VIDEO: Kelowna lights up for the holidays

This is the weekend Kelowna gets fully lit up for the holiday season.

"It's happening all over the city," said Mark Burley at the Downtown Kelowna Association.

"Last weekend it was Rutland when they lit up their tree, this weekend here in Downtown Kelowna," explained Burley.

"We light ours up at 5:30 on Saturday at the end of Winter Street Market which starts on Water Street starting at 11:00 and runs until 5:30 when we light the tree."

Thirty-nine vendors are involved in the market event with live music beginning at 3 pm.

Adding to the atmosphere, the Stuart Park skating rink is now open.

"I think it's a treat," said Cammie Lewis. "We've been coming here for years. We live downtown so we skipped school today to come to the opening."

And if that's not enough, Kelowna's Candy Cane Lane is also officially lit for the season, thanks to residents like Murray Elliot who haul out their displays every year.

"The main reason for doing this is to give food to the food bank and other places," said Elliot.

"If I get short of lights, I just steal them from my neighbour," he said with a laugh. "So that keeps me going."

"We've got by my count, which may not be accurate, around 50 houses this year," explained Candy Cane Lane stalwart John Sharhon, "Maybe a little bit more."

The whole neighbourhood works to make it possible, and unlike the bulbs, they never seem to burn out.

"This is a time of year for everybody. We need it this year. We need just to get back to the basics and that warmth of things."

Candy Cane Lane gathers food and donations for the Food Bank, The Women's Shelter, The John Howard Society, The Salvation Army and Springvalley Elementary's breakfast program.