ArtaFact: Need a laugh? Anna Jacyszyn has lowdown on Okanagan Comedy Festival
OK, so summer is coming to an end. It was a slow start with all the flooding, then the fires and now feels like it has come to an abrupt end because most the press releases coming across my desk are back-toschool events.
Thursday, the Salvation Army’s Kelowna Community Church is hosting a free family carnival for the community. Enjoy a break from cooking and munch on hot dogs, cotton candy, and popcorn. Dunk a pastor or lose some excess energy in a bouncy castle. There will also be carnival games for everyone to enjoy. Situated at 1480 Sutherland Ave. the fun starts at 4 p.m. and ends at 7 p.m.
This Saturday is the Back to School Bash at Parkinson Recreation Centre from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Back-to-school time tends to get expensive because kids want to look fresh and new on the first day of school so they beg mom and dad for a new wardrobe, a fresh cool haircut, new school supplies and the list goes on.
This event is a wonderful opportunity to get your child ready for school and help heal the purse strings for parents.
Victory Life Fellowship is sponsoring this event, offering over 600 free backpacks, clothing, children’s haircuts and more. The event will also offer hotdogs along with activities, including a bouncy house.
All free, so please let anyone you know who could use a little relief from this kind of stress know about the event.
If you can volunteer with a skill set that suits the aforementioned, the church still needs volunteers, hairstylists and donations. Call 250862-3044 or visit victorylife.ca.
———— On a more adult theme, it’s the annual Okanagan Comedy Festival, offering three days of laughter (Thursday-Saturday) at venues in Kelowna, Kamloops, Vernon and Penticton.
An eclectic roster of comics will include Derek Seguin, Tim Nutt, Lars Callieou, Darryl Makk, Ryan Short, Alex Fortin, David Kopp, James Uloth, Ben Proulx, Serena Shane, Dan Clarke, Aimee Beaudoin, Danny Accapella, Kevin Light, Kendall Guiney, Norm Shaw, Mikos Blackshaw, Steve Schulte, Sean Thomson, Konrad Anderson, Kyle Patan, Andrew Krone, Jordan Strauss, Caleb Campbell and Josh Ashton.
Most of the Kelowna shows will be held at Dakoda’s Sports Bar & Grill, 1574 Harvey Ave. with performances at 7 p.m. or 9 p.m. and tickets for those are $15. You can visit the website at okanagancomedyfestival.ca for a better detailed list of the comics and their styles.
On Friday night at the Rotary Centre for the Arts on Cawston Avenue, French-Canadian stand-up artist and one of my favourite CBC Debaters Derek Seguin will be on stage telling us funny life stories about the challenges of being a single dad in your 40s with a girlfriend who has no kids, living in an everchanging and all too haughty world.
I always enjoy his Quebecois flare and original point of view. He sees a funny side to things in a way that makes me laugh and I guess that’s the point. Tickets for this show are $34 plus fees, available through the Rotary Centre box office. Showtime is 7:30 p.m.
————— Fresh off the heals of the Symphony in White fundraiser for the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra, I see that the new season has been announced.
The OSO is 58 years old and still as poignant, progressive and packs a punch of talent exuding at each concert.
Maestra Rosemary Thomson and the OSO artistic team have created a series that offer a wide range of renowned compositions performed by some of Canada’s greatest artists.
The first concert is Sept. 9 in Kelowna.
Season subscriptions and single concert tickets are available through Kelowna Tickets at 250-8622867; in Penticton at the Shatford Centre or by phone at 888-974-9170; and at the Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre or by phone at 250-549-7469.
Tickets to all performances are also available online at okanagansymphony.com.
It’s the third largest professional symphony orchestra in British Columbia
————— To end this week, I wanted to highlight a free event about brain health. I am almost embarrassed to admit this, but I have a bad habit of not remembering people’s names after meeting them.
I get to use the excuse that I meet so many people in my day-to-day life, but the truth frightens me, so I avoid it.
When I was younger I fobbed it off, but as age creeps up on me and all the stereotypes that go with it, I start to wonder if it’s a symptom of a more cognitive problem.
My mom, at 87, is a rocket; with energy and a mind for remembering things. I took it for granted that I would be the same.
I need to start working out, and I don’t just mean my body muscles, I mean my brain.
If any of you can relate, you might be interested to know that on Tuesday, Aug. 29, the Alzheimer Society of B.C. has organized a free series of workshops under the banner of Heads Up – An Introduction to Brain Health offering strategies for actively engaging in protecting and maintaining the brain.
Participants will learn how to set goals for improving the health of their mind, body and spirit. Anyone interested in brain health is welcome to attend the session. It runs from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Alzheimer Resource Centre, 307 — 1664 Richter St. Pre-registration is required, by contacting 250-860-0305 or cgrounlund@alzheimerbc.org.
If you are already dealing with someone with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and would like more information on it, visit the website at alzheimerbc.org.
Anna Jacyszyn is an awardwinning jazz singer and recipient of the Civic Honour of the Arts award, the Okanagan Arts award in Music. Email her at artafactevent@gmail.com.