Photo of Rotary Centre for the Arts by Litti Birker. Picture courtesy of www.tourismkelowna.com.

As I write this column, it is seriously, intensely cold outside. Winter has set in, and my antidote to the situation is to immerse the soul in creative pursuits. Thankfully, the Rotary Centre for the Arts downtown, in Kelowna’s Cultural District, has plenty of activities from drop-in classes to fantastic concerts – so no matter what day of the week it might be, there are things to do in this creative hub.

For one thing, there are drop-in classes virtually every day, ranging in price from $5 - $15. You can even pick up RCA Drop-In Punch Cards (6 classes for $25) for a variety of classes like salsa, belly dancing, drum circle, basement musicians & songwriters exchange. Here are some examples of the courses and activities that anyone can participate in:

Mondays – Physical activities are favoured on Mondays, with Yoga drop-in classes at 4:30 followed by a Zumba class at 5:30, and then “Core Connexion” at 7 pm to 8:30.

Tuesdays – A program called heART Fit offers people a chance to try their hand at painting in a spontaneous process (9:30 am – 12:30 pm). From there, 2 interesting musical programs reach out to the songwriters and amateur musicians among us on alternating Tuesdays. The Songwriters’ Exchange program is run by award-winning singer/songwriter Jane Eamon, and offers people who have the desire to write songs to learn about effective methods and to share ideas with other musicians. On every other Tuesday, the Basement Musicians Circle allows those of us who love music to gather and share harmonies and ideas together in an organized workshop facilitated by Pierre Caouette.

Wednesdays – Starting at 6:45 pm, drop-in classes in belly dancing encourage all levels of dancers (even those of us with no experience at all) to learn this form of dance in a fun environment. Or drop in for a drumming circle on February 1 and 15 from 7 pm to 9 pm, and let yourself be transported by the primal sounds of drumming.

Thursdays - The Rotary Centre for the Arts is proud to continue “Live After 5” as a JAZZ JAM every Thursday from 5PM-7PM. Appropriate for all age groups, the program showcases local talent and provides the base instruments of drums, bass, and keyboard for the session. Along with the entertainment, browse the art in the Galleria or Artist Studios. The building will be very active Thursdays as there is the wildly popular Salsa Thursdays at 8PM. The RCA Bistro includes a bar and will be open for food, gelato & beverages. This event is open to everyone, if you're an artist, performer or simply interested in arts and entertainment – come and have some fun and get a chance to jam in an approachable and relaxed environment. And get this, it’s FREE!

Throughout the winter, the Rotary Centre is also offering a concert series in their intimate Mary Irwin Theatre which presents a dozen of Canada’s most exciting touring artists. Performers such as Alex Cuba, Mississippi Sheiks, Steven Page, High Bar Gang and Louise Pitre will grace the stage, and leave you inspired and energized. Check out their concert program!

So you see, there really is something for everyone at the Rotary Centre for the Arts this winter – not to mention the many amazing courses offered by the resident artists there (pottery, jewelry making, print making, etc.) … leaving no excuse for the mid-winter blahs! I challenge you all to try something from this line-up – preferably something that pushes you out of your comfort zone just a little bit or gets you trying something different. I think we’d all be amazed at how energized we feel after daring to try something new, and just maybe – just maybe – succeeding.

The great thing about this city is that we are blessed with amazing climate year round, and we have this phenomenal backyard to play in. Even in the winter, our climate provides fluffy snow to play in while remaining milder than in most other parts of the province. That’s a pretty unique combo! Here are some ways to play outside this January, which means that you are being active, bonding with your friends or family, and making the most of winter.

Vigorous walking – Depending on whether the snow comes this month, you can get out into the woods for a vigorous walk or a snowshoe up in our mountains. The Mission Creek Greenway is a great trail to keep in mind for winter walks; plus, the bonus here is that the trail is close by. If we have a blanket of snow on the ground, try your hand (er, okay, foot) at snowshoeing. You can take a guided snowshoe hike with Monashee Adventure Tours, or just rent some snowshoes from a local outfitter like Sports Rent on Pandosy, Monashee, or Big White and get out there on your own. I recently took snowshoes up to Crystal Mountain with a friend of mine, and we had hours of great exercise and pristine nature to enjoy, so close to the city!

Nordic Skiing – This one is the real calorie-burner! Sports Rent carries cross country skis if you don’t have a pair at home, and off you go! Check out Kelowna-area trails like Kelowna Nordic Ski Club which grooms 70 km of cross-country trails at McCulloch, or Telemark Ski Area across the lake. Pack a lunch (last time I was up at Kelowna Nordic, I brought a grilled cheese sandwich wrapped in aluminum that I reheated on the wood stove – yum!) and bring some cash (areas ask between $8 and $12 per person to use the trails, check their websites for details) and you’re in for fun.

Alpine Skiing –With Big White, Silver Star, and Crystal Mountain so close by, we have some great options for skiing. Many locals don’t realize that Big White is BC’s second biggest alpine ski resort, and it is a real treat. Check out Big White’s website for pricing and information.

Ready, set, go! Let’s get out and enjoy our playground, Kelowna. And while you’re at it, be sure to get photo-happy and take many pictures or short videos. If you’re so inclined, Tourism Kelowna would love to see them – send them to info@kelownasjuicytips.com and we’ll post some on our blog and Facebook pages! Have fun, be safe, and happy new year from Tourism Kelowna!

(Photo: Courtesy of Tourism Kelowna and Big White Ski Resort)

(Photo: Courtesy of Tourism Kelowna)

A group of travel writers tour SpierHead Winery in East Kelowna earlier this year on a press trip coordinated by Tourism Kelowna.

