Celebrating the Wonders of Winter
Winter's arrival transforms the Thompson Okanagan into a snow-capped wonderland, where families and friends can enjoy adventures, food, and beverages.
Sun Peaks Resort by Destination BC/Ryan Creary
Visitors see some of the best views in the Thompson Okanagan while celebrating one of the “coolest” seasons the region offers - winter. Winter blankets the region in frost-covered trails and snow-capped mountains while unlocking a variety of things to do while you stay a while in the Thompson Okanagan.
Fat Bike along the Snowy Trails
The snow-covered trails invite you to try a different type of biking: fat biking. Using a bike with oversized tires will allow you to bike through the snowiest conditions, so you don't have to hang up your helmet just yet! Check out the winter trails and let your fat bike take you around the beautiful Thompson Okanagan.
Fat Biking through a tunnel in Myra Canyon, Kelowna by Thompson Okanagan/Matthew Clark
Ice Fishing
Wintertime in the Thompson Okanagan doesn’t mean the end of fishing season for the dedicated angler. With warm socks, mittens, toques, and a bit of patience, you can catch a fish even during the coldest season of the year. Spend the day with Elevated Fishing Adventures and experience a fully guided fishing tour at Sun Peaks.
Mountain Resorts
There are seven mountain resorts for you to enjoy during your stay in the Thompson Okanagan. Each mountain offers a different view and landscape for you to traverse, regardless of whether you choose to snowboard or ski. Maybe you want to slow it down a bit during your stay? The mountain resorts in the region offer more than just snowboarding and skiing. Enjoy family fun activities like tubing, skating, and snowshoeing.
Snowboarding at Apex Mountain Resort by Destination BC/Ben Giesbrecht
Local Flavours for Après-ski (or Anytime this Winter)
Traditionally, après-ski or after skiing involves celebrating a successful day of skiing with a glass of champagne while enjoying great food and even better company at the ski lodge. However, the Thompson Okanagan offers a wide variety of local flavours for you to enjoy after any winter activity.
Farm-to-Table
Farms, orchards, and other local growers may have long finished their growing season while you are celebrating winter in the Thompson Okanagan. However, there is no shortage of local restaurants offering dishes made with regional produce.
Wineries
Although the vines have long stopped growing and the trees have lost their leaves, many tasting rooms around the region are open during the winter. Regardless of which area you decide to visit, there are wine trails throughout the region with plenty of varietals for you to try and enjoy.
District Wine Village
The wonder of the Thompson Okanagan winter has made its way further south into Oliver this year with District Wine Village’s new synthetic ice rink. Visitors can enjoy an afternoon of typical winter wonder skating on CAN-ICE, tasting delicious BC wines, or pair the two with skiing or snowboarding at Mount Baldy with their “Chill and Thrill” offer.
About the author
Nadia is a proud former Thompson Okanagan tourist who now lives in beautiful Kelowna, BC. She hopes to tell the stories of the region’s beauty and hidden treasures while rediscovering the destination she spent enjoying on family vacations.
Where The Food Tells The Story
The Thompson Okanagan is the perfect place for the farm-to-table and slow food philosophy. Purchasing locally sourced produce, meats, and dairy products is a familiar practice for the casual eateries, family-friendly spots and fine dining experiences in the Thompson Okanagan. Food here reflects the people who grow it, make it, and serve it.
Thompson Okanagan
Slow food equals good food: good for the people who grow it, good for you the consumer, and good for the planet. The Thompson Okanagan is the perfect place for the farm-to-table and slow food philosophy. Purchasing locally sourced produce, meats, and dairy products is a familiar practice for the casual eateries, family-friendly spots and fine dining experiences in the Thompson Okanagan. Food here reflects the people who grow it, make it, and serve it. Locals, as well as visitors, have the chance to make an impact for small businesses and farmers when they choose to eat and shop locally sourced products and enjoy meals at establishments that prioritize serving farm-to-table.
