After a year-long delay, the Snowbirds will be performing in the South Okanagan.

The Canadian flying squad will be showing off their skills as part of the opening celebrations for the 2008 Peachfest in Penticton on Tuesday, August 5.

Peachfest president, Mark Grimms, says the show will take place over Okanagan Lake and the best place to view it will be Okanagan Lake Park between the S.S. Sicamous and the Peach.

“The show starts at 6 p.m. I don’t know exactly how long it goes for, but once it is over, around 7 p.m., the opening ceremonies for Peachfest will take place at Okanagan Lake Park,” says Grimm.

He says it is a very big deal for the Snowbirds to perform in a city the size of Penticton.

“They had originally planned to come here last May, but that was scheduled for a few days after one of their pilots died during a rehearsal, so of course, the show was cancelled. But they promised to come back at a better time this year to make up for it and they kept their word.”

Grimm says there is a very strict set of safety rules which must be observed during the Snowbird’s performance.

“Because they are performing over water, there can be no boats in the area beneath the show box and there can be no observers on Munson Mountain because they will be flying over it. There are more than 100 volunteers working to put this show together and they will be supported by the RCMP.”

He says many of the volunteers are very skilled as the show requires that there be divers in the water during the show, just in case.