Some Things You Need To Know About Vernon Winter Carnival 2013

   Vernon Winter Carnival 2013

"Prehistoric Carnival"

We know you can’t believe it but, yes, January is upon us! Fall has officially passed and winter has set in! And yes, here in Vernon we’ve had quite a heavy snowfall. So the ski slopes are open, and everybody is happily enjoying the blessing winter brings! But snow isn’t the only thing that happens during the winter here in Vernon, the annual Vernon Winter Carnival is an event that everybody looks forward to!

The Winter Carnival is a 10 day carnival, consisting of multiple events like a Snow Sculpture Competition, Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, Winter Carnival Parade, Snowshoe Safari, Ukrainian Food Festival, Jam Cam Curling, Downtown Vernon Broomball Tournament, Outdoor Skating Party, Classic Peewee Hockey Tournament and many others! Almost all of these events are for people of all ages and all the members of your family! This year’s theme is “Prehistoric Carnival”, and the events begin on February 1^st and goes until February 10^th, with a full day schedule of events for each day! You can choose to attend one event or all of them! Certain events occur more than once like the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, others take place over a period of a few days like the Snow Sculpture Competition, some are only happen once during the carnival like the Winter Carnival Parade!

 

One of the most popular events is the Winter Carnival Parade! The 53^rd annual Parade will be held February 2^nd at 12pm. This event is located in downtown Vernon, it’s a free event that showcases some amazing floats supported and built by multiple non-profit organizations, local businesses, sports teams, multicultural groups and dance/music teams. The parade last’s about a half-hour and makes its route through 27^th street on 31^st! This year’s theme is “Prehistoric Carnival”, so get ready to see lots of dinosaurs and cavemen! You can even get a chance to see Vernon Tourism’s float, which is sure to be incredible! The Kalamalka Highlanders Bag Pipe Band is always a blast, along with the Caring Clowns that walk alongside the parade floats, handing out stickers, dog treats and spreading smiles! This is the largest free event of the Vernon Carnival, and is great for all ages!

 

 

Another popular event is the Hot Air Balloon Glow, which will be held on February 1^st at 6pm in Polson Park! This event follows the Coronation of Queen Silver Star LIII, which takes place in the band shell. It lasts about a half-hour, and is perfect for the whole family! Your family can enjoy the wonder and mystery of the hot air balloons as they light up the winter sky! And an event you that will truly mesmerize you with just a glance is the annual Snow Sculpture Competition held at Silver Star! You can come by and watch their progress through Friday February 1^st to Sunday, February 3rd, and even help determine which sculpture should receive the “People’s Choice Award”! It’s an event that your family will love to watch and keep up with! Snow being turned into art....does it get any better than that?!? There are plenty more events you and your family can attend, so check out the Vernon Carnival Website at http://www.vernonwintercarnival.com/.

 

If you’ve never been to the Vernon Winter Carnival, here’s your chance! There are so many unforgettable events and activities to attend for your whole family! It only last 10 days, so plan a trip down to Vernon B.C with your family, and “Make Vernon Yours”!
 

New Years Resolutions

Well it’s January and here in Vernon we are all trying to stick to our new year’s resolutions! More physical activity seems to be a common goal for most and Vernon has many choices when it comes to venues for getting active.

With Vernon’s often mild weather the outdoors is a great arena to get your heart pumping. Sledding on the slopes, tubing, cross country skiing, downhill skiing, skating or even guided snowshoe tours are available. If you have a dog there are six different dog parks to choose from all within the City.

 

If you are looking for indoor activity the choices are endless. Vernon has everything from Wallyball to indoor walking facilities, dance classes, yoga and the list goes on! The Vernon Recreation Centre has swimming, skating, exercise room and a gymnasium all within a city block!  Whether you are a resident of Vernon or here on vacation many of the facilities have drop in rates or are free to use so give us a call and we will get you headed in the right direction!