Boundary Country
Grand Forks
Fuelling your morning adventure or afternoon lunch hours is Boundary Country’s The Wooden Spoon. Locally sourced ingredients are integral to the passionately made soups, sauces, breads, and pastries. The owner and chef is excited to offer a seasonal menu that reflects the flavours of the season, implementing a slow-food approach that relies on fresh, local ingredients to create their dishes.
Open Monday to Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
221 Market Ave, Grand Forks, BC V0H 1H0
Photo by Boundary Country Tourism/Tina Bryan
Greenwood
A Highway 3 must stop in Greenwood is Deadwood Junction. It’s worth trying their fair trade coffee and browsing their shop that supports locals. They offer coffee and bakery options and feature local artisan gifts and antiques.
Open every day 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
502 Silver St, Greenwood, BC V0H 1J0
North Thompson Valley
Clearwater
BC’s highest-rated smokehouse is providing Clearwater and the North Thompson Valley with locally sourced beef and pork. Hop "N" Hog also sources locally crafted ales, lagers, and ciders. They are always striving for organic options for their food and beverages.
Open May to October 5:00 p.m. to late.
424 Clearwater Valley Rd, Clearwater, BC V0E 1N1
Photo by @hopnhog
Clearwater and Wells Gray
A slow coffee break awaits you with freshly roasted beans from Nelson, B.C. at Wild Flour Bakery Cafe. Their wild, fresh, organic food creates nourishing meals that embody slow food and display passion for locally sourced ingredients.
Open Monday to Saturday 8:00 a.m to 2:00 p.m.
343 Clearwater Valley Rd, Clearwater BC, V0E1N2
Valemount
Small town brews are a great way to casually check out what North Thompson Valley has to offer. Three Ranges Brewing Co. sources local ingredients as often as they can to provide locals and seasonal travelers with their big flavour beers. “Great mountain water makes great beer,” says owner.
Open Wednesday to Sunday 3:00 p.m. to 8 p.m.
1160 5th Ave, Valemount, BC, VOE 2Z0
Photo by @threerangesbrewing
South Thompson Valley
Kamloops
Seasonal flavours and farm-to-table freshness is what you can expect in the peaks and hills of the Kamloops in the South Thompson. Unique tastes and personality is what Kamloops offers. Learn more about Kamloops and its growing food scene at Great Taste of Canada.
North Okanagan
Vernon
This charming small town provides big flavours for locals and tourists year round. Enjoy seasonal fresh foods that coincide with Vernon’s hot summers and picturesque winters. See what’s going on at Great Taste of Canada.
Central Okanagan
Kelowna
The Central Okanagan has no shortage of agriculture to supply its iconic food destinations, contribute to the growing breweries, cideries, and distilleries scenes, and pair with locally made BC wines. Kelowna’s wine country and bustling city is ready to serve locally sourced meals. Check out Great Taste of Canada for more information.
Photo by Destination BC/Kari Medig
South Okanagan
Penticton
Reflecting the bounty of the land BRODO Kitchen, Italian for "broth," combines Italian cuisine with Okanagan grown foods. With their unique soup flights and Chef Paul Cecconi's motto “simply fresh food,” BRODO Kitchen’s enthusiasm for South Okanagan grown food is displayed in every dish.
Open Monday to Friday 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
483 Main Street, Penticton BC, V2A 5C4
Penticton
Intrigued by history Tin Whistle Brewing Co. purposely invests interest into the South Okanagan’s history to see how they can include slow food practices into their beer making. Focusing on the taste of beer, just as much as their environmental footprint, is at the top of Tin Whistles priorities. Connecting and maintaining the beauty and agriculture of the South Okanagan is integral to this brewery's business.
Open every day 11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Friday Saturday till 8:00 p.m.
Unit 118 - 1475 Fairview Rd, Penticton, BC V2A 7J3
Photo by @thetinwhistle
Naramata
The Thompson Okanagan is home to the Naramata Bench which is known for its wine making and growing sites. The village of Naramata obtained its designation of CittaSlow in 2004, which validates the village as a “Slow City”. The association known as CittaSlow rewards cities and towns with this status to highlight the year-round efforts and attention to the slow food philosophy. Naramata achieved the status of a CittaSlow village because it follows the 72 requirements for quality outlined by the association to ensure farm-fresh food that is good for the community and the environment.
