“It’s a ‘new and blue’ theme this summer, after last year’s ‘tried and true’ lineup,” says organizer Penelope Johnson of Oliver’s Music in the Park. “We’re thrilled that half of this summer’s bands are new to our stage, and a few will be including some blues and bluegrass in the mix.” Of course, concerts will pump out the rock and pop classics, with big band and world music as well.

Music in the Park run 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at the Oliver Community Bandshell, admission by donation, with $5 a suggested minimum. An   inclement weather venue is in the community hall next door. All shows have food truck service. Audiences are invited to bring a chair and some shades to enjoy the concerts.

Award-winning rock band Moving Lines (pictured below) has been described as “hyper-intense”, with powerhouse vocals from Jill Fai and meaty guitar licks from Kevin Fai. Backed up with bass and drums, Moving Lines opens the season on July 4 with an energetic show.

UPDATE #1 Crowd pleasers REBEL LUV take the stage on Thursday July 11, replacing blues-rock super group, Yard Katz, due to a sudden medical emergency. Duo Mikie and Ken mix it up with rock, country and pop tunes. Always dedicated pros, we expect a great couple of sets from these two seasoned rockers!

Big bands are always popular at Music in the Park. On July 18, the South Okanagan Big Band takes the stage, with jazz standards from the 40s plus a variety of pop hits. Their date includes a food drive for the Oliver Food Bank, with non-perishable items collected that evening. 

Ranging from mellow country and bluegrass to manic rock, The Melomaniacs (pictured below) as their name suggests, cover the gamut of popular music. The guitar-playing duo adds in wailing harp, stomp box and snappy banjo rolls for a full eclectic sound on July 25. 

On August 1, the crowd-pleasing Rollin’ Coal trio returns for a mix of Latin and pop classics, lead by remarkable vocalist Sue Ruuska and backed by stand-up bass, sax and guitar. “Sue’s a ‘unicorn’,” explains Johnson, “her unique voice ranges from rich alto to clear mezzo, and she always packs an emotional punch.”

UPDATE #2 Returning for a third year in a row on August 8 are the magnificent Blueshounds. These gents play boogie blues with Gerry Pearson’s harmonica and vocals front and centre. Expect great guitar licks from Lefty Stewart. We’re also super excited to see Rob Robertson and Cliffe Fraser in the band this year — previously of Rob ‘n’ Walker. The Blueshounds replace Synergy after they had to bow out this season.

The summer closes with two familiar favourites. 13 Broken Bones (pictured above) rocks the park on August 15. Gutsy vocalist Jacquie Demoskoff powers over the guitars, keyboards and drums to deliver hits from the ladies of rock. Closing out the summer with a bang on August 22, Nankama Drum and Dance bring West African rhythms to the stage. A mix of beats, stories, and dancing gives way in the second half to an interactive drumming circle. Families with children particularly enjoy this concert.

Every concert provides picnic fare. Pit Stop Smokery shares its smoky goodness on July 4, 18, August 8 and 22. Law of Attraction serves upscale tacos, paninis, and poutine on remaining nights. EnRoute Espresso & Tea brings a truckload of iced and hot beverages plus snacks and treats. An arts council market will promote the activities and wares of its members at many of the concerts.

Music in the Park is a program of the Oliver Community Arts Council.

CANCELLED: The Fall Art Show and Sale 2024 has been cancelled for a variety of reasons. Please stay tuned for another art show in the future!

CANCELLED: The Fall Art Show and Sale 2024 has been cancelled for a variety of reasons. Please stay tuned for another art show in the future!

The Oliver Community Arts Council announces its Fall Art Show and Sale (FASS) on Saturday September 21 and Sunday September 22, 2024. The theme is ELEMENTS. The event runs concurrently with the Wine Capital Weekend dates on the third weekend of September, new as of last year. Our two-day event includes a competition in nine categories, public voting, exhibits and demos by featured artists, live entertainment, reception, and draws for wine-themed prizes. Please spread the word to artists you know! 

Visual artists in all media and of all ages are encouraged to enter.  

Categories include Photography, Fibre Arts, Oils, Acrylics, Watercolours, Three-Dimensional, and Mixed/Other Media. Youth categories (Emerging Artists and Budding Artists) accept any visual medium. 

Awards are given in each category, as well as an overall “Best in Show”.

