Classic Elton concert on Labour Day Weekend to celebrate Peachland Legion

Concert to celebrate Legion

Photo: Contributed

Andrew Johns, who does an impressive Elton John, will perform in Peachland this September.

Royal Canadian Legion has been supporting veterans since its inception in November 1925.

Peachland’s No. 69 branch opened 13 months later—on Dec. 23, 1926, to be exact—and that means it is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. That also means the branch will be throwing a party for the community to commemorate the occasion and to raise funds at the same time.

Peachland Legion, in collaboration with the District of Peachland and IGA, will host the Classic Elton concert, featuring Andrew Johns, on Labour Day weekend. The tribute concert will bring to life some of Elton John’s most iconic songs, including Rocket Man, Tiny Dancer and Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting. Johns is known for his electrifying stage presence and stunning representation of Elton John, so it promises to be quite the show.

Accompanying "Elton" will be The Jets, a nine-piece band, as well as the 40-member Naramata Community Choir.

Photo: Contributed

The concert idea for the Legion’s centennial bash came from an executive member, who suggested to branch operations manager Dona-Lea Paige that she attend one of Andrew Johns’ shows last year.

“My husband and I went, and we thought it was absolutely amazing,” Paige says. “I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. That show was just electric.”

It was shortly after that when the Legion decided to bring the show to Peachland.

Tickets are on sale now and will be available until they sell out. The concert will be held Saturday, Sept. 5, from 4-6 p.m. at Cousins Park in Peachland, and the gates will open at 2:30 p.m. There will be a beverage garden featuring alcoholic and non-alcoholic offerings, and food will be for sale as well.

“People are excited,” Paige says.

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Paige says having Classic Elton perform in Peachland will draw fans from all over the Okanagan, and the ticket sales will help the Legion support veterans' needs. Funds raised will also go to local charities and service groups such as Peachland Wellness Center and Peachland Food Bank.

Legions are an integral part of every Canadian community, Paige says, as they support those who fought for the rights the country enjoys today.

“We never want to forget what the soldiers have done for us, what they have sacrificed,” Paige says. “We have had a long period of almost peace time. Our soldiers have been deployed but not fighting for Canada. And people tend to forget they died for us for a reason. They fought for us for a reason.”

Updates on the show will be posted on the Peachland Legion's Facebook page here, while tickets for Classic Elton, featuring Andrew Johns, can be purchased here.

Photo: Contributed

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