Kelowna's Juicy Tips

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Hurray for July! This is the time of year (well, now until fall, really) when Kelowna gets to seriously show off… that’s because this city shines when it comes to beautiful fresh fruit. Cherries are the first out of the gate, and I’m here to tell you that it’s Cherry Time! Come out to the Kelowna Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market this weekend for a cherry party…

I know... cherries make me smile, too!

Where better than to throw a “Welcome Home” party for cherries than at the Kelowna Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market? With over 165 stands, this market is the biggest farmers’ market in BC, and lots of the farmers here have cherries for sale. As part of the party, there will be a Cherry Pit Spitting Contest, cherry-themed games and prizes, and of course, tons of cherries and cherry products for sale.

The Farmers Market is at the corner of Dilworth and Springfield Roads, across from Orchard Park Mall. It runs on Saturday and Wednesday mornings from 8 am to 1 pm, and on Thursday evenings from 3 pm to 7 pm.

A cherry picker at Gatzke Orchards shows off his harvest.

If you can’t make it to the Farmers Market this Saturday, don’t fret. You can still find cherries at lots of the local fruit stands and farms around town.  Gatzke Orchards is great place to find delicious cherries… including those yummy yellow ones and split-resistant ones. I also just discovered a great farm market on Rose Rd in East Kelowna that will have cherries for sale. Roseridge Orchards is a family-run operation and I loved their website.

There are also lots of u-pick orchards around, so check the local classifieds for listings. One of our favourites at Tourism Kelowna is Kempf Orchards at 1409 Teasdale Road. Shelley and Herb Kempf are so personable, and the orchard is open 7 days per week for u-pick and farmgate sales. They will have cherries until the first week of August. They can even accommodated buses!

Hurray for cherries!

If you’re in West Kelowna, check Paynters Fruit Market for sweet plump cherries. The picture of cherries on their products page (linked) just makes my mouth water!  In Lake Country, there’s Petals and Leaves Garden Centre and Fresh Farm Produce.  I love their website because it lists what’s in season right now (as you can see on the link I provided) and also great recipes of how to use that produce. Very useful!

So you see, there are lots of places you can find ripe, succulent local cherries. No matter if you pick them yourself or buy them freshly picked at the farm, you can be sure that there aren’t many places in the world where better cherries are grown. So come on down to celebrate the arrival of the cherries at the Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market this weekend! The glory days have arrived!