THEME: Elements Every other year we select a theme to inspire you! You may choose to follow the theme, but it is not required. The public votes for winners in each category regardless of theme. Only the overall Best in Show is awarded to “Best Interpretation of the Theme”. Need some inspiration? Contact OliverCAC@gmail.com for many suggestions on how to incorporate the theme in your medium, your technique, your subject matter or even in expressing your artistic personality. There are so many possibilities! You may already have ready-made art that fits the theme. But if not, submit anyway! 

Entry forms must be received by Sunday September 1, 2024. Early bird draw! Submit your form and fee before that date for a chance to win back your entry fee OR enter a second piece for free.

Youth category entries receive an extension of one week: Sunday September 8, 2023  to because back-to-school schedules can be a challenge! Contact us if you need assistance. 

Artwork need not be completed by the entry form submission date. Completed artwork is delivered to the venue on the morning of the show, Saturday September 21. This gives artists up to three extra weeks to complete their piece(s).

We have NEW and IMPROVED forms for the FASS! Go to our Entry Form page HERE and scroll down to “Fall Art Show and Sale” for the Entry Form, the Terms and Guidelines with Category definitions, plus an Artist FAQ and other helpful material.

Membership in the Oliver Community Arts Council is not required but does reduce the entry fee for Adult submissions. The Emerging Artist (teen) submission is $10. For Budding Artists (12 and under) the fee is waived but numbers may be limited. NEW memberships received as part of your FASS entry will be activated at time of submission AND will also be good through all of 2025. Just a little incentive for newcomers. If you are uncertain of your current membership status, please contact us.   

Hard copies of the entry forms will be available at the Quail’s Nest Arts Centre, and at the Oliver Visitors Information Centre (historic CPR Station). 

Entry forms may be returned by: 1.  MAIL, with your entry fee (and membership if applicable). 2.  IN PERSON by dropping off paperwork in a sealed envelope with CHEQUE(s) at the Oliver Visitor Centre. 3.  SCAN & EMAIL with E-TRANSFER to OliverCAC@gmail.com . E-Transfers must include the memo “FASS Entry Fee” (and “Membership 2024” if applicable). Please send BOTH on the SAME day.   

Oliver’s art community opens its doors wide to welcome the public to an open house celebration. The bay doors roll up at Oliver’s Quail’s Nest Arts Centre for their spring open house on Sunday May 19th between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Visitors will find art exhibits, demonstrations, and sales of handicraft. Adding to the festive atmosphere will be live music, hot food, children’s art activities, and door prizes. Admission is free.

Information booths will introduce visitors to many local artists, upcoming arts events, and ways to become active in the arts community. The Double O Quilters and Desert Sage Spinners and Weavers display their fibre arts talents. The Sage Valley Voices hosts a bake sale to raise funds for their community choir and attract new singers. The Oliver Sagebrushers exhibit their latest paintings. Kreutopia Arts demonstrates and sells vibrant wax paintings.

SOAP Theatre invites the public into Big Blue: their rehearsal space, costume warehouse and set building workshop. Visit in the morning for a tour, or drop in between 1-3 p.m. during SOAP’s open auditions for their fall production, The Play that Goes Wrong. Theatre buffs can listen in on the audition process, or try out for a role. The slapstick “play-within-a-play” follows the hilarious misadventures of a hapless troupe of actors who lurch from one onstage disaster to another.  Stage shy? SOAP also welcomes newcomers to their backstage crew.

During the middle of the day, folk-rock duo Badgentina (aka Stephen and Lisa Toon) cover classics from the 70s and 80s from Neil Young to Sting, and may surprise the audience with some original “toons”.

A large marquee provides the perfect location to rock out to the music, eat a tasty meal from Bo Betty’s food truck, or indulge in a little crafting. Children’s activities include quail-themed craft projects, colouring pages, and some quirky quail dress-up opportunities at the photo booth. Big “kids” are welcome to dress up too.

The arts council will be promoting their upcoming programs and events. Learn more about the summer Music in the Park, the Fall Art Show and Sale, and CreateAbility. Handbills, entry forms, and memberships will be available. Enter the draw for door prizes. Those interested in renting the arts centre can tour the site’s amenities and view a large-screen slideshow of past activities.

All artists are members of the Oliver Community Arts Council, the organizers behind this colourful event. The arts council will promote their own programs and events, including CreateAbility, Music in the Park, and the Fall Art Show and Sale. Handbills, entry forms, and memberships will be available. Door prizes include home decor, handicrafts, and accessories.

