VERNON, BC— The North Okanagan Children’s Festival is back with even more fun for the whole family! The Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre Society proudly presents the 3^rd Annual North Okanagan Children’s Festival on Friday & Saturday, May 24 & 25, 2024.

Running over two days, the festival offers toddlers, school-aged children and their families live performances, workshops and interactive play. Performances and workshops will take place each morning and afternoon with free activities. There will be plenty of fun in and around the Performing Arts Centre with roving entertainers, outdoor activities and food trucks serving up tasty treats!

The North Okanagan Children’s Festival was created by VDPAC Artistic Director Erin Kennedy in March 2022 to help bring families together and introduce little ones to the joy of live performance in a welcoming and relaxed environment.

“The North Okanagan Children’s Festival holds a special place in my heart,” said Kennedy. “There are many new people moving to our community and we’re looking forward to bringing people together and know each other.” This year, three acclaimed artistic companies will delight festival-goers of all ages.

The GoldenCrust Family on Friday, May 24, 2024 at 5:30 PM in Polson Park.

Meet the GoldenCrust Family. They're setting up an RV camp along with Vernon’s favorite Polson Park night market! These two snowbirds have some highly unusual talents. They can't wait to share them with you! They invite you to gather around their RV to witness this exceptional circus comedy show.

Uzume Taiko Drummers: Saturday, May 25, 2024 at 11:00 AM | VDPAC

Using a diverse collection of percussive and melodic instruments as well as taiko drums, Uzume Taiko bringing a vibrant, contemporary sensibility to ancient art of drumming. With the choreographed physicality of martial arts, the heart-stopping pulse of the O-Daiko, and the rhythmic sensitivity of a jazz ensemble, the drummers of Uzume Taiko create an exhilarating experience.

360 All Stars: Saturday, May 25, 2024 at 2:00 PM | VDPAC

A "Supercharged urban circus"- The 360 All Stars connects the street with the elite to deliver a supercharged urban circus. Boasting a stellar international cast of World Champion and World Record-holding athletes and artists, this is a chance to take in a global smash hit performance seen by over a million people around the world.

In addition to the performances, families can participate in a variety of workshops, including Baby's First Concert, Nursery Land Adventure 2.0, Movement & Rhythm Jamboree, and the Erikson Family Hootenanny on Friday in the Marie Fleming Studio at the Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre.

The festival’s Fun Zone will host outdoor activities provided by local organizations such as the Okanagan Science Centre, North Valley Gymnastics, Vernon Community Arts Centre, Allan Brooks Nature Centre, Okanagan Regional Library, Community Safety Office, and CCRR Vernon in conjunction with BGC Okanagan. Food truck vendors will be on-site, while local performers will perform the outdoor community stage.

All workshops and performances are pick-your-price. This means that families choose how much they pay for workshops and tickets to performances from a range of prices ($0, $6, $10, $15, or $20).

“Having price choices is important so that all families can afford to attend the festival,” said Kennedy. “This lets families pick the price that works for them while still supporting our non-profit theatre.”

Workshop space is limited. Families are encouraged to get registrations and tickets in advance.

The Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre presents 3^rd Annual North Okanagan Children’s Festival on May 24 & 25, 2024. Performance tickets and workshop registrations are pick-your-price: $0, $6, $10, $15 or $20. For tickets and workshop registration, please call 250-549-SHOW (7469) or visit vdpac.ca.

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Festival Website: https://vdpac.ca/north-okanagan-childrens-festival

About Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre: The Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre Society is a non-profit, charitable organization devoted to fostering artists, their work, and live performance in all genres and for all ages. The Society operates the Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre (VDPAC) on behalf of the Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) and with the support of over 30 staff and 200 volunteers. Each year, we present our SPOTLIGHT Season of over 30 diverse performances, complemented by over 125 concerts, festivals, and special events. We select professional touring productions to entertain, enlighten, move and amuse our audiences. Altogether, they offer patrons of all ages a world of unforgettable live theatre experiences.

Please visit: https://vdpac.ca/ & https://ticketseller.ca/

Facebook: @vdpac
Instagram: @vernonperformingarts

For more information, media can contact:

Raj Jain

Marketing & Community Engagement Coordinator

[email protected]