Article by: Gord Goble

Several thousand people who attended the 2025 iteration this past weekend probably think so.

“It” is, of course, “Wine Capital Weekend,” aka an energetic, three-day, shoulder-season celebration run by the Oliver Tourism Association that intends to extend that summer magic just a wee bit further.

And this year, said Oliver Tourism Marketing Director Brad Morgan, the event pulled in the biggest crowds since COVID: 4,000 between its Friday opening and Sunday finale.

The party booted up Friday evening with the appropriately named “Kick-Off Party” at northern Oliver’s cottage winery hub known as the District Wine Village.

The gates opened at 6 PM and the space—seven wineries, a brewery, a distillery, a restaurant and more, all circularly arranged around a massive central sculpture and an in-the-round performance stage—was hopping by 7pm.

But the real action began at 8pm with the much anticipated appearance of multiple-Juno-winning rock band, Glass Tiger (GT).

Within 15 minutes of GT materializing, dozens and ultimately hundreds of guests—many middle-aged and older—had left their seats to dance and sing and, for an hour or so anyway, become teenage fanboys and fangirls once more.

Many seemingly knew all the words to all the evening’s tunes.

It didn’t hurt that the band was so clearly into the evening. Vocalist Alan Frew in particular, who suffered a stroke a decade ago but has since staged a heck of a recovery, was fully involved right from the start.

He spent much of the evening amongst the crowd, several times serenading audience members face to face.

Saturday the action shifted to Oliver Community Park for the ninth annual Cask and Keg Festival, a full afternoon tribute to regional craft breweries that showcased, among other activities, the fourth annual “Beer Olympics.”

And if disciplines like keg-rolling and drink tray-carrying seemed a bit too challenging, guests could avail themselves of the brand new for 2025 “Stein-Holding Showdown,” a grueling test of Oktoberfest-style arm endurance.

The inaugural Stein-Holding victor, Lake Country’s powerfully appendaged Neil Davis, managed to keep his one-litre stein, filled with brew, aloft and horizontal for an impressive six minutes.

“My wife signed me up for this,” laughed the road crew maintenance worker afterward.

Though he claims he doesn’t work out, he did say he’d be back next September to defend his crown.

But Davis had to earn his victory. He was pushed right through to the end by an impressive Jackie Kea of Chilliwack. The two together created one of the most thrilling spectacles of the day.

One of eight women to sign up, Kea, who says she hits the gym and definitely looks like she does, outlasted all other females and every male but Davis.

Then the pair battled it out head to head for a minute or more.

“We were at Backroads Brewing in Osoyoos,” said Kea later, “and we saw this event posted there. So we came and it’s been a lot of fun.”

But she had a suggestion for year two of the contest.

“I think the contestants should have been split,” she said. “A 260-pound guy will beat a 135-pound woman. Of course he will. But he’s happy, so good for him.”

Also in the Saturday spotlight was Firehall Brewing founder Sid Ruhland, who got his crazy facial hair shaved off completely at on-site barber, The Last Barber Shop.

“It was always a back alley thing I did, where I shaved off my winter beard for donations every year at [Penticton’s] Fest of Ale,” Ruhland explained, “and this is finally the year we make a ten-year-old tradition official.

“So today at Cask and Keg is the day my winter beard starts growing. We’re finding other members of the beer industry to start their growing campaign too. So far we have Jonah of Detonate Brewing and Matt of the Cannery.”

Ruhland explained they’ll all fundraise for a registered Fest of Ale charity and get shaved again, on stage, at next spring’s Fest of Ale.

The party continued during Sunday’s 26th annual Festival of the Grape, except wine replaced beer, the wacky “Grape Stomp” competition replaced the equally wacky Beer Olympics, and the crowd grew even larger.

Bruce Bettles of Dublin, Ontario enjoyed his day so much he made sure to tell a member of the weekend’s volunteer crew.

“We have family here, in Keremeos,” he explained. “So my sister sent me an email recently and asked if we’d like to attend. And we said sure.”

“And it’s just been great. To come here and see the community so involved is wonderful. Community involvement like this is what makes small communities big.”

Bettles, a member of Lions International back home, says he knows all about organizing events.

“It takes a lot to organize this sort of thing,” he said, “and I really loved this. I was watching the Grape Stomp earlier. I’d love to be a part of that in the future. And the people in the wine tents are so grateful you’re there…they’re so nice.

“So I went over to the crew to let them know that whatever you’re doing, please keep it up.”

Wine Capital Weekend Chair Danielle Hutton was all smiles.

“I think we’re doing so well now because people are starting to understand that this is a whole-weekend thing,” she said. “Bringing in the Friday Kick-Off Party, the Cask and Keg on Saturday, and the Festival of the Grape on Sunday, people are now coming in and looking forward to a full weekend of events.”

And she promised big things for the tenth anniversary of Cask and Keg in September of 2026.

“It’ll be the biggest ever,” she said. “But we’re not letting any secrets out now.”

For more on Oliver Tourism, head here.