Meadowlark Festival features opportunities to see the natural side of the South Okanagan

PENTICTON – An all encompassing festival that appeals to naturalists, historians and those who enjoy making new natural discoveries returns to the South Okanagan and Similkameen next week.

The Meadowlark Nature Festival takes place May 19 to May 23 with 79 unique events that bring into prominence the unique landscapes and natural attractions in the region.

Festival coordinator Jayme Friedt says the festival is growing every year and more tickets are being sold to people from out of town.

"Forty per cent of tickets are sold to visitors from outside the Okanagan, places like the Lower Mainland and Alberta," she says.

During the festival, tours are organized to areas of ecological, historical and geological significance, including tours to place not normally accessible to the public.

Programs at the festival include canoe trips, guided walks, indigenous cultural events, bird watching, film screenings, back country horseback riding, geological tours, photography and art exhibitions and writing and painting workshops.

Friedt says the canoe trip tours seem to be extremely popular this year, with a new one to Rattlesnake Island on Okanagan Lake proving to be very popular.

Featured events this year include keynote speaker James Raffen who will talk about his international travels around the Arctic Circle. He’ll be speaking at the Shatford Centre on Friday, May 20, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

This year’s featured artist is Juve Furtado, a Vernon resident whose works include "Morning Song” which is the showcased art on the Meadowlark Festival’s promotional material this year.

For more information about the Meadowlark Nature Festival click here to go to the event's website.

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