Well-known Osoyoos musician Diane Ball, with some accompaniment from members of her family, helped kick off the 2017 Piano in the Park program at Gyro Park this past Sunday afternoon. (Dan Walton photo)

Gyro Park once again has the keys to create a more musical community in Osoyoos.

After last summer’s success, Piano in the Park returned on Sunday to hold its encore performance in 2017.

“Anybody can just walk up and come and play it,” said Diane Ball, the local musician who led Sunday’s show. “Piano in the Park is a really nice way to spread some positive energy. As soon as you start playing people just come. People are just smiling and dancing and it’s a beautiful thing.”

The Piano in the Park program was the brainchild of Janis St. Louis, a founder of Market on Main and the Osoyoos Music in the Park concert series.

After hibernating in storage during the colder months, the piano just came out last week to get tuned up and ready for another season of song.

Joining Ball for her performance were her mother, three sisters, sister-in-law and cousins, who travelled from all over the province.

“It was really fun,” she said. “We had nursery rhymes, blues, grandma on the harp – we wanted to make sure it would be a nice kickoff for Piano in the Park.”

The audience was especially impressed by a collaboration with five-year-old Beth, who Ball knows through a local daycare centre she operates.

“Beth knows lots of songs,” Ball said.

The piano was turned into a public asset last year thanks to the help of numerous volunteers.

A sturdy wooden casing was built for the piano by Desert Valley Renovations and Roofing and it’s locked up each night thanks to A-1 Security.

Local artists Sharon Leonard and Sherri Bridden painted floral designs on the piano using supplies donated from Home Hardware.

Additional building supplies were donated by Home Building Centre.

Another good deal came from Osoyoos Signs, which created the commemorative plaque on the back of the piano.

The piano will remain available to play on in Gyro Park throughout the summer months and into the fall.

DAN WALTON

Regional Reporter