                                                             “Make Vernon Yours”  

OurTop 10 Christmas Break Activities for Children In Vernon

 With the Holiday Season upon us and children out of school you might be looking for something for everyone to do. We have compiled a list of our "Top 10" things to do in Vernon during the Holiday Season! Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

 

1.      Santa Swim Dec 22 from 1:30 – 4:00 pm @ Vernon Aquatic Centre

                                         

   2.      Holiday Skate Schedule httwww.greatervernonrecreation.ca/wesbildfiles/holiday_skate_schedule.pdf

3.    Go tobogganing at one of the local school playgrounds. Our preference is Mission Hill Elementary School - 1510 - 36th Street.

4.    Break Camps @ Silver Star Mountain: Check out the website for packages and price. Silverstar has many Holiday events- Check it out

                 http://winter.skisilverstar.com/specials/christmas-break-camps

5.      Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre: Kids Christmas Camp January, 2^nd, 3^rd & 4^th from Noon-4:00pm call them at  250-558-3036  www.sovereignlake.com   250.558.3036

6.    Okanagan Science Centre this holiday season for Winter Break-ology! Pre-register for the hourly, half- or full-day ‘Supervised Science’ drop off programs on Dec. 22, 27-29 and Jan 2-5. Call 250. 545.3644 or visit www.okscience.ca for details.

7.      Ya Ya’s Play Centre (Closed on December. 25. 2012 & Jan .1. 2013 )

8.      Galaxy Cinema’s: 275-2306 Highway 6 – 250. 542.1107 275 - www.ciniplex.com

9.    Vernon Towne Theatre: 2910-30th Ave   - 250.545-0352 - www.vernoncinema.com

10. Watch a Minor Hockey Game – Always fast & fun - www.vernonminorhockey.com  * Look on the left hand side of the website for upcoming games!

Planning a Fun Filled Holiday in Vernon BC!

Whether you are in Vernon for Christmas Holidays or live here, the Holidays can be a great family adventure. Shopping or wandering in the downtown core with friends and family admiring the brilliant displays and festive lights can be lots of fun. Santa will be around to so keep your eyes peeled.  Keep in mind that parking in downtown Vernon is free every Saturday in December.

 If that is not fast paced enough you might want to burn off some energy at the Vernon Recreation Centre swimming or soaking in the hot tub. Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre is open for the season and the Silver Star Mountain has many fun filled days of family friendly events planned.  The Vernon Towne Theatre and the Galexy Cinema both have a great line up of movies for the entire holiday season. Attending an event at the Caravan Farm Theatre should definitely be included in your holiday plans. With "Old Nick" the story of a grumpy old hermit that saves Christmas your sure to enjoy yourself . Powerhouse Theatre is hosting  Glee’s “Across the Universe” a Beatles inspired performance  If you need more ideas Tourism Vernon is loaded with them so keep your eyes on our events listing “What’s Happening” at www.tourismvernon.com throughout the holiday season.

Chasing the Winter Sun in Vernon BC

 

As we sit high above Vernon BC at the Vernon Visitor Centre, we have clear view of the surrounding landscape. Today the snow is falling and the sun seems a thing of the past.

 Many people are misled by the “socked- in” effect winter brings to our area, but the locals know the difference!  Just a 5 minute drive and you’re above the clouds!  Silver Star Rd, which we access via 48^th Avenue, provides quick escape to sunshine and the many spectacular views of the City of Vernon.

Locals prefer to spend time at higher elevations from November to March for this reason. The benefits of living in the City far out- weigh the negatives, so knowing where to find the sun is especially important.  Many people flock to Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre to cross country ski and take in the rays; others prefer the downhill thrill of Silver Star Ski Resort.  Still others go “up the hill” for a day on snow shoes.

Vernon has over 2,000 hours of sunshine annually, only 13 inches of rain a year and 41 inches of the white stuff!  Don’t be mistaken...There are plenty of days of sun in the winter, when the skies are such a brilliant blue; it takes your breath away.  Not to worry, the air is clean and fresh!

Discovering Hiking and Biking in Vernon, B.C!