The Quail’s Nest Open House welcomes the public to see what art is hatching at 5840 Airport Street, Oliver. Follow the signs for public parking on the north side of Big Blue. For more information, visit OliverArtsCouncil.org. 

The call has gone out for volunteers to make the Fall Art Show & Sale a success from September 22-24. Yes it’s EARLY this year, and time is flying! Please lend a hand wherever you can. Email OliverCAC@gmail.com

Last year we had terrific crews, so generous and helpful, and really made the show a success! You may be on this mailing list because you were so great in a previous year! 🙂 Please tap a friend or colleague to join you, or ask your art groups, even adult children!  Sometimes it’s fun to share a shift with someone you know. All the shifts are fun, simple, and suit different personalities. 

SHY? FIRST TIME? Invite a friend or family member to share your shift. We email written guidelines in advance. No one works alone or unsupervised. Take a quiet shift like reception or balloting. 
SOCIABLE? Join one of the teams like setup or display or be a greeter. There’s a real sense of accomplishment and pride. We strive to keep things fun and friendly.
NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: You do not have to be an artist. We team up new people with someone more experienced.
SHIFTS: Most shifts are 3 hours. Many people sign up for more than one, to sample a few different aspects of the event on different days.  
NOTE: Sunday volunteers receive a free entrance to the Festival of the Grape.

FRIDAY September 22  (6:00 – 9:00 p.m. or earlier): Min 8 people
SET UP CREW: Loading and SetUp: Load up, transport, unload, and set out display materials: grids, plinths, tablecloths, decorations …. . We should have a big trailer pre-loaded (fingers crossed!). Nothing  heavy. Light decor jobs too: setting tables, hanging grid cloths. Often done by 8:00 p.m.

SATURDAY  September 23:  ART INTAKE & DISPLAY  Min. 12 – 15 people  
Art Intake & Movers (8:00 – 10:00 a.m.): Help move incoming artwork to category areas in hall. This is easy!!  
Display Team (10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.): Oooh! This is fun! Arrange artwork around the hall. Work in pairs. Make the place beautiful! A good eye for colour and arranging helps.
You can stay for both if you like!  Bring a bag lunch. Often finished by 1:00 p.m. 

SATURDAY September 23:  ART SHOW teams (3 – 6 p.m. and / or 6 – 9 p.m.) 
Lobby Greeters: greet visitors, promote wine fridge draw, sell draw tickets, accept entry donations

Art Show Greeters: Greet visitors, offer art catalogue and ballot, accept completed ballots

Ballotters: tally votes for art show winners. (5:30 – 8:30 p.m.) Quiet and easy. Lots of time to tour the display between counting ballots! Artists welcome but you will not count your own category. 

Art Show Helpers: stroll the exhibit, chat, answer questions, give directions, keep art secure, help sell art.  Great opportunity for artists to mingle with admirers!
Reception: lay out desserts, fruit, make punch. (1 – 3 people, approx 6 – 9 p.m.) 

Information / Sales Table: hand out art information, sell memberships (co-ordinate with art sales person)

SUNDAY September 24:  ART SHOW teams (12:00 – 3:00 p.m. and / or 2:30 – 5:30 p.m.) 
Lobby Greeters: raffle off a wine fridge, take entry donations

Art Show Helpers: stroll the exhibit, chat, answer questions, give directions, keep art secure, help sell art 

Information / Sales Table: hand out art information, sell memberships (co-ordinate with art sales person)  

SUNDAY September 24:ART RETURN / CLEANUP
Art Return (4:30 –  6 p.m.)  Secure all doors, usher out visitors. Return artwork to artists.
Cleanup Crew  (4:30 – 7:30 p.m.) Dismantle grids, fold linens, sort and pack up supplies. Goes pretty quickly if we have a big crew!

PERK ALERT: Often the same people who set up like to clean up as well. This gives Friday people a chance to enter the Festival of the Grape on Sunday before their shift! Just have fun in moderation please. 

This is a HUGE event, needing many helpers to make it successful. Please lend us a hand! It is well worth the effort with pride in a job well done. Email OliverCAC@gmail.com

After a “feat” of preparation, Oliver’s Music in the Park committee is sure that feet will be dancing on the grass on Thursday evenings this summer. Shows run 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at the Oliver Community Bandshell, admission by donation, with $5 a suggested minimum. An inclement weather venue is in the community hall next door. All shows will have food truck service. Audiences are invited to bring a chair, shades, and picnic items to enjoy the concerts. SEE POSTER BELOW.

