Centennial events fill the calendar for May

May 07, 2008

Well May is here and it is starting to feel like spring, finally. And what a busy centennial May is planned.

We kicked off Youth Week in style at City Centre with Eterna, Coun. Rory McIvor and a wildly enthusiastic group of young people. Salute the youth of our community when you see them, they are our future and their enthusiasm is infectious.

Speaking of youth, don’t miss Hello Tomorrow — the Penticton Youth Centennial Celebration, starting Thursday and ending Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Cleland Theatre. The show features over 250 young performers from schools and performance academies around the city. Hello Tomorrow promises to be a highly entertaining mix of music, dance, poetry, comedy and drama featuring the talents of Penticton’s youth. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and students and $5 for children under 12. Tickets are available at the centennial office, 888 Westminster Ave. West, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday or phone 490-2391. For ticket information and reservations after hours call 770-1173 or 809-0660.

Make sure to drop by the museum to visit the People Matter – 100 Years of Faith and Service in Penticton until May 23  in the RN Atkinson Gallery. This is the fourth exhibit in the museum’s centennial heritage exhibit series.

The exhibit examines some of the valuable contributions made by the many churches, service groups, clubs and lodges to the development of Penticton as a caring community. A major highlight is the continuous screening of a 45-minute video highlighting seven organizations who symbolize the charitable spirit that is part of Penticton’s 100-year history. For more info, contact the Penticton Museum at 490-2454. We hope to see you there.

On Sunday at 2 p.m. join Gillian and Brian Russell for Remembering Mom, a Mother’s Day tribute concert at the library auditorium. Tickets are available at the centennial office, or by calling 490-2391. Tickets are $9 pre-purchase or $10 at the door.

Planning for Centennial Plaza will kick into high gear this month. The Centennial Plaza, which is in the final design stage, will serve as a grand entrance to Okanagan Park. The Centennial Plaza will not only serve as a permanent physical commemoration of Penticton’s centennial, it will build the Penticton Centennial Legacy Fund, a permanent endowment fund. Proceeds from this fund will assist local students and sustain cultural, heritage and environmental projects that will benefit the community in perpetuity. The commemorative plaza has donor walls that allow for two levels of donation and recognize community involvement and spirit. Plaques will be inscribed with names and establishment dates of donating families or organizations.

The Centennial Plaza was conceived by the Centennial Advisory Committee in collaboration with the Community Foundation of the South Okanagan and the City of Penticton. Construction will commence in the fall with a grand opening planned for late October, early November. For more details on how you can participate in this project by purchasing a plaque to commemorate your family or business call the centennial office.

 Don’t forget the Rotary Okanagan International Children’s Festival May 22-24  in Okanagan Park. Wonderful entertainment for the whole family and featuring 100 years of dance — a tribute to Penticton’s centennial.

For more information on centennial activities, how you can get involved, how to book Eterna to give your event centennial flair, or to purchase souvenirs and keepsakes, call our office at 490-2391 from 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Monday to Friday or visit our website . And don’t forget to get your Zinnia Sunshine seed mix to celebrate centennial in your garden.

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Centennial events fill the calendar for May

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