Naramata
Estate grown, locally farmed, and family owned are the key pillars of The Restaurant at Poplar Grove and align with slow food philosophy. Popular Grove includes locally sourced ingredients from the Okanagan in their restaurant alongside their estate grown BC wines. Popular Grove states their food philosophy as primarily looking at the farmers then adapting with the seasons.
Open every day from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the wine shop and 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. for the restaurant.
425 Middle Bench Road North, Penticton, BC V2A 8S5
Photo by Destination BC/Kari Medig
Oliver
Seasonal products and a commitment to sustainable practice is what you can expect at Miradoro Restaurant, a partnership with Tinhorn Creek Winery. Visitors and locals can enjoy an elegant yet casual experience in the Okanagan wine country. Excellent pairings between locally sourced ingredients and wine are what you can expect at Miradoro.
Open March through December 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
537 Tinhorn Creek Rd, Oliver, BC V0H 1T0
Photo by @tinhorncreek
Oliver
Investing in the local food economy by supporting its producers is the mission of Oliver Eats. By creating an alliance between chefs, farmers, and grassroots organizations, Oliver Eats fosters a slow food environment that embraces their agricultural neighbours. Fresh food is what you will eat at Oliver Eats.
Open Tuesday to Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
6060 Station St, Oliver, BC V0H 1T0
Photo by @olivereatsltd
Osoyoos
Osoyoos celebrates agricultural and culinary achievements as well as working hard to maintain the quality and freshness unique to the Thompson Okanagan. Perfect climate, with hot day-time temperatures and lake breezes makes Osoyoos a prime agricultural site. Learn about their farm-to-table produce, meats, and more by going to Great Taste of Canada.
Gold Country
Cache Creek
Locals’ favorite and a travelers’ hidden gem is Hungry Herbie's in Cache Creek. With a promise for “fresh, quality food,” the classic burger and fried chicken stop will fill you up after your day of adventures. Over 63 years of business, Herbie’s maintains the value that fast food can still mean fresh food.
Open Wednesday to Monday 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
1301 Cariboo Hwy, Cache Creek, BC V0K 1H0
Photo by Thompson Okanagan/Allen Jones
Merritt
Indigenous cuisine embodies slow food and great taste with the understanding that we take only what we need. Kekuli Café offers organic, and Fair-Trade espresso, as well as fresh food and, as their slogan, “Don’t panic… we have Bannock” suggests, bannock. Kekuli Café ensures that they operate with the mindset that they are the caretakers of Mother Earth and have a relationship with all living things.
Open every day 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and till 4:00 p.m. on weekends.
2051 Voght St, Merritt, BC V1K 1B8
Photo by Indigenous Tourism BC/Brendin Kelly/ Kekuli Cafe
Similkameen Valley
Cawston
Agility and ability to move with the seasons is necessary for slow food, and Row Fourteen Restaurant at Klippers is just that with a taste of the Similkameen Valley. The unique valley is considered the organic capital of Canada and Row Fourteen focuses their efforts towards cultivating a better relationship between organic produce and creative cuisine. Celebrate slow food and the bountiful Similkameen Valley at Row Fourteen Restaurant.
Open every day noon to 8:00 p.m. for separate lunch and dinner services
725 Mackenzie Road, Cawston, BC
Photo by @vineyard.videos posted on @klippersorganics
Keremeos
Eat, sleep, and repeat at Tree to Me Inn. This certified organic farm, bistro, and accommodations provides its visitors with the Similkameen Valley experience. Even The Tree to Me Market will inspire anyone to take the farm fresh food home and try their hand at creating dishes inspired by local produce.
Open Monday to Tuesday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Wednesday to Sunday till 8:00 p.m.
Tree to Me Inn 1217 Hwy 3A Keremeos, BC V0X 1N4
Shuswap
Agriculturally rich, the Shuswap is where farmers and chefs turn to when they want the best crop. This perfectly placed, four-season destination, produces quality and quantity. See what you can do and enjoy while in the Shuswap at Great Taste of Canada.