Lining up the roster of performers was an easy feat this spring. All bands are tried-and-true audience favourites from the last six years. The Room to Dance duo of JC and Andy Plett return with groovin’ pop tunes to open the season on Thursday July 6. Rebel Luv’s Mikie and Ken on July 13 always get the audience up on their feet and moving.

Big vocals are a prerequisite for band shell performers. Lisa Salting, the gutsy lead singer of Naramata’s Uncorked! band is a fine example, and will rock it out of the park on July 20.

Audiences will be anticipating the return of The Blueshounds, who put on a high energy, hot performance last summer. A hooting hollering standing ovation rewarded the band’s sweaty workout on harmonica and blues guitar last year. Their July 27 date is also the Feed the Valley food drive. Goods will be collected by Oliver Food Bank.

On August 3, the Cliff McIntyre Band (a play on MacIntyre Bluff) returns after being almost rained out last year. The hardiest audience members crammed onto the stage to party with the band, dancing until the sun reappeared. Their mix of Americana, folk-rock deserves two full sets in the sunshine this summer, so sun dance moves are recommended to stave off any rain.

The Naden Band (Royal Canadian Navy) makes a welcome return August 10 after a hiatus of several years. Show tunes, jazz, sea shanties, pop… they play it all. Their bright brass and bright whites always impress the audience. This summer the Naval Security Team will exhibit a ridged hull inflatable boat along with other promotional displays.

Sister Soul brings the boys along on August 17. Fans of Diane’s sweet melodies and sister Joanne’s complementary hard rockin’ vocals will love the full sound of the Rattler’s Band on backup.

Winding up the summer on August 24 is the charismatic rocker Steve Jones and his “Patio Bandits”. Monika harmonizes and Ryan plays stellar keyboards. Steve, with several albums to his credit, connects well with audiences and earned a rousing ovation with his last Music in the Park appearance.

The Music in the Park committee has secured mouth-watering dinner fare for concert goers this summer. Two new food trucks will pull up on site at the bandshell on Thursday nights. Pit Stop Smokery shares its smoky goodness on July 6, and August 10, 17, and 24. Law of Attraction serves upscale tacos, paninis, and poutine on remaining nights. EnRoute Espresso & Tea returns with a truckload of iced and hot beverages plus baked goods for after-supper munchies. An arts council market will promote the activities and wares of its members at many of the concerts.

Art is hatching in Oliver this spring. The bay doors roll up at Oliver’s Quail’s Nest Arts Centre for their second open house on Sunday May 28th between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Visitors will discover art exhibits, sales, and demonstrations, as well as live music, children’s art activities, and door prizes. Information booths will introduce visitors to many local artists, upcoming arts events, and ways to become active in the arts community. Admission is free, although there are also opportunities to purchase wares.  

Writers, fibre artists, painters, quilters, jewelers, and multimedia artists will all showcase their creativity. Shoppers can purchase art cards, handcrafted jewelry, pine needle baskets, clothing and souvenirs.  More than just a market, the event salutes local arts-and-culture groups who want to display and demonstrate their craft. “We will see not only some favourites, but some soon-to-be favourites,” says JoAnn Turner, Oliver’s arts council president. JoAnn is excited to welcome newcomers including the Wine Country Writers Festival, a Mexican handcrafter, and an indigenous society selling merchandise in support of reconciliation and mental health. 

The Desert Sage Spinners and Weavers, Kreutopia encaustic art, and GNR Alpaca Boutique will demonstrate their skills. The RipOff Artists are set to reveal what famous Canadian painter they will reproduce in their summer studio. Turner adds, “SOSS Art Club students will partner with the RipOffs this year, and have impressive art on display.”  The Ukraine Nightingale Project will raffle a quilt and also sell merchandise in support of the refugee crisis.  “Art is interactive and wide-ranging,” explains JoAnn, “and we’re always trying to capture that variety.”

Door prizes include a gift certificate from Sagebrush Nursery paired with gardening supplies, bottles of wine from Kismet Estate Winery and River Stone Estate Winery paired with wine glasses, and several beautiful home decor items.

