Osoyoos firefighters lead an opening attack on hordes of children armed with water guns. The water fight is a popular highlight of Cherry Fiesta and gets underway just before the parade. (Richard McGuire file photo)
Larger crowds are expected at Cherry Fiesta on July 1 this year because it falls on a double long weekend – Canada Day is Friday and Independence Day in the U.S. is the Monday.
“We’re going to expect a whole lot more traffic,” said Lyn Motkoski, president of the Osoyoos Festival Society. “It should be a whole lot busier.”
Last year Cherry Fiesta and Canada Day fell on a Wednesday rather than close to the weekend.
But aside from more anticipated visitors, the 68th annual Cherry Fiesta will stick to the same format followed in recent years.
Events start with the Miss Osoyoos Pageant on Thursday, June 30 at 6:30 p.m. at the Sonora Community Centre. At this pageant, residents will learn which of three contestants is Miss Osoyoos and which are princesses.
On Canada Day itself, events kick off with the Rotary Pancake Breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m. at Town Square, the park next to the town hall.
The parade, preceded by a water fight, starts at 11 a.m. and runs down Main Street.
On-stage events run from noon to 10 p.m. at Gyro Park.
A beer garden, entertainment, beef on a bun and other events also run from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Osoyoos Legion Hall.
The finale, as always, is the spectacular fireworks display, which gets underway at dusk at Gyro Beach, approximately at 10 p.m.
Motkoski said the parade and fireworks are usually the highlights of Cherry Fiesta, but when asked her favourite event, the first thing that popped into mind was the cherry pit spit.
“The first year that I ever helped out with festivals, they told me that I was going to be responsible for the cherry pit spit contest,” Motkoski recalls. “I thought that sounded absolutely disgusting, but it turned out to be an awful lot of fun.”
The cherry pit spit is scheduled for 4:30 to 5 p.m. at Gyro Beach.
Motkoski said she is always impressed by the parade.
“I’m just overwhelmed every time I stand at the end of Main Street there and just look up and see swarms of people,” she said. “Of course the fireworks, there’s nothing you can say about that that isn’t good.”
There will be children’s activities such as face painting at the beach from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., run by the Town of Osoyoos Community Services Department.
Nearby, the Elks Beer Garden will offer refreshments while people enjoy entertainment at the Gyro Park bandshell.
The entertainment at the bandshell, which runs from noon to 10 p.m., includes a mix of returning and new entertainers, said Motkoski.
Some such as the Kettle Valley Brakemen, Rumble 100 and Matt Stanley and the Decoys have played before at Cherry Fiesta. Cindy Doucette is a regular.
Others such as 13 Broken Bones, Rebel Luv, McLaren & Mehrer and Cosmic Brew are new.
Dance Oasis, the local dance school, will also be giving a performance as in previous years.
The music and dance performances will be interrupted between 3:30 and 4 p.m. for the cherry-pie-eating contest. Members of the public can watch contestants get cherry pie filling and whipped cream all over their faces as they try to suck back pies without using their hands.
One of the most fun events of Cherry Fiesta is the water fight that takes place just before the 11 a.m. parade.
The main action is in front of Osoyoos Home Hardware, but anyone along the parade route risks getting a bit wet, especially if it’s a hot day and the firefighters try to cool down the crowds.
The water fight is between firefighters, using heavy artillery, and swarms of children and a few adults with everything from small water pistols to high-capacity water guns.
Main Street will be closed to traffic between 10:45 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. for the parade from the main highway junction to Main Street and Kingfisher. Detour routes will be set up.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