Photo by Nic Collar
The Thompson Okanagan is filled with an abundance of food for the every day home chef, locals who are looking for their new favourite spot to eat, as well as travelers interested in farm-to-table experiences. Intimately connect with the Thompson Okanagan through slow food and enjoy the story that the local food tells.
Written by Caroline Peterson
BC local, Caroline has lived in the lower mainland but now resides in in the Okanagan. Currently a student, Caroline is hoping to use what she learns in school to highlight, and create interest around the Thompson Okanagan with a fresh, and new perceptive.
Eat With The Season
Gay men take vacations seriously. It takes months to decide on the destination, set the budget, plan activities, and coordinate with friends. For an agri-tourism adventure with a gay twist, here’s why you need to know for your visit to the Thompson Okanagan.
Agri-tourism gaycations in the Thompson Okanagan with local-first ingredients
Gay men take vacations seriously. It takes months to decide on the destination, set the budget, plan activities, and coordinate with friends. It’s an entire production. Gaycations range from week-long rager getaways to European cities to parties with half-naked, ripped hotties, private island beach vacations in the Caribbean or Mediterranean, luxury cruises with circuit parties that go on non-stop for 72 – 120 hours, or educational with museums, arts, and culture.
However, agri-tourism has seen an increase on the gaycation scale, as gay men look for fresh and new vacation options that are healthy, full of adventure, and experiential. The Thompson Okanagan, in the interior of British Columbia, is one of the best gaycation destinations for agri-tourism, not just for the amazing options below, but also because of the hot temperatures, beaches, outdoor recreation activities, luxury accommodations, and tours. For an agri-tourism adventure with a gay twist, here’s why you need to know for your visit to the Thompson Okanagan.
Agri-Tourism Gaycations
Photo credit: The Homoculture
Gay men love cooking, preserving, and amazing food. While this isn’t totally about gastronomy, the Thompson Okanagan region boasts incredible eating! The Thompson Okanagan boasts multiple climates and terrains, providing rich farmland to grow delicious food. The region is a cornucopia of farm-fresh ingredients. Farm-to-table. Up-and-down the valley there are so many amazing places to pick up fantastic ingredients. This area is known for road-side kiosks full of fresh fruits, grains, honey, and produce! There’s an abundance of Okanagan fresh ingredients for farm-to-table cooking, healthy eating, and to take home for canning, freezing, and dehydrating.
When it isn’t the food, another treasure of the region is the plethora of wine and wineries in the area. Some of the best Canadian wines come from the Okanagan Thompson. You can wet your whistle at nearly every turn because there are more than 120 vintners within the region. There’s always new wine and wineries to discover. Wine touring is an excellent way to taste some of the finest wines. Kamloops has become a budding wine region, with three new wineries, and the Okanagan Valley has become one of the few places in the world to produce late-harvest and ice wine. Wine tasting in the Thompson Okanagan is some of the boujiest agri-touristic activities you can partake in.
Agri-Tourism Gaycations
Photo credit: The Homoculture
The North Okanagan is home to the most famous cheese in Canada, Armstrong Cheese. While the original award-winning Armstrong Cheese brand was bought up by a conglomerate company and centralized cheese making in other, larger markets, another cheese company entered the market. The Village Cheese Company respects the heritage of cheese-making in the North Okanagan, making dozens of kinds of flavoured cheeses and the best cheese curds for making homemade classic Canadian poutine you’ll ever squeak between your teeth...or cheeks. Make like a (gym) rat and get ahold of some of that milky, creamy goodness for an evening of wine and cheese pairing unlike anything you’ve ever experienced.
There’s a big push to save the newly endangered honey bee in North America, and there is no better place to get the entire beekeeping experience, honey, than at Planet Bee. Planet Bee has the absolute freshest and best honey in the Okanagan—and visiting this cool beehive comes with a complete education experience. There are a variety of delicious honey flavours, honey. Don’t forget that this sweet stuff is loaded with antioxidants and is a good dietary sugar and sweetener, plus it is amazing for curing a hangover. Do it for your health and the health of the world, by checking out the honey and bees at Planet Bee.
