Peachfest parade has new route

The traditional Peachfest parade route will change this year. A significant facelift in the 100 and 200 blocks of Main Street would have been problematic for several of the entries and festival organizers have instead altered the route for the 70th annual Peters Bros. Grande Parade.

“It’s the least amount of disruption while remaining as close to the original parade route as we could be,” parade chair Teresa Kendall said.

The 90-minute parade will begin at its traditional spot outside the Penticton Public Library on Main Street.

Instead of marching forward at the 600 block on Main Street, the parade will make a left turn onto Wade Ave. W. and then a right turn onto Winnipeg Street.

The parade will then proceed down Winnipeg to Lakeshore Drive and turn left to begin the final leg.

The traditional end at the SS Sicamous will remain the same.

“There are now two right-angle turns but we went to the Leavenworth parade in Washington last September (as observers) and they had at least eight right-angle turns with huge logging trucks, and were able to manage,” Kendall said.

Kendall said with the first two blocks of Main Street now covered in bricks it made it impossible for the motorcycle team to do tricks.

The downtown shrinks from three lanes to two at the 200 block which would have been a challenge for the large floats and marching bands.

(This also proved to be an issue during June’s Beach to Peach Cruise.)

“We would have preferred to keep it all on Main Street as we had in the past but the good news is the route won’t have to be changed over the next few years and both markets will go on in their regular locations,” Kendall said.

“The safety of the participants and the spectators is always our top priority.”

The Peachfest parade will be held Saturday, Aug. 12 beginning at 9:30 a.m.

A total of 100 entries will participate including the Seattle All-City Marching Band, featuring 130 young musicians; the Delta Police Pipe Band (which has played with Paul McCartney); the RCAF Band from Winnipeg, the Calgary Show Wagon horse show, the Vancouver Police Motorcycle Drill Team, and 16 large floats.

Peachfest is the largest free five-day festival in Canada.

The event runs Aug. 9-13 at various venues in Penticton including Okanagan Lake Park where there’s continuous live entertainment.

The festival is still in need of volunteers for several jobs.

If interested contact Theresa Kendall at 250-809-8557 or visit www.peachfest.com.