Ideas for what to do on long weekend

Events on tap include country music festival, mountain bike racing, Armstrong country fair

Kelowna and area residents hoping for a last blast of summer this holiday weekend will find no shortage of fun events. The Denim on the Diamond party will be presented Saturday at Kings Stadium, home field of the Kelowna Falcons baseball team.

The country-music event will feature live performances by Chad Brownlee, JoJo Mason, Devon Coyote, Tiger Moon, Ben Klick and several local artists.

General-admission tickets for the one-day festival are still available. They cost $60 and can be purchased online at denimonthediamond.com. Gates open at 2 p.m. and close at 11 p.m. Also this weekend, be sure to make your way over to Big White, the host of this year’s BC Downhill Series. With practice runs on Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and racing on Sunday, also 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., spectators will have the chance to see mountain bikers racing against national and international competitors. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to come support the athletes, with no admission fee or cost for the event.

If a downhill race on bikes makes your heart beat a little too quickly, take a relaxing walk around the Kelowna Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market on Saturday. It offers locally grown and made products. The market runs from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and admission is free.

In the North Okanagan, don’t forget Armstrong’s 119th Interior Provincial Exposition is running through Sunday. There will be trapeze acts, barrel racing, bull riding and many more shows to watch. Kids can compete in a corn-eating contest or learn to pan for gold. For animal lovers, a petting zoo will be set up.

Gates open at 7:30 a.m. and close at 9 p.m., and tickets are available starting at $18 for adults, $14 for students, $13 for seniors and $8 for children (plus applicable taxes). Tickets can be purchased online at armstrongipe.com or at the gate.

Finish off your Labour Day weekend with a picnic Monday, hosted by the North Okanagan Labour Council at Mission Creek Regional Park. With a free barbecue, live music performed by local artists, fun giveaways, face painting and a bouncy castle for kids, everyone is welcome to come and have fun.