Jellie’s last jam just might be at a well-known Okanagan fixture: The Jammery. The Jammery specializes in jellies, jams, and all things preserved. The only “Jammery” in the world, The Jammery is so awesome it has been featured on the Food Network! You can check out the entire process from fruit to jam: it’ll blow your mind how cool the process is. Get the red pepper jelly to put on a crostini with baked brie and roasted garlic to have a complete agri-tourist experience at The Jammery.
Agri-Tourism Gaycations
Photo credit: The Homoculture
No agricultural tour of an area is complete without some libations. Sure, there are plenty of wineries in the region, but you should also check out two very fun distributors of natural alcohol. First is the BX Express Cidery, located in Vernon, BC. BX Express produces delicious craft-cider honouring the history of the region, infused with Okanagan ingredients. You’ve not had true, proper apple cider until you’ve tried cider from BX Express Cidery. Second to no one other than Okanagan Spirits. You can take your cocktailing to new heights with these spirits, produced locally from the apple orchards of the region. Okanagan spirits are made with a gluten-free spirit–thanks to their usage of those tasty red, yellow, and green fruits. Apples, not grain, are the principal ingredient used at Okanagan Spirits.
There are so many other amazing places to visit and discover in the Thompson Okanagan for a culinary adventure. Each city, town, and community offer seasonal crops and ingredients to inspire your next meal, snack, and party.
Fill your stomach and your soul full of delicious goodness with an agri-gaycation in the Thompson Okanagan.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brian Webb is a celebrity social influencer, advocate for LGBT rights, role-model for the LGBT community and the winner of the prestigious Mr. Gay Canada – People’s Choice award. Brian has a passion for discovering and sharing special, life defining moments. Originally from the beautiful Thompson Okanagan, Brian is well known for making regular appearances throughout the year at Pride parades, festivals, street fairs, competitions, circuit parties and LGBT-friendly destinations.
IG @br_webb
Nourishing Neighbours
Great Okanagan Estates dedicates 3 acres of land on one of their vineyard properties to a Community Garden. Now in it’s fourth year, it looks to exceed 100,000 lbs of fresh produce donated to local food banks as they work to fight hunger in the communities where they live and work.
JOINING TOGETHER TO FIGHT HUNGER IN THE COMMUNITIES WHERE WE LIVE AND WORK
I wasn't sure what to expect as I drove down to McIntyre Vineyard in Oliver to meet Troy Osborne, Director of Vineyards at Great Estates Okanagan, but as I pulled in, I had a feeling I was about to be in the presence of something special.
The turn into the property unassuming, the dirt road up to the vineyards well-travelled, this was no tourist destination. The McKinney Road property isn't home to a tasting room, or a gift store, there is no public viewing platform. And while it does contribute to the company's comprehensive portfolio, my reason for being there was to visit the home of the Food Bank Community Garden.
Over a hundred volunteers get together every May to plant seeds for the initiative.
GIVING BACK
Now in its fourth year, the Community Garden was an initiative developed with the sole purpose of working to fight hunger and giving back to the local community. After discussions with the local food bank, it was apparent that the greatest challenge facing people in need was access to fresh, healthy, local food.
Great Estates Okanagan, part of Arterra Wines Canada, includes brands such as See Ya Later Ranch, Black Sage Vineyard, Jackson-Triggs, Inniskillin, Sumac Ridge, Steller's Jay, Sun Rock Vineyards, and Nk'Mip Cellars. They came together to dedicate 3 acres of land to the program, enabling them to plant, manage, and donate large quantities of produce to the Summerland, Oliver, and Penticton Food Banks.
Every May, a team of more than 120 volunteers and employees come together to plant potatoes, carrots, onions, squash, beets, and more. Come fall, the collaborative hosts an event to harvest the produce ready for delivery to the South Okanagan organizations.
