Today is Canada Day, and celebrations of our nation's founding birthday will be taking place across the Central Okanagan.
In Kelowna, the centre of the festivities will be around Waterfront Park, starting at 10 a.m. until 11 p.m.
The official Canada Day opening ceremonies will take place at Prospera Place from 12:30 to 1 p.m., followed by the serving from 1 to 1:30 p.m of the "Happy Birthday Canada" cake, donated by Coldwell Banker Horizon Realty.
Other highlights events of the day will include the 43rd annual Folkfest at Prospera Place coupled with ethnic food booths, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; the 22nd annual Canada Day Spectacular music presentation by the POPS Orchestra with featured guest performers Davis Kyle and Elise Wiesinger, starting at 7:30 p.m. in Prospera Place; the fireworks at Tugboat Bay set to go off at 10:30 p.m.; and live music entertainment on four different stages throughout the day, headlined by The Cruzeros on the TD Beach Stage at 8:50 p.m.
And watch for the Poetry Slam Canada Day Throwdown taking place at Kerry Park from 6 to 9 p.m.
In Lake Country, the Canada Day events are presented by the local Rotary Club at Beasley Park.
The Rotary breakfast kicks things off from 8 to 11:30 a.m., along with live entertainment on the Rotary Pavilion Stage beginning at 8 a.m. with Jenn Boal followed by Zumba, Kees Tae Kwon Do and Lake Country Big Band leading up to the Canada birthday festivities at 11 a.m.
Later on at night, Beasley Park will again play host to performances from Kath and the TomKats and Sista B and the Boyz.
That will be followed by an evening screening of the movie Jungle Book, from 9 to 11 p.m.
The Canada Day festivities in West Kelowna today will fall within the auspices of Westside Daze, with the birthday festivities beginning with a ceremony at 3 p.m., a rendition of O'Canada by Brooklyn Schell and the Canada Day cake cutting and serving, all taking place at Memorial Park next to the Johnson-Bentley Aquatic Centre.