Laura Penney (left) and Sara Titus enjoy cool treats while taking in the music at the Oliver Sunshine Festival last weekend. After rain threatened to put a damper on last Saturday’s parade, the sun came out and so did hundreds of people. (Dan Walton photo)
The Oliver Sunshine Festival hit every note last weekend in delivering the full spectrum of family fun.
Highway 97 had to divert around Main Street on Saturday morning to make way for the Sunshine parade, which was sandwiched between two days of non-stop good times and family fun for residents of Oliver, Osoyoos, Okanagan Falls and elsewhere throughout the South Okanagan at the Oliver Community Park.
The familiar faces of local politicians, businessmen and non-profits suited up with decorative floats, golf carts or automobiles, and some were seen driving Power Wheels battery operated cars for kids.
Over at the Oliver Community Park, there was an abundance of live music throughout the two days.
Between acts, festival-goers were greeted by the Town’s Youth Ambassadors; a massive drum circle was formed in front of the stage; and the stars of tomorrow took the stage to perform in Oliver’s Got Talent, which was exclusively for the youth.
Each young performer in the talent show had a different style of music to share.
One of the contestants, Kelan Harty, decided to share some country music with the crowd and he prepared a tap dance routine for Don’t Rock the Jukebox by Alan Jackson.
“Country music isn’t too huge anymore, especially not here among young people,” he said. “So it’s good to bring it back when you can.”
Harty had been practicing weekly since November. One of his tap-dancing moves was a big heel click in the middle of the song, which he felt to be the crowd’s favourite moment.
For his participation in the show, he was awarded a prize pack of glow sticks, a reusable water bottle and bouncy balls.
He plans on returning next year, and as a student of the Dance Studio in Oliver, he credited much of his ability to his instructor.
“Miss Leah is my teacher and she is absolutely fantastic.”
Although she exceeded the age limit for Oliver’s Got Talent, “Miss” Leah Moen still took to the stage to perform as the opening act.
But shortly after Moen began moving to Lighthouse by Patrick Watson, her young son Liam, who turns 2 in September, decided his mom needed a partner on stage.
Liam was upset to see his mom dancing all alone and made it clear he wanted to join her, so he was taken into her arms, soothed as soon as he was embraced, and they danced together in step for the remainder of the song.
“We dance around the house so much, when he saw me he must have wanted up there with me and there was no way I could have kept him off,” she said. “He’s so big now that it throws me off balance a little bit, but we made it work.”
Almost as soon as he was born, Moen submerged her son in dance.
“I taught with him attached to me, literally, until he was about six or seven months old. He pretty much lives at the studio.”
The most competitive event of the weekend was the pie-eating contest. One winner among the three categories was 11-year-old Trystan Boisclair, who said it didn’t take very much chewing to swallow cherry pie so fast.
“I just started to slurp like a vacuum,” he said. “I really didn’t eat anything before the contest and the pie was tasty. It was a cherry pie with whipped cream on it.”
Boisclair won a $25 gift card to Boston Pizza and said he’ll be sharing it with his family.
Winning the grown-up category was Shayne Harty, who didn’t even know he was going to enter the contest until 30 minutes before it began.
Winning for Harty meant sacrificing his clean beard, which became smothered in cherry sauce.
“I think it’s going to take a little cleaning,” he said. “Might have to go swimming or have a shower.”
His advice to competitive eaters was “get as much in your mouth as fast as you can and swallow it as fast as you can.”
Alena and David Zambrano were also in the adult round of the contest and before launching into their pies, they were given some steadfast advice from their six-year-old daughter Anara – don’t get full.
Which was easy for her to say. “I don’t think she’s ever been full a day in her life,” Alena said.
“She keeps eating like a bottomless pit,” David joked.
The Zambrano’s said it was Anara’s excitement that made them interested in the contest and they enjoy finding silly ways to compete as a couple.
“We quickly realized you didn’t have to chew anything and you can just suck it back.”
The three drove from Penticton to attend the Sunshine Festival for the first time and they were happy to have made the trip.
“This is good family fun for all the kids and it was really well put together,” David said.
The festival was topped off with dance music by DJ MAST3RBLAST3R, who’s less commonly known as Cole Wilson.
“I play mostly ghetto funk, but for this festival especially I knew there was a bit of an older crowd so I fit in some Motown and soul to make sure everyone has a good time,” he said, adding that remixes of Motown music were especially popular.
“People love that old 1950s stuff – you can’t stop your body from moving to it.”
Wilson said Sunshine Fest is one of the friendliest festivals he knows of and he was honoured to be invited to play in his hometown.
DAN WALTON
Regional Reporter
With hands behind their backs, Alena and David Zambrano bury their faces in tin foil dishes in an attempt to win the pie-eating contest. (Dan Walton photo)
All aboard! Sunny the Clown was the conductor of wine barrel wagon rides at the Oliver Sunshine Festival in the community park on July 8-9. Children and adults had a blast during the event. (Dan Walton photo)
All Sunshine Festival-goers were invited to be part of a massive drum circle on Saturday afternoon. (Dan Walton photo)
The sun beams down on the Oliver Sunshine Festival. (Dan Walton photo)
DJ MAST3RBLAST3R with his turntables in action. (Dan Walton photo)
DJ MAST3RBLAST3R with his turntables in action. (Dan Walton photo)
Dancers on stage during the Fire Show at Oliver Sunshine Festival. (Dan Walton photo)
There weren’t just flames being fanned during the Fire Show by Nadine and Neil, when circus-themed dancers grooved to the tunes of DJ MAST3RBLAST3R with their flow toys. (Dan Walton photo)
