OC Cultivates lands at KF Centre for Excellence

Okanagan College’s tastiest event series, OC Cultivates, returns to Kelowna on May 28.

The event highlights a flavoursome combination of sampling and learning with a tasting and experience festival featuring local food and beverage providers, followed by an industry panel discussing topics impacting the food, beverage and tourism sectors of the region.

Hosted in the KF Centre for Excellence, one of Canada’s most inspiring aviation settings, attendees won’t have to look far to experience the focus of the evening - the intersection between the transportation industry, tourism and hospitality, and local food, beverage and culinary scenes.

The evening will feature an on-stage panel discussing the unique opportunities and challenges faced by local businesses navigating issues around transportation. Speakers include Michael J. Ballingall, Senior Vice President at Big White Ski Resort, Krista Mallory, Manager, Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission, Grant Stevens, Chief Corporate Services Officer at KF Aerospace and Neil Fassina, Okanagan College President. The moderated discussion will include an opportunity for the audience to ask questions.

“Okanagan College plays a key role in developing programming that supports the unique needs of communities throughout the region,” said Dean of the OC School of Business, Joe Baker. “OC Cultivates gives us the chance to highlight these industries and how they work together to make the Okanagan Valley such a special place. It’s exciting to be able to bring this amazing group of hospitality, tourism, aerospace and food and beverage professionals together in this way.”

The new Centre for Food, Wine and Tourism under construction at the Okanagan College campus in Kelowna is scheduled to open in 2027. Baker says OC Cultivates, and the recent Kelowna bid to be designated as Canada’s first UNESCO City of Gastronomy, are evidence of the momentum in these sectors locally.

OC Cultivates will feature live music, networking and an exclusive tasting and experience festival, featuring local beverage and food vendors, including Gray Monk Estate, Sandhill Wines and Tinhorn Creek Winery, Copper Brewing, Maison Mulnati, Nostalgia Wines, O-Lake Café and Bistro, Okanagan Lavender and Herb Farm, Pick Thai Restaurant, Ready to Cook, Relvas Catering, Scenic Road Cider, Three Lakes Brewing, Township 7 Vineyards and Winery and more.

Okanagan College will also have a presence in the tasting festival, with booths hosted by OC Culinary Arts students, Executive Chef at Infusions Restaurant Ruth Wigman, and Chef Danny Capadouca, instructor of Pastry Arts at OC.

The Beverage Technology Access Centre at Okanagan College will also host a tasting and experience booth highlighting supports and research work benefiting the local beverage industries.

Tickets for the May 28 event available here.

Okanagan College features several programs designed to support the food, beverage and tourism industries, helping to create the workforce of the future. This includes OC’s Tourism and Hospitality Management and recently launched Entrepreneurship specialty that are both part of the College’s popular BBA degree program, viticulture, wine sales and winery assistant certificate programs, as well as the ongoing Hospitality Professional Program.