A staple of Penticton's annual celebration of arts and culture, the Parade For No Reason, returned to the city's downtown core on Friday evening (March 28).

The action, which included music, dance, and fire spinners, helped ring in the Ignite the Arts Festival.

"It was a huge turnout," said Penticton Art Gallery curator Paul Crawford. "It was a celebration of our uniqueness and I hope it serves as a catalyst to make people realize how valuable opportunities like this are."

The parade followed Ignite the Arts' Community Week, which kicked off last weekend.

Now, with the festival itself running on Saturday and Sunday, Crawford says he's excited to see Penticton buzzing with locals and tourists alike.

Around 250 performances are taking place at 10 different venues. Several of the performers this weekend have come from across B.C. and beyond to make the event.

"It's amazing to see the community support for this," Crawford said, acknowledging the local businesses and non-profit organizations who stepped up to make the festival a reality for the fourth straight year.

Saturday and Sunday's schedule for Ignite the Arts can be found below, with Crawford adding that people can still grab tickets