, Manager of Tourism Kelowna. “Just as the forest has begun to regenerate almost immediately following the forest fire, so has our community. The good news for tourism is that there are concrete plans underway to rebuild the Kettle Valley Railway trestles that were burned by the Okanagan Mountain Park Fire, and that St Hubertus winery is back in full operation.”

Tour companies like Monashee Adventure Tours, which lost a good portion of its product line with the loss of the Kettle Valley Railway trestles, have introduced a variety of new tours and GeoQwest Excursions has developed a Forest Rejuvenation Safari which celebrates the natural rebirth of a healthy ecology like that found in Okanagan Mountain Park.

Fall is traditionally a time of celebration in the Okanagan as wineries harvest grapes, farmers sell fresh produce and orchards overflow with dozens of varieties of apples, plums and pears.

“Fall is my favourite time of year,” says Rod Butters, co-owner and executive chef at Fresco Restaurant, the Okanagan’s only Four Diamond AAA restaurant. “All of the fresh fruits and vegetables are at their peak. I like to use organic produce and the Okanagan is the ideal place to find it. With the long Okanagan summers, we can have fresh summer veggies well into autumn.”

 The 23rd annual Fall Wine Festival takes place Oct. 3 – 12, 2003, with more than 150 wine and food specific events planned throughout the Okanagan Valley. Ranked for seven consecutive years as one of the Top 100 Events in North America by the American Bus Association, the festival, which includes the release of new vintages from the Valley’s50-plus wineries, is one of the year’s most popular.
“We are so lucky to live and work here,” says Jim Armstrong, executive chef of the Harvest Dining Room. “There is an incredible abundance of local produce. The bounty of the Okanagan is everywhere.” 

For those who prefer teeing off to tasting, there are many outstanding golf courses to choose from, including championship and executive courses. “Fall is one of our most popular times of the year for golf,” notes Cameron. “We have cool mornings and evenings with wonderfully temperate, bright sunny days. There’s really no better way to experience the vibrancy of the fall season.”

If you’re pining for snow, visitors to Big White Ski Resort will be able to enjoy some major upgrades and expansions this season. Children and families continue to be drawn to Big White, not only for the extensive services, activities and entertainment that are available at the resort, but also for their legendary champagne powder snow.

Situated midway between Vancouver and Calgary, Kelowna is the gateway to British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley and is home to the southern interior’s only international airport. Kelowna enjoys convenient air connections including direct service from Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Abbotsford, Vancouver and Victoria. A favourable exchange rate makes Kelowna an ideal destination for American travellers and Horizon Air offers four daily direct flights from Seattle. By car, Kelowna is a four-hour drive from Vancouver; six hours from Seattle; and seven hours from Calgary.

For more information about Kelowna and the Okanagan Valley call 1-800-663-4345, email info@tourismkelowna.org, or visit www.tourismkelowna.org

September 30, 2003   Posted in: Canada