As a digital magazine specializing in all things lifestyle and business across the whole Okanagan, trust us when we say we’re BIG fans of the arts—especially community driven initiatives. That’s why we’re so excited to pair up with Ignite the Arts for a chance to win two tickets to their upcoming festival this March!

Contest rules are simple: On Instagram, make sure you 1) follow both @editorspicksokanagan and @ignitetheartsfest, 2) like our contest post, 3) tag a friend you want to bring along (multiple tags = more entries!), and 4) for a BONUS entry, share our post to your Instagram story and tag @editorspicksokanagan.

Onto its 4th year, Ignite the Arts is a heavily volunteer run festival that’s all about celebrating art in its many forms: music, visual art, dance, storytelling, multi-media—you name it! Hosted by The Penticton Art Gallery in collaboration with other community partners, this festival is a mix of both indoor and outdoor locations spread across downtown Penticton where you can find workshops, family-friendly events, all sorts of performances, and even their fan-favourite “Parade for No Reason.” 

While the whole weekend boasts quite a lineup, and the lucky ticket winner can cruise between any event and venue, here are just a few acts we’ve got our eyes on…

Friday, March 28th

Friday’s festivities really kick off with the “Parade for No Reason,” a wonderful family-friendly event where everyone can walk through the streets of Penticton to celebrate art in all its forms. Getting the ball rolling just outside the Elks’ Hall, artist Yanti will introduce 3 Jack Generation Drummers who will officially welcome everyone to snpintktn (Penticton)! 

Since you’re already there, we suggest sticking around Elks—but even then you’ve got choices! Both their upstairs and downstairs stages have different acts throughout the night, so feel free to wander up and down the stairs to glimpse all the impressive artists rocking the evening away.

If you’re more in the mood for some good electro-pop and EDM acts, then wander on over to BritBar! The evening performances promise everything from flutists to immersive house and tech sounds.

Saturday, March 29th

Kick off day two with a stop by Dream Café to listen to some local youth talent at the Kid’s Songwriting Concert. After a week attending the children and youth camp, these young artists will perform the songs they’ve spent part of Spring Break working on and creating themselves!

In the afternoon, head on over to Hillside Winery for a touch of literary arts, or better yet, stop by the Elks later that evening for an open mic slam poetry sesh! If you’re more of a theatre kid—at heart, or in real life—Tempest Theatre has an incredible “moving theatre” performance that afternoon.

For some laid back beers and tunes, both Highway 97 and The Cannery have performances scheduled throughout the day. You can get a taste for local craft flavours while enjoying local and visiting talent. Or, return to where you began your day with the Dream Café for a highly impressive evening lineup.

Sunday, March 30th

Shake off the sadness that the festival will soon be over by hitting up the Legacy Den for an International Fixed Media showcase first thing. If you’re looking for more music, then the Elks or Dream Café have some stellar performances to close off the weekend, whereas the HUB on Martin has some pride-filled fun with their Drag Kings show. 

Be sure to test out your own vocal skills with BritBar’s open mic Karaoke all Sunday evening. Get a taste for what the artists themselves have been doing with your best rendition of classic songs!

Whatever form of art you prefer, you’ll find plenty of options to enjoy all weekend long with Ignite the Arts Festival! Big thank you to the Penticton Art Gallery and every single volunteer who will help out either on stage or behind the scenes. 

For the full lineup, you can find more information HERE. 

You’ll definitely find us soaking up the tunes and partaking in quite a few of the workshops!

XX

Your Okanagan Curators