One of the beauties of new year is putting away last year’s projects to make room for this year’s undertakings. This means we all get the chance to revisit what got accomplished over the course of the previous year, and that can be very satisfying indeed! One example of this at Tourism Kelowna is reviewing the many travel stories that were written in the national and international media about Kelowna over the last year. These stories ran in newspaper travel sections across the country, magazines, specialty travel websites, and a few TV appearances for Kelowna. All are posted on our website, but here are a few of the year’s highlights that I’d like to share with you.

In early December, the Quebec-based travel show “Ma Caravane Au Canada” showcased Kelowna in an hour-long episode featuring the beauty of our downtown and Cultural District, CedarCreek Estate Winery and Greata Ranch (and wine country in general), rock climbing in Kelowna, a sailing cruise with Go With The Wind Cruises, dining at Bouchons Bistro, scenes at a Lake Country orchard, harvest shopping at Kelowna’s Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market, and a cheese tasting at Carmelis Goat Cheese Artisan. The show is in French, but even if you don’t speak French, the videography is so stunning that it is well worth the watch! This show aired on TV5 in Quebec and nationally, and it will be picked up by affiliates in over 150 countries world-wide. This will go down as a highlight for 2011 for sure!

In October, Avenue Magazine out of Calgary ran a beautiful story by writer Cinda Chavich which delved into the many unique epicurean charms of Kelowna and the surrounding area. Reading this story is a real sensory pleasure since she weaves in so many different tastes and smells into her writing and rounds up an incredible number of fantastic local foodie hotspots.

Golf in Kelowna enjoyed a promotional boost in the US with a story by golf writer Scott Kramer that ran on the popular website GolfTrips.com. It takes a first-person perspective as it highlights how rich and diverse a golf vacation to Kelowna can be, taking into account a variety of golf rounds, wine touring, dining, accommodations, a lake cruise, and this writer’s thrill at finding Tim Horton’s in our airport (sometimes it’s really all about the small pleasures!).

And if I had to pick just one more (not easy, as you can see from the great articles posted here), I’d have to go with the July 26 article by Peter Robinson in SCOREGolf magazine, that highly-respected Canadian golf publication. I loved this story because it was written with the fresh eyes of a golfer seeing Kelowna for the first time, and how overwhelming that discovery can be (after all, there are 19 – count them, 19 – golf courses in this compact area).

Wine, golf, summers at the lake, a city rich with foodie gems… these are just some of the ideas that we pitch to travel writers for Kelowna, and why they create such vivid accounts of their experiences here. It was definitely a great year for travel stories on Kelowna. We at Tourism Kelowna are already looking forward to what 2012 will bring!

Happy new year!

As we prepare to have holiday guests in our homes and our city, it is important to stock up on our entertaining inventory at home (make sure to have locally-sold refreshments on hand like wine, tea/coffee, bakery treats, and cheese) to ensure we have something handy if company drops in. There’s nothing more welcoming than hosts who don’t need to fuss about what to offer on short notice – who can have the tea steeping, a cheese plate prepared, some lovely baked goods laid out, or the wine decanted in short order. With this in mind, here are some fantastic spots to put on your weekend shopping expedition so that you can stock up on quality locally-made products.

Photo: Contributed - (Courtesy of Abby's Spice and Tea Store and Tourism Kelowna)

Spices lined up tidily, apothecary-style at Abby's.

Abby’s Spice and Tea Store – Located on Kirschner Rd next to the Komatsu Market, Abby’s is a tucked away gem with more than 140 different kinds of tea, and almost as many different spices. The store is beautifully decorated for the holidays (complete with a twinkling tree), and air-tight jars line the back wall and are displayed festively (and interactively) on tables throughout the store. There’s tea for tasting on throughout the day, and when you come in, it’s Abby herself who greets you and shows you around. The teas are high quality and fresh, so you can be sure to go home with a flavor sensation to share with holiday cheer.

Okanagan Grocery Artisan Breads – This quaint bakery is located in the Guisachan mall, next to Codfather’s fish store. Come December, Baker Monika Walker is busily making traditional European holiday cookies and crusty organic breads. She also carries lots of locally made spreads, cheeses, coffees, and honey. Her presentation is always top-notch, and many of her specialties freeze nicely, meaning you can tuck them away for that occasion when company drops in (so be sure you get enough to devour right away and still be able to freeze enough for later). Examples of traditional Christmas cookies? Think Pfeffernüsse, Kipferli, Caramel Dipped Biscotti, New Zealand’s "Afghans", Spitzbuben, Pepperbread and Bourbon Balls. Yum!

Discover Wines – If you’d love to get professional and knowledgeable advice on a huge selection of local Okanagan wines (what wine to gift, how to make mulled wine, what pairs with a certain dish) – this is where to come. The store is located in the Orchard Plaza in Kelowna, and is a real wine-lovers’ heaven, especially in December when they have complimentary mulled wine every day.

Mediterranean Market – When speaking of quality cheeses and cold-cut meats, who can forget the awe you experience when you enter Mediterranean Market on Gordon Dr. at Lawrence St. The diversity of cheeses and meats is astounding, but so is the sheer volume of exotic food products from olive oils to pastas, that are available here. Then there are the many special European chocolates, locally-baked Portuguese bread, and all sorts of special sauces, spices, and olives.

Kelowna has a wealth of interesting and family-owned specialty stores, so this really just is the tip of the iceberg. When you support these merchants with your business, you can be sure you’re getting a high degree of quality, attention to freshness and taste, and a passion for their products. It is also a great conversation to have with your guests who may not already know these merchants, and may be delighted to learn about your connection with them and your experiences in these shops. So bon appétit, and happy exploring!