Family music fest set for Saturday afternoon

Free performances by 4 acts at Rotary Centre for the Arts part of BreakOut West

Western Canada’s largest music industry event has arrived in Kelowna this week.

BreakOut West is a four-day industry conference and a three-day music festival with more than 60 bands performing at downtown Kelowna venues until Sunday.

As part of the festivities, local organizers are presenting Mini BreakOut West, a free family music festival.

Mini BOW is taking place 1-4 p.m. Saturday at the Rotary Centre for the Arts, 421 Cawston Ave.

Nicolette Jacques, program co-ordinator with Festivals Kelowna, said Mini BOW is not to be missed.

“In addition to the fantastic music, there will be all sorts of fun activities for the whole family, everything from a musical petting zoo through to karaoke,” she said.

There will be musical performances from Kelowna’s The Oot n’ Oots, rising stars of the indie rock scene, as well as high-energy folksy band The Kwerks, award-winning, ukulele-strumming, five-piece The Springmans and Canadian country music powerhouse Jessie Farrell, whose music is featured on the CBC’s The Gumboot Kids.

While the event is free, attendees are encouraged to donate what they can with proceeds going to family cultural programming.

As for the rest of BreakOut West, you can catch 60-plus bands in downtown Kelowna for only $15.