As temperatures already starting to cool, we all start wondering how to keep fit and healthy during the Autumn months, and into Winter. Well, don’t hop onto those treadmills just yet, because we have some fantastic trails and cycling routes to tell you about! Hiking and Biking is very popular here in Vernon, B.C, especially during the spring, summer and fall months! There are so many different trails to chose from, from easy, difficult to moderate difficulty, it can sometimes be difficult to pin point exactly which is the best for you! So, here are some of the most well known trails!

 Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park Trails are a great place to start! These moderate difficulty trails are a mixture of dry grasslands, wetlands, canyons and forests. The trails are right by Kalamalka Lake, so you also do have the option of going down to the beach! There are the main bays located on Kalamalka Lake; Jade, Juniper, and Cosens Bay. All are great for swimming, but Juniper Bay is larger so it does offer more amenities like picnic tables, grass lawns, and viewing benches, which it great if you’ve got the whole family with you! Not only is the 14km network of trails good for Hiking, but all the Kalamalka Trails are also great for Cycling, Mountain Biking and even Horseback Riding!

 Ellison Provincial Park Trails also has some easy to moderate trails, located southwest of Vernon. Throughout the park, there are a series of small hiking and mountain biking trails. The terrains vary in difficulty, both in grade and terrain; it does have some wheelchair accessible sections of trail. Another option is BX Creek Falls; this section has a trail head and parking at each end. This 2 km, creek-side trail goes through the forest and gives you an inside look at some of Vernon’s wildlife! This trail works for both Hiking and Mountain Biking! If you prefer cycling only route, the BX Bike Loop is a great one to try! This pleasant cycling route offers views of the valley and lake, it also has a nice viewing spot which you can stop and take a break! There is also an interpretive sign which helps you access BX Creek Falls.

Safety Tips:

Hike with a partner or a group of friends. The Okanagan has a large wildlife population so having a partner is always a good decision. Also the companionship on a hike is fun and you can encourage each other to meet your fitness goals.

Take plenty of water and a snack. The water in the streams, rivers, and lakes may look clean but they are used by all the wildlife, so drinking it can make you ill.

Don’t walk off-trail.  Walking off-trail increases your chances of suffering an injury or getting lost.

Keep your distance. Wildlife lives in all of our parks. If you encounter wildlife on a trail, keep your distance and back away slowly. Poison Ivy is a common plant throughout the Okanagan. Make sure you can identify its shiny, three-leafed pattern and avoid touching it.

  Fun for all, Fall activities

As the weather is slowly starting to cool down, here in Vernon B.C, it’s almost time to start planning some fun fall activities that the whole family will enjoy, and we’re here to help! As always, some outdoor fun is a great place to start! A nice hike through Kal Park or along the Grey Canal trail, or a bike ride on the BX Bike Loop! You can easily make this an all day activity by bringing along a picnic and a soccer ball! If you have your GPS with you, geocaching is also a great option, if you’re not sure what geocaching is or how to get started, this might help http://tourismvernon.blogspot.ca/2012/08/fall-is-great-time-for-geocaching.html !

 

 

If outdoor activities aren’t really your thing, we recommend checking Davidson’s Orchards! Along bella vista road, this fun filled farm themed orchard has everything! From a cow themed playground to ‘Critter Corral’, where you can feed and see some of the farm animals! It also has a quant café, known for their delicious ‘Deep Dish Apple Pie’! Need some groceries? No problem! The Country Village has fresh fruits and vegetables, jams, and baked goods! Also with fall, comes caramel apples!!! But for those of you with a sweet tooth, Planet Bee has all your honey needs covered! Located beside Davidson’s Orchards, it has a wide selection of different types of honey to test and buy and you can see live honeybees working busily!

Another option is visiting the Okanagan Science Centre, with multiple programs, activities and events including the special exhibition ‘WaterWorks’! Also a visit to the Planetarium is always out of this world!!! On chilly day, you can have the outdoors indoors with a visit to the Allen Brooks Nature Centre, the best place to learn about all the different creatures, plants and wildlife here in Vernon! With different tours and hands on activities, it’s a great way for the whole family to spend the day learning, exploring and have fun!

With all these great fall activities in mind, come down to Vernon B.C and “Make Vernon Yours”!