There’s something about downtown Kelowna in December – the Christmas lights (light-up this year is on December 3, which I’ll get into in this column), the festive store windows and coffee shops, the free parking on weekends downtown, the friendly local merchants… It just makes sense to plan a Christmas shopping excursion around the “Light Up” on December 3 (so fun!), or most definitely in the next few weeks.

Thankfully there are loads of great shopping options in Kelowna, and for today’s column, we will focus on the downtown shopping district and we’ll share some highlights about shopping in downtown Kelowna.

Beat the crowds and line-ups – Spread out your shopping search over many different independent boutiques, and you’ll find there are more than enough tills to help everyone out without the crowds! There’s something to be said for not carrying all your needs under one roof!

Free Parking – Between now and December 24, the Downtown Kelowna Association has arranged for free parking on weekends (yes, the whole weekend!) anywhere downtown. Hassle-free.

Unique Gifts – There are so many independent boutiques, artist studios and galleries, and special tucked away gems that you are set up for finding unique gifts. Plus, the shops are so varied: jewelry stores, clothiers, independent bookstores, shops for pet-lovers, lingerie shops – all you have to do is find your giftee’s passion, then pick a store downtown to match that passion, and you are practically guaranteed to find something good!

Free Gift Wrapping – Okay, here’s a neat perk. Bring your freshly bought gift and receipt to 426 Bernard Ave and the Downtown Kelowna Association will wrap it for you!

So there you go – shopping made easy! And when you’re done, you can reward yourself with a specialty coffee from one of the fantastic coffee shops downtown, or drop into Tripke Bakery and find a pastry to hit the spot. Merry shopping!

Photo: Courtesy of Picture BC and Tourism Kelowna. Photo by Brian Spout