The Penticton Peach Festival returns for its 71st year with an action-packed five days of events and live music, which they think will top last year’s “best lineup ever.”
“After the stage gets taken down and the last banner is stored away, we start work on the next Peach Festival thinking there is no way we can top the last one. Well, the board has done it again. An exciting lineup of music and events will come to Penticton this August,” said Don Kendall. “Stay tuned for more updates on new events and acts as the schedule continues to roll out in the lead up to Peach Festival.”
For 2017’s Peachfest, Kendall said the board went “over the top,” calling it their best lineup in the festival’s 70-year run, but that didn’t curb his enthusiasm for this year’s lineup.
“Right in front of me is the Skyhawk poster. We’re really excited to announce that the Skyhawks are coming back this year,” he said, referring to the Canadian Armed Forces aerobatic parachute troupe.
“They were an absolute huge hit with the crowd last year. In fact, the Skyhawks told us it was their favourite jump of the year in Penticton.”
Kendall said the 2018 festival will not be seeing the return of the Snowbirds aerial demonstration team, which he said appear to be available on a biennial basis.
The five days of free, family-fun kicks off on Thursday, Aug. 8 with Kim Mitchell headlining the Peters Bros. Construction stage.
Mitchell video
Mitchell has lived by his personal mission statement found in the lyrics of his hit song Rock N Roll Duty for decades. It’s not about the fame, nor gold and platinum on the wall (both of which he has achieved) rather it is for the love of music.
Mitchell and his band of accomplished musicians continue to tour the country selling out theatres, casinos and festivals coast to coast. Live audiences, which continue to grown and are comprised of newer fans in their late teens and early 20s through to fans that have been following him since the late 70s are thrilled to find that participating in a Kim Mitchell concert is like being at alive recording of a greatest hits box set. Mitchell, who has won three Juno Awards, is a gifted guitar player and acclaimed songwriter. He has recently started on his first solo recording in half a dozen years and is working towards a full new album release for spring 2018.
Opening for Mitchell will be modern folk/rock band Cod Gone Wild and the evening is sponsored by Peters Bros. Construction.
“Having Kim Mitchell on our opening night is just fantastic. He has so many hits,” said Peachfest board of director Bill Kolter, who is tasked with creating the lineup of music each year. “Peach Festival has been around for a long time and every year we continue to get better and better acts for our headliners. This year’s talent is first-class.”
On Thursday, Aug. 9 Peachfest-goers will be treated to the music of a band that thought these two words sounded good together — April Wine.
Fifteen studio albums, three live releases, numerous compilations, a boxed set and thousands of concerts later April Wine has become enormously popular in Canada, the United States and throughout the world.
In 2010 April Wine was inducted in to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and as they continue their 45th year as a touring band, their schedule is as busier than ever.
Opening for April Wine will be The Heroes of Rock and Roll, who played at the Peach Festival for the first time last year and wowed the crowd with their tributes to the biggest rock and metal acts of our time. The evening is sponsored by Peters Bros. Construction
Friday, Aug. 10 will be RE/MAX tribute night at Okanagan Lake Park on the Peters Bros. Construction main stage. The always popular AC/DC tribute band High Voltage will rock the crowd alongside Tom Petty tribute act, Something Petty. Also featured on tribute night is Eagle Eyes, a tribute to The Eagles.
The weekend will be dedicated to country. First with George Canyon, sponsored by Tim Hortons, on Saturday, Aug. 11 and then on Sunday with pop/country up-and-comer Madeline Merlo.
While the great musical lineups are synonymous with Peachfest, they haven’t forgotten the action-packed part. Returning this year will be the popular Canadian Armed Forces Skyhawks Parachute Team and the high-flying Mega Motocross show will be back.
Visit www.peachfest.com for regular schedule updates, news and more.
