Downtown Kelowna Block Party celebrates local businesses

The cars person been kicked disconnected Kelowna’s Bernard Avenue to make room for nan yearly Downtown Kelowna Association Block Party.

Saturday astatine 11 a.m. nan festivities began by closing 2 other blocks of Bernard Avenue to vehicular postulation to accommodate nan much than 15,000 group expected to attend. For nan time Bernard Avenue was closed from nan Sails connected nan waterfront to St. Paul Street.

“It’s important because it’s a community-building event, it besides gets group downtown truthful that they tin move astir backmost and distant freely successful nan mediate of nan street, spot immoderate vendors they wouldn’t usually spot and past get wrong to cool down pinch our restaurants and our businesses,” said Mark Burley, executive head of nan Downtown Kelowna Association.

At nan intersection of Pandosy Street and Bernard Avenue kids and nan young astatine bosom could effort their manus astatine riding a motorized panda.

“It’s conscionable for illustration a ungraded bike, you propulsion nan throttle and you conscionable go,” said Rob Souch who owns Happy Panda Rides.

The time of nosy for nan full family encourages group to travel to Kelowna’s downtown halfway and support section businesses.

“We are nan 2nd fastest increasing downtown successful nan state and that has to do pinch not only nan summation of businesses and caller ones that are turning complete but we besides person each nan caller residential that’s here,” said Burley.

When nan timepiece strikes 5 p.m. nan artifact statement closes for different year, leaving only nan blocks from Water Street to Pandosy Street of Bernard Avenue closed for nan remainder of nan summer.