Children’s activities include quail-themed craft projects, colouring pages, and some quirky quail dress-up opportunities at the photo booth. Oliver Ambassadors will guide little hands although parental supervision is required. Folk duo Markin and Celli will create a relaxing, friendly atmosphere, singing a mix of Americana, folk, and their own compositions.

All artists are members of the Oliver Community Arts Council, the organizers behind this colourful event. The arts council will promote their own programs and events, including CreateAbility, Music in the Park, and the Fall Art Show and Sale. Handbills, entry forms, and memberships will be available.

The Quail’s Nest Open House welcomes the public to see what art is hatching at 5840 Airport Street, Oliver. Public parking is available on the north side of Big Blue.

If you love quilts, Oliver’s Quilts and Beyond show is the quilt-essential place to be. The event runs on April 14 and 15, 2023 at the Oliver Community Centre, 6359 Park Drive.

The Double O Quilters have hosted this quilting show every three years and drawing hundreds of people from all over the province for the last 30 years.

The two-day show includes demonstrations, a silent auction on several quilted artworks and other products, public voting, and sales of quilting supplies. There are also refreshments served in the “cafe” area.

This year Quilts and Beyond includes a special challenge section for participating artists. This year the theme is “Rainbow”, with contributed works including various interpretations in colour, form, and abstract interpretations. The finished works will be a surprise, both to other guild members as well as the public. These Rainbow Challenge entries have their own voting and special awards.

Quilts range in size from enormous king-size bedspreads to small banners, table toppers, linens, and accessories. Everyone can enjoy the colour palettes and patterns without needing to be a quilter or sewer. Artistic talent abounds, with some national and international award winners entering the show.

Admission is by donation. As an extra incentive for donating, every visitor will receive a small felted heart with a message on them a souvenir.

Among the many quilters that will be in attendance at the show will be Colleen Baptiste who works in human resources at the Osoyoos Indian Band teaching homemaking and life skills. In her free time she enjoys trying out new creative quilting skills.

She joined the Double O Quilters 25 years ago, and ever since she has been creating quilted comforts for her three children, two grandchildren and friends.

About 15 years ago, she created a block representing the Okanagan Nation for the internationally acclaimed Quilt of Belonging, and she has been making the annual SOSS Grad Award quilt from the Guild for the last 14 years. She particularly enjoys the camaraderie of the guild.

Quilts & Beyond will take place Friday, April 14, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, April 15, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Oliver Community Hall on Park Drive. Entry to the event is by donation.

It’s a frenzy of fibre in April and May! Celebrate the Fibre Arts: spinning, weaving, knitting, felting and natural dyeing on display over the next two months as the Desert Sage Spinners and Weavers Guild mount two shows in local South Okanagan venues.

See tapestry, fibre paintings, rag rugs, woven shawls, knitted and felted handicrafts, and more!

Oliver Public Library (April 1 – 26, see library hours)

Osoyoos Art Gallery (April 29 – May 20, Tues – Sat 10 – 3)

Funding from the Oliver Community Arts Council is gratefully acknowledged.

The Sage Valley Voices perform the repertoire of the old-fashioned “glee club” at their upcoming concert. These bright, hummable tunes with slick harmonies are well-suited to spring. Join them on Saturday April 22 at 7 p.m. or Sunday April 23 at 2:30 p.m. onstage at Park Drive Church, 6570 Park Drive. Admission is just $15. Children 12 and under are free.

Early birds get the worm .. . and the art. The Fall Art Show & Sale (FASS) comes early this year, following the lead of Oliver’s Fall Festival Weekend. The exhibit is Saturday September 23 – Sunday September 24, 2023 at the Oliver Community Centre, concurrent with the Cask & Keg and Festival of the Grape. (Why the permanent move to the third week of September? See the end of this article.)

The two-day art show includes a competition in nine categories, public voting, exhibits and demos, entertainment, reception, awards show, and door prizes. Because the Falll Festival attracts many tourists, artists have opportunity for art sales and exposure.

Visual artists in all media and of all ages may enter up to two works. Media categories include photography, fibre arts, oils, acrylics, watercolours, three-dimensional, and mixed / other media. Two categories for youth, Emerging Artists (13 -18 yrs) and Budding Artists (12 and under), invite entries in any visual medium. Gifted senior students may choose to enter a specific adult medium category. Awards are given in each category. Fibre arts includes (but is not limited to) quilting, weaving, needlework, tapestry, and fashion design. Three-dimensional includes sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, woodwork, metalwork, glasswork, and other craftwork that is best viewed from all angles and / or would be best displayed on a plinth (pedestal).

