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Westside Daze goes virtual

Westside Daze will start on July 1 with a drive-thru cupcake celebration
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The Westside Daze Canada Day cake will look a little different this year, as cupcakes will be handed out instead. Image: Alistair Waters

Westside Daze is back this July after being cancelled due to the pandemic in 2020.

However, as B.C. is still maneuvering through the COVID-19 restrictions, the West Kelowna festival will look a little different this year.

Organizer Leah Thordarson said the event will be virtual as it’s still unclear how many people can attend outdoor events and holding Westside Daze for just 50 people didn’t make a lot of sense.

Kicking off on Canada Day, the Westside Celebration Society will host a drive-thru Cupcake event at Westridge Shopping Center.

People will be directed to the event behind Lordco and the shopping centre to avoid traffic jams from 3 to 5 p.m. As attendees stay in their vehicles, they will be entertained with a mini show-and-shine as well as music as they make their way to receive a cupcake handed out by Mayor Gord Milsom and Kelowna West MLA Ben Stewart.

About 12 volunteers will get together, with social distancing, to ensure this only in-person event goes off without a hitch.

“We will have everyone who attends stay in their vehicle, which is the safest thing to do currently,” said Thordarson.

The event is looking for 10 more antique vehicles to participate in the show-and-shine for a maximum of 20 vehicles. Contact admin@westsidedaze.com for more information.

There will also be two online concertswith Ben Klick on July 2 and Adam Fitzpatrick and the Cadillac Kings on July 3, both taking the digital stage at 7:30 p.m.

Other events starting on July 1 are:

  • Community Scavenger Hunt - get in your bubble and learn about historical and cultural events in the community with the possibility of winning a $250 gift certificate.
  • Dine Around the Globe - partnering with restaurants to experience ethnic cuisine. Contest winners will receive dinner certificate(s) from participating restaurants.
  • Colouring contest - colour a pre-selected picture available on westsidedaze.com - OR colour your picture of ‘What Canada means to me’ and be entered to win $100 in each of the four age categories: Under 3 and 4 - 7 and 8-10 and Over 11.
  • Ethnic recipe contest - enter your favourite ethnic dish and be entered to win $250
  • VIP children’s storytime - Darlene Hartford and Linda Lovissa have graciously offered to let community VIPs read their children’s stories

For more information, check out westsidedaze.com.

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