3rd annual Kelowna Beer Fest draws big crowd despite grey skies

Good vibes at Beer Fest

Now in its third year, the Kelowna Beer Fest returned to City Park on Saturday, drawing a lively crowd despite cloudy skies and cooler weather.

The popular event brought together 36 breweries and cideries, along with food trucks, lawn games, aerial performers, and music from nine different DJs—delivering a full day of entertainment for craft beverage lovers.

“It’s been super great,” said Jules Quesnel, marketing director for Thick as Thieves Entertainment, the event organizer. “We lowered capacity this year and kept the breweries the same and did a little modification to the cups, so it’s been honestly super great. It’s calm—it is a little bit chillier than it normally is, but I actually don’t mind it.”

In addition to celebrating local and regional craft beverages, Kelowna Beer Fest serves a greater purpose.

Proceeds from the event go to the Central Okanagan Brewers Association, a non-profit that supports the region’s growing craft beer industry.

“We have aporal, hard tea which is a vodka cider, we have 13 local vendors,” Quesnel added.

Next up for Thick as Thieves Entertainment is Rosé Disco, set to take place at Kelowna’s Waterfront Park on July 19. The event will showcase rosé wines from more than 30 wineries, alongside food trucks and live DJ performances.