Ronda Jahn (left) and Ken Baker of the Osoyoos Times try out their new cherry costumes in anticipation of Cherry Fiesta. The two are regular participants in festival parades. (Richard McGuire photo)
When you have a formula that works, why change it?
That’s the thinking of organizers of this year’s 67th annual Cherry Fiesta taking place Wednesday, July 1.
Organizer Lyn Motkoski, of the Osoyoos Festival Society, said the main differences this year are that Gyro Park, where many events take place, has been renovated and there are also many new performers in the lineup at the park’s bandshell.
Otherwise, popular highlights like the water fight, the parade, children’s games and evening fireworks will be the same as in previous years.
“We do have a little bit of a different lineup on stage than we normally have,” said Motkoski. “Some new groups are there that we haven’t had before.”
Entertainment runs from noon to 10 p.m.
While Cindy Doucette, Dance Oasis and Mikie Spillett, now with Wined It Up, have performed in past years and are back, other performers are new this year.
Kettle Valley Brakemen, who open the lineup at noon, have played at Cherry Fiesta years ago, said Nancy Katerenchuk, president of the Osoyoos Festival Society.
Others, she said, are completely new: Diamond Steel, Tiller’s Folly, Johnny’s Hat, Matt Stanley and the Decoys and Rumble 100 are all new to Cherry Fiesta.
Katerenchuk said registration for the parade is shaping up well. Last week there were about 35 entries, which is on par for other years, but she said many more people will be expected to register up to the time of the parade.
“It will be a fabulous parade,” said Katerenchuk. “We’ve got some new entries, so it’s going to be good. Everybody will have so much fun watching it.”
The parade follows the same route down Main Street as in previous years, coming down Heron Lane, following Main Street and breaking up before Kingfisher Drive. The parade starts at 11 a.m.
Main Street is closed to traffic from 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. from the intersection with Highway 97 to Kingfisher Drive. People are asked not to park on Main Street overnight or Wednesday morning.
The water fight takes place before the parade in front of Osoyoos Home Hardware. People who don’t want to get wet are warned to stay out of the area. In past years, swarms of children armed with lethal-looking water guns have taken on local firefighters.
Canada Day gets started with the Rotary Pancake Breakfast from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Town Square.
The Elks Club hosts a beer garden at Gyro Park from noon to 10 p.m. and the Legion also has a beer garden and beef on a bun from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Cherry Fiesta activities actually kick off the previous night, on Tuesday, June 30, with the Miss Osoyoos Pageant starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Sonora Community Centre. The newly chosen Royalty then makes an appearance the following day in the parade.
There’s a cherry pie eating contest at the Gyro Park bandshell at 3:30 p.m. and a cherry pit spit contest at 4:30 p.m. by the beach. The fireworks display, in its 20th year, gets underway around 10 p.m. at the beach.
Motkoski acknowledged that because Cherry Fiesta is not on a long weekend, attendance might be a bit lower.
“We’re still probably expecting anywhere from 6,000 to 8,000 people,” she said.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
