This year鈥檚 Penticton Peach Festival is shaping up to be the best yet, with a star-studded entertainment line-up just revealed.
The music line-up is now set for the long-awaited return of Peach Fest Aug. 3 to 7.
Glass Tiger, Honeymoon Suite, Doug and the Slugs, Ben Waters, Simply Queen and Fab Fourever are just some of the concerts coming to the 75th anniversary festival.
鈥淭he board of directors is excited, we have long-time volunteers that are excited, and I can鈥檛 tell you how many times I have been stopped out in public by individuals telling me how much they miss Peach Festival. So, after two long years, everyone is ready to celebrate this family summer tradition in Penticton and we have a great lineup of favourites, and other artists making their first appearance, that are sure to draw big crowds,鈥� said Don Kendall, Peach Festival president.
Opening day on Aug. 3 will kick off with the RONA Kids Zone in Gyro Park to Okanagan Lake Park where it is London Drugs Seniors Day featuring the South Okanagan Big Band and other acts.
The Skyhawks Parachute Team and Snowbirds will perform from 5 to 6:45 p.m on opening day.
The headliner for opening night is Doug and the Slugs (presented by RPR Heating & Air Conditioning).
Then Honeymoon Suite (presented by Peters Bros. Paving) will rock into the night on the main stage on Aug. 3.
Tim Hortons country night is on Thursday, Aug. 4 and features singer/songwriter Shawn Austin and Jess Moskaluke who is the first Canadian female country artist since Shania Twain to achieve CRIA Platinum single status. She was the 2018 CCMA award winner for Album of the Year and a three time consecutive CCMA Female Artist of the Year award winner.
Guaranteed to blow your mind is Simply Queen, the live tribute that performs all the iconic songs that made Queen one the most legendary rock bands of all time. They will headline the RE/MAX Penticton Tribute Night on Friday, Aug. 5 on the Peters Bros. stage with opener Fab Fourever, Canada鈥檚 premiere tribute to The Beatles.
One of Canada鈥檚 most enduring and iconic bands, Glass Tiger, roars right on to the Peach Festival stage on Saturday, Aug. 6.
Thanks to the sponsorship of the Penticton Lakeside Resort, Ben Waters, one of the top piano players in the world returns to close out the festival on Sunday, Aug. 7.
鈥淓veryone was absolutely blown away by Waters when he played at PeachFest in 2019 after he opened for Barney Bentall. The crowd was rocking and he was having such a great time that he wasn鈥檛 but a few steps off the stage when he told me he wanted to come back next year,鈥� said Kendall.
Prior to Waters taking the stage, Phonix will have the crowd rocking.
Other big entertainment draws for the 75th Peach Festival include the West Coast Loggers Show, Canadian Tire Mega Motocross, Bent Family Entertainment (who were crowd favourites at last summer鈥檚 Mini-Peach Fest) and 32 local performers.
New this year to the festival is the RPR PeachDuro cycling event at Three Blind Mice in Naramata. Calls has gone out for all former Miss Penticton or Princesses to celebrate the 75th Peach Festival with a reunion organized by Jessica Okayama - Miss Penticton 2000. To join in on this special reunion event and be part of the parade, contact Okayama at peachfestroyalty75@yahoo.com.
As it has been two years since a full Peach Festival was held, the board of directors is putting out a call for volunteers to help in a variety of areas. To learn more about how you can assist Peach Festival with a few hours of volunteering, visit Peachfest.com/volunteers. You can also find out more about the festival or volunteering by visiting their booth at the upcoming True Penticton Expo on April 9 at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre.