Beyond the generous support of one of Canada’s leading wine distributors, the initiative has truly become a community effort. Local store, TRU Building Centre, donates all the seed, Growers Supply Co. donates the mulch, and to date, they have donated 89,424 lbs of fresh produce to the community. This year, they are on track to break the 100,000 lb mark, continuing the ongoing hunger fight in the communities where they live and work.
AWARENESS THROUGH EDUCATION
One of the recipients of the initiative, The Salvation Army Penticton Community Food Bank, feeds approximately 1,000 individuals each month. Often their clientele is dealing with complex illnesses, chronic health issues and injury, or facing increased and unfortunate stresses in their lives. They require nourishment from good quality food to help ease the demands of their most difficult days.
I spoke to Barb Stewart, the Program Coordinator at the Salvation Army, to get a better sense of how this initiative has affected their ability to help members of the community. Plagued by the common misconception that they don’t accept perishable donations, one of the primary goals of the organization over the last decade has been to establish ways to increase the amount of fresh, local produce available to those who access the food bank. Great Estates Okanagan has contributed greatly in their efforts to provide nourishing food for everyone.
“We want the best nutrition we can possibly offer in the hamper. Great Estates Okanagan is doing so much toward that goal. We couldn’t wish for anything more.”
This year, Great Estates Okanagan will exceed 100,000 lbs of fresh produce donated since the program began 4 years ago.
One of the pillars of a strong community is a network of neighbours who are there to support each other in times of need. I feel privileged to live in a place that cares so deeply about the people that make up its fabric and is committed to the fight against hunger as we work to create a sustainable future for us all.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Niki Kennedy is a content creator and digital specialist at the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association. She has a passion for music, travel, and telling stories.
W nikikennedy.ca IG @nikikennedyca
FB @nikikennedyca TW @nikikennedyca
Enjoy the Summer Fruit of the Okanagan Valley
It’s summertime in the Okanagan, and that means fresh fruit! In this blog, you’ll find out where and when to pick local fresh fruit.
Where and When to Pick Fruit in the Okanagan
It’s summertime in the Okanagan, and that means fresh fruit! While we all appreciate places like California and Florida for providing us with fruit during the winter, we always make sure to shop local when we can. In this blog, you’ll find the different seasons for various fruits, and where are the best farms to find them.
Cherries - July to early August
As many from the valley know, cherries are one of our earliest crops, usually ready by Canada Day long weekend. Their season “officially” runs from July 1st to August 1st, but weather and temperature can affect that from year to year.
Outside of grapes and apples, cherries are probably the most popular fruit in the valley and have a place on most fruit stand shelves. However, two of our favourite locations to pick up these delicious fruits are Sproule & Sons Farm in Oyama, and Sun Valley Farm in Keremeos.
Berries - July to early September
Another early crop, though it lasts a bit later into the summer, are the berries! We have blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries all starting in mid to late June, and ending their season in late August/early September. Perfect for snacking, putting in a salad or mixing in a cocktail, these berries are delectable. We love swinging by Enderberry Farm in Enderby, or Old Meadows Organics in Kelowna to pick up some of these treats.
Peaches - late July to early September
Mid-summer features one of our favourite fruit seasons - peaches. With the season ranging from late July to early September, you can have peaches for just the end of summer or you can eat them all year round! Our favourite spots to grab some juicy peaches are Harker’s Organics in Keremeos and Covert Farms in Oliver.
Apples - mid August to late October
To close out the fruit season are our world-famous apples, with a million varieties available for your enjoyment. Bite Me Organics located in Kelowna, and Klippers Organics in Cawston provide us delicious apples well into the fall.
Grapes - tastings in September & October, production year-round
Finally, the fruit, or rather what comes from it, that the Okanagan is known for is our grapes! Our wineries have competed globally, and that can’t happen without our delicious grapes. Two of our favourite wineries are Summerhill Pyramid Winery in Kelowna, and Forbidden Fruit Winery in Cawston. These spots sell wine, but you can also sample their grapes as well in September and October.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alastair Heinrichs is a Creative Writing student from UBC-Okanagan. Alastair loves encouraging people to discover more about our region, whether that’s a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, the local food and craft beer scene or secret campgrounds.