Indie Shops and Mardi Gras Festival in Downtown Kelowna
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This weekend, Downtown Kelowna will take centre stage with the Mardi Gras festival on Saturday, August 8 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event will run along Bernard Ave. (from Bertram to Abbott), right smack in downtown Kelowna. This is a great event because it shows off the many independent shops in the downtown area and draws people to this really funky part of the city!
- Downtown Shops in Kelowna
The event is perfect for families, and has tons of entertainment for the whole family, for free. There will be 3 stages of live entertainment, street level entertainment, food vendors, a massive sidewalk sale, a huge kids zone, and lots of great activities.
Don’t forget, parking is always free on Saturday and Sunday in the Chapman and Library parkades. For more information on the Downtown Kelowna Association Mardi Gras Street Festival, please call 250-862-3515.
The other thing I wanted to mention with regard to Mardi Gras is that it’s so important to support our local businesses, and this is a great showcase for them. Bernard Ave and the streets around it are just packed with independent shops, designers, artists, and boutiques. Here are just a few that have caught my eye (if you have other suggestions too, make sure to comment so that we can include everyone):
Blonde – Owned by designer and business-woman Raegan Hall, Blonde is a super hip designer clothing store with Canadian labels such as Gentle Fawn, Lifetime Collective and Honeydew. Many items are also brought in from farther-flung places like L.A. Pick up some gorgeous garments and also some funky handbags or accessories.
Bustling shoppers at Blonde
X.10.SION 207 – Ranging from casual to glitzy, this store has entire outfis from the top of your head to your toes. From t-shirts and tops, bags, flip-flops and shoes, jeans, and dresses,this is a cool urban surf-culture shop located at 207 Bernard Ave. (hence the name!)
Shop the Valley – This store is the perfect spot to find a keepsake from Kelowna. From natural bath and beauty products to specialty foods, functional ceramics, skillfully carved woodworks, original works of art and an exclusive line of jewellery, the store offers something for everyone.
Posh Gallery has some great lines of jewellery from around the world, like lines such as Pandora®, Jamie Joseph, Shaesby, Jeanine Payer, Pyrrha, Adina Reyter, Dyberg/Kern and many more designers. With a focus on jewelry, handbags, and jewelry boxes, Posh offers stylish and contemporary pieces specifically chosen for their quality, uniqueness and longevity. Owner Kate Morgan has an eye for style and lots of gorgeous pieces.
Funky interior of Mod Salon
Mod Salon - This super hip hair and make-up salon on Water St. just off Bernard is a great example of how much talent this city has! Owner Amy Bates has studied internationally in order to bring the most current trends from all over the world to her clients . She’s been to the Toni & Guy Academy in London and Manchester, England; trained with the head of both Redken Color and Cutting at the L’Oreal Academy in Milan, Italy; and attended a Redken course at the Toronto Exchange, Canada’s only Redken Exchange. Bottom line, this lady and her staff really know their hair! What I love is how she works with her clients on promotional shoots that decorate her salon – real people from this city, looking fabulous. Very inspiring!
Funktional — Okay, this is on Ellis in the Cultural District, so not right on Bernard, but I have to mention this store! Funktional is a hip decor and gift boutique next to the Bean Scene on Ellis, with a huge selection of locally made décor items and jewellery. Owner Chantal Couture makes many of the unique pieces in the store, and I find that anyone I take there leaves with a treasure!
And there are so many more indie shops and nooks for people to explore in this part of the city. Please, if you have other favourites, let me know. People love shopping downtown, walking from store to store, enjoying the atmosphere there. I’m certainly a big fan. Our city is packed with great entrepreneurial spirit and creativity, so check it out!