The art show has no theme this year, simply “Artist Choice”, encouraging you best work. In addition to awards in each category, one award is presented for “Best in Show”.

Entry forms must be received by Friday, September 1. Art work is not required until September 23, giving artists three extra weeks to create. Late acceptance of a form may be permitted, but only if notice is given before deadline. Early entries are entered into an early bird draw. Youth entries receive an extension of one week (Friday September 8).

Arts council membership is not required but does reduce the entry fee for adult submissions. Emerging Artist submissions are $10. The fee is waived for Budding Artists but numbers are limited. Membership forms are available HERE.

FASS entry forms are available below, and on the entry form page HERE . Click the Download button to save and then fill out the form. More information is available via OliverCAC@gmail.com. Forms will be available at the Oliver Visitors Information Centre on Station Street, Oliver, BC. Entries are accepted by mail, by scan and e-transfer, and at the Visitors Centre (sealed envelopes ONLY).

The festival weekend has moved its dates permanently to the third weekend of September in order to give honour to the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation (with Indigenous Peoples), which falls on September 30. This later date would often coincide with preparations for the festival weekend. It is felt that better respect can be paid by moving festivities to an earlier week, leaving the September 30 available for work crews, volunteers, participants and attendees to pay respects.

Have the holidays and winter weather left you feeling .. a bit .. DRAGGY? Well wave those winter blues away on Saturday January 21! The Venables Theatre and Oliver Community Arts Council are pleased to present JANUARY’S A DRAG! SHOW. Come for the matinee at 2:00 p.m., or the evening performance at 7:30 p.m. Get ready for colour and energy and laughter, and maybe a little boost of empowerment.

Four Drag Queens and one Drag King will strut their sparkly stuff and make you smile! Ella Lamoureux, Toddy, Dora Knob, Sparkle, and Rez Daddy are all from the heart of the Okanagan and ready to put on two glamorous shows for you!

The matinee promises to be a fun and uplifting all-ages (45-60 minute) show for a taste of the glam of drag! The whole family can have fun simply enjoying the costumes, music, makeup, jokes, and sassy entertainment. Starting at 2 p.m., each performer will present one number, then there will be some games and engagement with the audience.

Bring your adult pals for a more risque night out at 7:30PM to the full-length show which will include some comedy, live singing and audience interaction. The full-length performance will involve more numbers, high-energy spectacle, and more adult content. 

​And what IS drag, exactly? Drag is performance art! It’s dressing up in stylized costumes, creating a persona, and acting in exaggerated ways as something you may not be in real life. Men dressing as women, and women dressing as men. Drag has been around for hundreds of years. Think Shakespeare, English pantomime, Vaudeville! slapstick comedy, Jerry Lewis! Where there is theatre, there is drag.

Drag is about disguise and display, being unique but finding togetherness, putting on a persona but respecting personhood. Drag can be bold and brassy but also a sensitive and emotional art form. It makes you smile … makes you think … and maybe warms your heart. 

Ella Lamoureux
Ella Lamoureux is one of the founding performers of the Kelowna drag scene. From Kelowna’s Next Drag Superstar drag competition, Embodiment, #2muffs1collr, to recent star on Call Me Mother, Ella has carved out her place as one of the most influential and stunning drag performers in Kelowna. A makeup artist by trade, Ella will eternally tease you with her beauty. But, watch out if you displease her — that tongue is quick and sharper than you think! She’s generally “as sweet as cherry pie” and she brings so much love and joy to the community. A true charmer, Ella Lamoureux is Kelowna’s Sweetheart.

Sparkle
She twinkles, she glistens, she sparkles…and she’s the Okanagan’s cocktail queen! Known for her energy, charisma, sassy wit, and fabulous blonde hair, Sparkle serves up a delicious combination of glamor, alcohol, and witty repartee.

Rez Daddy
Rez Daddy is looking for honeys to spoil. He’s got baby mama drama, blankets on his windows, and a beat up car. Looking to snag? He’s your guy. He might even give you a hickey while you’re at it. Rez Daddy is gonna wiggle his frog butt and show off his beer gut.

