The second annual Sundog Festival of Arts and Culture kicked off in Vernon's Polson Park Friday, Sept. 20, and the party carried over to Saturday with live music and vendors galore.
The two-day kick-off marks the start of three weeks of festivities, as the Sundog Festival will be bringing more than 50 free events throughout Greater Vernon from now until Oct. 13, when BC Culture Days also wraps up.
On Saturday the Polson Park bandshell featured a number of musicians, including Danny Bell, Francis Baptiste, Coco Jafro and more, with Vancouver's Five Alarm Funk putting on an explosive musical finale.
At 8:45 p.m. Saturday, the much-anticipated drone show that was cancelled on Canada Day will be on full display in the park.
Shawna Patenaude, executive director of the Arts Council of the North Okanagan and co-chair of the Sundog Festival, said the festival is an ideal way to connect people with the local arts and culture scene.
"There isn't a day that goes by that there isn't something going on in this community and more people need to know about it. This festival is a wonderful way of doing that, of highlighting all the events that are going on in the community," said Patenaude. "It's an incredible arts and culture community. We have a lot of artists here and a lot of amazing organizations as well."
Co-chair Heath Fletcher said Sundog Festival is Vernon's own unique way of celebrating BC Culture Days.
"(Culture Days) has been going on for several years, but I think the communities are really starting to embrace it and make it their own, and I think that's what we're doing with Sundog Festival," Fletcher said.
"We're hoping that as this continues to grow that all our local businesses, organizations and non-profits help to support arts and culture by hosting events, sponsoring events and helping to fund programs," he added.
On Saturday just shy of 50 vendors, including food trucks, were at Polson Park, where people could do some shopping and get a bite to eat with live music booming from the speakers at the bandshell.
For more information on Sundog Festival events happening over the next three weeks, visit sundogfest.ca.
