On-again, off-again performances
With COVID scares and smoke filled air still part of our everyday existence, event organizers are on the edge of their proverbial seats waiting on a daily basis to hear of changes that will affect the planning of their events.
Festivals Kelowna is having quite a time of it with mass cancellations and venue changes for the shows that the city did agree to continue on. Check their website (parksalive.festivalskelowna.com) and follow the links to the events calendar where there are daily updates.
Tonight, the city of Kelowna cancelled all events at the Island Stage, so my concert – The Anna Jacyszyn Trio – has moved to the 400 Block of Bernard Avenue of downtown Kelowna with a new performance time of 7:15 p.m. I will be performing with Loni Moger on guitar and Stefan Bienz on double bass. We will play a mix of jazz, pop and soul. I suggest you arrive for the first set beginning at 6:15 p.m., to listen to Daveton Jones, a jazz/reggae artist from Port Coquitlam who began his musical journey at the age of 12 years old when Ella Fitzgerald kissed him on the cheek and wished him luck! Visit his website at davetonjones.com to hear a few tracks from his CD.
—————
The Ryga Festival is in full swing, and this week another eclectic list of events begins Aug. 19 at the Summergate Winery, 11612 Morrow Avenue, in Summerland. “Out Spoken” is back by popular demand and is a spoken-word, prose and poetry evening of live performances from Okanagan wordsmiths. Tickets are $15 through rygafest.ca/festival.
—————
Enjoy a night with Celeigh Cardinal and her trio Friday from 7 p.m. to
9 p.m. at the Summerland Heritage Cider Company. This show promises a rocking rave-up and rich passion for music. Her accolades and awards speak for themselves with 2020 Junos, the 2018 and 2020 Western Canadian Music Awards (including Songwriter of the Year and Indigenous Artist of the Year), and multiple Edmonton Music Awards. Tickets are $30 or $15 online through rygafest.ca/festival.
Saturday evening its folk/roots music with Pharis and Jason Romero. This multi-award-winning duo will perform from their album Bet On Love. The renowned B.C. artists have won three Juno awards and multiple Canadian Folk Music Awards, performed on A Prairie Home Companion, CBC’s The Vinyl Cafe, produced six records and toured all over the world. They will perform live at Lunessence Winery, 5716 Gartrell Road in Summerland and tickets are $30 or online at $15, through rygafest.ca/festival.
—————
The Vernon Public Art Gallery and the Allan Brooks Nature Centre are hosting their first ever exhibition of original artwork by naturalist artist, Allan Brooks. He was a talented and self-taught painter famed for his wildlife, concentrating mostly on birds. His international stature is a result of his works being published for National Geographic Magazine in the 1920s and ’30s, and Birds of Canada (Taverner, 1934) as well as numerous other books on nature. The artwork will be available for viewing until the end of September. For more information contact the nature centre at 250-260-4227, email info@abnc.ca, or visit the website at abnc.ca. Anyone who is motivated to visit will receive a complementary sketch books, activity guides, and pencil crayons, to help inspire getting outside and creating art in nature.
—————
On Sunday, the Farmstrong Cidery at 4300 Maw Road in Armstrong was gearing up for the first ever Pickle Festival as a result of the popularity of their fire roasted pickle pizza – but sadly, as of press time, they have made the decision to cancel the event as a result of such chaos in the community with fires and displacements happening around them. Although I understand, and they did the right thing, personally
I am sad to hear this news as I love the crunch of a delicious vinegar brined cucumber of any kind – from dill to gherkin, from curried to coriander – so I will keep you posted on when this event will come to come fruition again.
—————
A night of broadway, jazz and classic hits takes the stage for Cabaret at the O’Keefe Ranch on Aug. 21. A talented local cast, including Danica Block, Katie Flaherty, Heather Harker, Michael Jarzecki, Ashley Kendall, Jeannine Kuemmerle, Alex MacArthur, Emily MacArthur, Coreen Smith, and Rick Smith, will have you laughing, humming along, and tapping your toes. Tickets are $40 each through ticketseller.ca/tickets/event/cabaret-at-theranch.
—————
Jazz comes to life in Kelowna with Kinga Heming Trio who are performing at the Vibrant Vine, 3240 Pooley Road, on Saturday. Tim Hirtz on piano, Bernie Addington on double-bass, and Kinga at the helm, form this jazz trio. Kinga has a beautiful tone to her voice and each song she chooses to sing is full of meaning that will truly mesmerize the listener. Tickets are $25 each through links on their website thevibrantvine.com. Sometimes I have trouble purchasing tickets so I suggest calling 778-478-4153 ext. 3 or contacting eventsmanager@thevibrantvine.com – I know tickets are currently on hold so you might want to call the venue first. The show begins at 6 p.m.