It was a record-setting day for one of Penticton's newest October traditions.

Close to 500 people took part in the eighth annual Penticton Beer Run on Saturday morning, Oct. 5.

Tasking teams of up to 20 people to race through the city and visit local breweries, the event marked the start of Penticton Beer Week, which runs until Oct. 14.

"We usually have around 350 or 375 people participate, so it's great to see so many here today," said Hoodoo Adventure's Lyndie Hill, race director.

Participants used the event as an opportunity to not only visit South Okanagan breweries, but to dress up in costumes, too.

"Everyone's out here for fun and they just want to make the most of the day, so I would say that's why they're dressing up," said Hill.

Hill says registered teams on Saturday came from as far as Powell River, Vancouver, Squamish and Edmonton.

"Tourism has struggled over the last few years, and I think everyone's taken a hit this year, too, so it's nice that people are coming here to support it," Hill added.

One team who spoke to the Western News from Vernon, dressed up like attendees at Woodstock 1969, said they've been planning to come to the event for over a year.

"We visited one of the bars in Penticton this time last year, and when we saw all the people running through town with costumes, we decided that we had to come and try it out," one of its members said.

A yellow school bus picked up beer-run participants from Okanagan Lake Park as early as 9 a.m. and transported them to the race's starting point at Abandoned Rail Brewing, located off the KVR Trail.

Teams travelled along a six or 10-kilometre course, before taking the party back to the downtown park for a wrap-up celebration upon completion.

Proceeds from Saturday's event will go toward helping send kids to Hoodoo Adventure camps, Hill said.

Penticton Beer Week, now entering its sixth year, is holding events for the next 10 days at each of Penticton's eight breweries: Barley Mill, Tin Whistle, Cannery, Neighbourhood, Slackwater, Highway 97, Abandoned Rail and Yellow Dog.

Along with the Penticton-based businesses, Firehall Brewing in Oliver and Summerland's Giant's Head Brewing also took part in Saturday's beer run.