Stunning Sun Peaks a summer mecca
With summer nearly half over, there’s still plenty of time to plan a classic B.C. hot weather getaway, and Sun Peaks Resort is rolling out the grassy carpet for music lovers.
The resort’s annual summer concert series kicked off its fifth season earlier this month with the Sam Roberts Band, but there’s still time to catch a couple of great weekends of dancing in the sun.
The 7th annual Retro Concert Weekend rolls into the mountain resort Aug. 12-14, with three days of tribute bands paying homage to a diverse collection of musicians, from Johnny Cash to Aerosmith, and Pat Benatar to Bob Seger.
The series finale goes Aug. 26-28, with headliners Alan Doyle & The Beautiful Gypsies taking the stage Saturday night. Other acts perform Friday to Sunday.
The resort is in the rolling Caribou Range, about a five-hour drive northeast of Vancouver and just north of Kamloops.
Home to a wide range of downhill mountain biking trails, Sun Peaks also boasts an evolving cross-country biking trail network and community, lift-accessed hiking through some of Canada’s most stunning alpine blossoms and golfing on B.C.’s highest elevation course.
Nearby lakes offer paddle boarding, canoe and kayak rentals, the unique Voyageur Canoe Tour and the chance to witness wildlife in its natural habitat.
New this summer are extended chairlift hours, with the Sunburst chair operating from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, taking mountain bikers, hikers and sightseers 6,000 feet up to the alpine environment. Sunburst Lodge is open for guests and will include new products such as Okanagan wine and food pairings during twilight hours.
Also new this summer is Knights of the Sun: Medieval Tournament Theatre. Presented by award-nominated Chimera Theatre, Knights of the Sun is a thrilling theatrical adventure into a rich medieval world filled with song, dance, intrigue, romance, and fierce combat as knights hungry for glory vie for the title of Champion of the Sun. An epic tale for all ages, Knights of the Sun runs to Aug. 21, Fridays and Saturdays from 6 to 8 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Last summer’s new addition is back. North America’s first Mountain Cross Cart Course was constructed on ‘Sunbeam’ ski run, paralleling the Platter Lift.
The track is 512 metres long with a vertical descent of 52 metres and provides an average speed of 35 km/h. Despite high speeds and a winding, gravity-fed course, the carts offer precise control and a high level of safety thanks to powerful disc brakes, four-point seat belts, roll bars and padded seats.
For those wanting a more sedate mountain adventure, Canada’s Alpine Blossom Festival (July 29-31) will have local professional photographers share their knowledge and tips during daily photography workshops. After loading the Sunburst chairlift, students will learn to capture the kaleidoscope of colour in the height of the season. Kelly Funk, an award-winning tourism photographer and editor of Outdoor Photography Canada Magazine, and Gemma Harris, a documentary photography graduate from the University of Wales and owner of local shop Alpine Images Photography, will lead participants on a journey to capture their perfect mountain moment.