Dora Knob
Dora Knob made her debut at Kelowna’s Next Drag Superstar in June 2019 alongside extra special guest Cinthia Lee Fontaine of RuPaul’s Drag Race. She has since performed for Nuit Blanche at the Centre Culturel Francophone de l’Okanagan, Fruitcake of Rebellious Unicorn at Status Nightclub in Vernon, at Friends of Dorothy as well as private events. In July 2020 she was also cast & filmed in a yet to be released short movie production. More recently she has been co-hosting Drag Queen Paint & Sips art classes.

Toddy
Toddy is a high energy drag performer, standup comedian and singer-songwriter. Toddy has most recently been featured in OutTV’s new drag reality series “Call Me Mother”, and was the Season One Winner! Trained as an opera singer, they often find themself at the intersect of classical music and mainstream media. As a comedian, Toddy has been featured on CBC LOL, JFL42, JFL Northwest and the Portland Queer Comedy Festival. They are the number one shrill icon!

January is a Drag! Show is presented by Venables Theatre and the Oliver Community Arts Council with the support of the Community Presenters Assistance program (of the BC Arts Council and BC Touring Council). The all-ages show is at 2:00 with tickets at $10 and the full evening show (recommended 16+) is at 7:30 with tickets at $25. For tickets and more information visit www.venablestheatre.ca

Dressing up is welcome! Because, hey! who really wants January to be a plain old boring … drag, eh?

The Christmas season is fast approaching and Sage Valley Voices Community Choir has been busy rehearsing for this year’s Christmas concert, “Christmas Memories.”  This year the choir will be performing at the Venables theatre at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 27^th. It is a wonderful way to share the Christmas spirit with the entire family.

Tickets for the event are available on line and at the door for $15.00 each and proceeds, after expenses, go to support local charities. In the spirit of the season, donations to the Oliver Food Bank are also accepted.

Our very enthusiastic choir conductor is Lori Martine and Sandy Andres provides piano accompaniment. The members of this choir sing because they love to sing and the atmosphere at rehearsals lifts the spirits. People of all ages turn out each year to hear some spirit lifting music.  Do come, sit back and enjoy. It’s Christmas time!    

The Oliver arts council announces two fall workshops: “Wardrobe Wizardry”. These classes provide participants with materials to make homemade Christmas gifts and the basic skills to pursue these new hobbies. One workshop series teaches crochet basics: how to make a dishcloth, a granny square, slippers, a toque, and a cozy afghan. The other workshops introduce ways to upcycle old clothing into fashionable accessories using fabrics and notions. All supplies are included in each workshop. No sewing machine or other tools are required.

“Crocheting for Beginners” is taught by Bernice Myllyniemi, a well-known costumer for SOAP Theatre, as well as a doll designer and retired teacher. She brings decades of skill to instructing newcomers in one of her favourite hobbies. Maximum class size is six, to ensure everyone gets the support they need. The workshops run as a series of four on Thursday evenings from 7 – 9 p.m. in November. Regular price: $120 for the four workshops, or $100 with an OCAC membership

No previous crochet knowledge is required, only a desire to learn how to crochet and be creative. Over the four weeks, the aim is to enable each participant to acquire sufficient knowledge and skills to create their own craft items. Basic skills include: crochet terminology, how to read a pattern, types of yarns for projects, hook sizes, how to crochet a basic starter chain, single, double, treble stitches, how to increase and decrease stitches, binding off, and (most importantly!) how to correct errors.  Hook and yarn for  projects will be provided.  

“Scraps to Style” is taught by Brenda Parfitt, who has been running her upcycling business, “OneUp Oliver” for 15 – 20 years. She figures she has saved over a ton of used clothing and fabrics from the landfill. Learn how to make a tie purse, scrappy flowers, or mittens. Participants can attend one or more workshops on Wednesday evenings from 7 – 9 p.m. Nov. 23: Tie Purses (pictured left) Nov. 30: Scrappy Flowers (below) December 7: Mittens Regular price: $30 / session or $25 / session with an OCAC Membership

Both sets of workshops combine a “make-and-take” craft with traditional fabric skills. In an economy that favours slow fashion and recycling, these classes aim to equip participants with practical tools for updating their wardrobe without breaking the bank.

All workshops take place at the Quail’s Nest Arts Centre, 5840 Airport Street, Oliver. in the Studio Building.

Pre-registration is required. Contact OliverCAC@gmail.com to secure your seat and arrange for payment.