Located on the east side of Lake Okanagan, mid-way between Penticton in the south and Vernon in the north, downtown Kelowna offers a spectacular landscape of lake, mountains and parks. The original inhabitants of this Central Okanagan region were the Interior Salish people, who harnessed the area's natural resources and followed seasonal cycles of food gathering, hunting and ceremonial life. Father Pandosy settled in this area in the early 1860s, pre-empting land near Mission Creek, which was to become one of the Valley's largest farming operations. The settlement was later to be called Kelowna, meaning 'Grizzly Bear' in Indian dialect.
Kelowna is located at the junction of Highway 97 and Highway 33 on the eastern shore of Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley, 29 miles (46 km) south of Vernon and 43 miles (68 km) north of Penticton. The Kelowna International Airport is the 3rd busiest in British Columbia and the 11th largest in Canada. Kelowna is serviced by Air Canada Regional Airlines, Westjet, Central Mountain Air and Horizon Air, with non-stop flights from Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Seattle, and Victoria.
Located within the north part of Kelowna's downtown and once the center of the Okanagan's fruit packing industry the Cultural District is now home to artists' studios, galleries, theatres, museums, a casino and fine dining. Explore Kelowna's history at the Kelowna Museum. Exhibition themes include natural history, Native history and local history, plus the only Ethnography Gallery in the interior of the province.
Learn the story of the Okanagan Valley's transformation from wide-open cattle range to beautifully manicured, symmetric orchards at the British Columbia Orchard Industry Museum. Displays include exhibits on packing, processing, home preserving, picking, hands-on artifacts, rare photographs, and a 50-foot model railroad set. The museum is located in the historic Laurel Packinghouse at the corner of Ellis Street and Cawston Avenue. Built in 1917-1918, it is the city's first designated heritage building, and across from Cannery Row, home to a number of art galleries.
You can also explore the Rotary Centre for the Arts, which is home to artists, musicians and theatre groups including Sunshine Theatre. Whether you enjoy contemporary or historical paintings, sculpture or crafts, photography or printmaking, the Kelowna Art Gallery displays a wide range of art from around the world. On the edge of the Cultural District you can take a cruise on the MV Fintry Queen, the pride of the Okanagan Lake since 1949.
The Pandosy Experience includes a central Okanagan wine tour of the Mission beginning in the Cultural District at the Wine Museum, which offers a wealth of information on the local wineries, history and events held each year. The route unfolds south along Pandosy Avenue, the Abbott Street Corridor and then Lakeshore Drive where one can fan out in every direction and discover a winery. Pinot Reach Cellars, Summerhill Pyramid Winery, St. Hubertus Estate Winery and Cedar Creek Estate Winery. Winery visitors can enjoy a wide range of culinary treats, tasting and vineyard tours.
As we travel from the Mission to East Kelowna we can visit an interesting historical preserve at the Father Pandosy Mission, the site of the first vineyard and orchard in the Okanagan Valley, dating back to 1859. In 1860, Father Pandosy started his mission in order to convert natives, traders and new settlers. Two wonderful heritage parks are also in the vicinity: the Guisachan Heritage Park features Guisachan House, which was built for the Earl and Countess of Aberdeen in 1891, and named after the family estate in Inverness-shire in Scotland. Guisachan features the Cameron Gardens, The Milk Shed Shop, and McDougall House. Benvoulin Heritage Park features the 1892 Benvoulin Church, the first Protestant Church south of Vernon. The Gothic Revival style, with high ceilings, vaulted arches and steeple was based on the Crathie Kirk, the Aberdeenshire, Scotland home of Lord and Lady Aberdeen.
The Pandosy Experience includes numerous attractions including the Kelowna Land & Orchard Company (a working orchard with tours, farm store, Raven Ridge Ciders and the Tea House Restaurant), the Okanagan Lavender Herb Farm and the Mission Creek Greenway Interpretive Centre.
r
Includes: Kelowna's Cultural District, Mission Shopping District, East Kelowna, Boutique Shopping, Hotels, Heritage Features, Agritourism Attractions, Wineries, Museums, Art Galleries and Performance Venues, Murals, Art Studios, First Nations.
