Kelowna, how do I love thee?
Let me count the ways.
Glittering Okanagan Lake.
Delicious food.
Abundant golf.
Free-flowing wine.
Craft beer.
Long sunny days.
Mountain scenery.
Bike rides and hikes and promenade strolls.
And, 20% off 'Love for Kelowna' and 'Kelowna Vibes' merchandise.
Plus, half-price pizza and wine, 25% off hotel stays and 25% off bike rentals and wine tours.
Today -- Saturday, May 25 -- is the fifth annual Love For Kelowna Day, an initiative of Tourism Kelowna to celebrate who we are and where we live and raise awareness of how important tourism is to Kelowna.
"We look forward to seeing both visitors and residents participate in Love for Kelowna Day and support the local businesses and experiences that make our destination Canada's favourite four-season playground," said Tourism Kelowna CEO Lisanne Ballantyne.
"The majority of businesses in our tourism industry are small to mid-size enterprises, owned or staffed by local residents. They are the heart and soul of tourism and the reason visitors return to the Okanagan Valley year after year. On May 25, we collectively say thank you and celebrate the passion and resiliency of the tourism sector."
Tourism has a $2.4-billion-a-year economic impact in Kelowna, sees 2.2 million people annual visit the city and generates 12,630 jobs.
It makes tourism one of the city's five biggest sectors along with high tech, construction and real estate, retail-wholesale-trade and agriculture and wine.
It's so easy to celebrate Love for Kelowna Day, especially since it falls on a Saturday.
In many ways, you can just do what you usually do on a Saturday to mark the day -- go shopping, take a hike, ride your bike downtown to a brewery, go to the beach, visit a winery or play a round of golf.
However, because it's a special occasion, post your photos and experiences to social media with #loveforkelownaday2024 and @tourismkelowna.
Lakefront at the Kelowna Visitors Centre at 238 Queensway today, you can sip Grizzli wines from 11 am to 1 pm, check out the displays by Lakeside Eco-Tours and New Vintage Theatre and shop all the Love for Kelowna and Kelowna Vibes merchandise at 20% off.
The merch ranges from t-shirts, sweatshirts and jackets to baby and kids wear, mugs, water bottles and even soap.
Numerous businesses are offering special Love for Kelowna deals on Saturday.
Some of the most compelling are 50% off pizzas and select bottles of wine today at the lagoon-side Oak+Cru restaurant at the Delta Grand hotel, 25% off any stay between now and Aug. 31 at the Four Points by Sheraton hotel at Kelowna airport, 25% off bike rentals and wine tours from Lakeside Eco-Sports and Kelowna Concierge,10% off wine purchases at Sandhill and Gray Monk wineries and $6 pints and $15 pitchers of Wheat Ale at Rustic Reel Brewing.
You can also enter the contest to win $1,700 worth of merch and experiences, including Love for Kelowna and Kelowna Vibes wares, A Taste of Kelowna Food Tour, $150 worth of gift cards to Chances Casino for gaming, lotto and restaurant eats, swag from Rustic Reel, Rise & Wine tour with Kelowna Concierge, E-Bike and Gold Panning Expedition tour with Lakeside Eco-Sports and $50 to spend at Sandrine French Pastry & Chocolate.
To check out all the deals and enter the contest click here.
If you get value from KelownaNow and believe local independent media is important to our community we ask that you please consider subscribing to our daily newsletter.
If you appreciate what we do, we ask that you consider supporting our local independent news platform.
