Every destination has its unique downtown core and Kelowna’s, with its walkable lakeside promenade, boutique shopping district, and variety of dining and entertainment establishments, does not disappoint. Kelowna’s dining scene reflects our community’s culinary DNA, providing a showcase for the fresh, local ingredients provided by local farmers and producers from the surrounding Okanagan Valley. When paired with the unique talent of our community chefs, Kelowna is a flavourful and memorable opportunity to bring a diverse group of people together over a shared dining experience. Here’s what planners can expect when they host their events in Kelowna.
Accommodations within Proximity to Dining
Delegates will enjoy the convenience of a host hotel in the heart of a vibrant downtown core providing easy access to grab a coffee on their morning walk, a glass of local wine or craft beer prior to the evening’s events, or dinner with a colleague on a free night. Hotels like the Prestige Beach House with its prime location across from City Park and Hot Sands beach, or The Royal Anne, a boutique hotel located on Kelowna’s main street, Bernard Avenue, is geared toward small meetings, and offers great access to all the downtown businesses. Further along the promenade, you will find the Delta Hotels by Marriott Grand Okanagan Resort & Conference Centre. Their full-service resort hotel also offers the lakeside Oak + Cru Social Kitchen & Wine Bar. With a visual wine cellar, the Wine Experience Room features over 300 bottles of local wine. Delegates will not have to go far from the hotel to taste the local flavours of the Okanagan: the Wine Experience Room can accommodate small, intimate groups for a wine-paired culinary event.
Tasty Off-Sites
Photo by: Sandhill Winery
If it is an off-site venue you are looking for, there are some tasty downtown options serving up the best of the Okanagan locally-sourced food and beverage. The Kelowna Yacht Club offers stunning views of Okanagan Lake and surrounding mountains in all their meeting spaces including their large, lakeside patio. They feature an extensive beverage menu featuring local micro-breweries, wineries and cocktails like the Rocket Iced Tea, named for the local Western Hockey League Team. Sandhill Winery, one of two urban wineries in the downtown area, offers event space with a sleek, modern feel, and the perfect blank canvass to activate your brand against. With the addition of a commercial kitchen and flexibility to bring in your own catering, planners can source ingredients from regional producers, inviting them to be part of delivering a truly Kelowna dining experience.
Local Favourites
Photo by: Karat Chocolate + Pastry Boutique
Speaking of local favourites, farm-fresh catering options abound with choices such as Details Catering from Waterfront Wines (Chef Mark Filatow), Okanagan Street Food (Chef Neil Schroeter) and The Okanagan Table (Chef Rod Butters). All these acclaimed local chefs offer the opportunity to enjoy our region’s famous farm-to-table cuisine in your choice of venue. If you are looking for options for delegates to enjoy on break times, look no further than Bliss Bakery, Sprout Bread, or Karat Chocolate + Pastry Boutique. Each offers delicious coffee, pastries and light lunches incorporating home-grown produce and ingredients. Reach out to them for a box lunch or even room amenities with a local culinary flare.
Local Experts to Help you Plan
There’s really no limit to the variety of ways you can leverage Kelowna’s culinary experts to create memorable (and flavourful) meetings and events in the Okanagan. With so many options to choose from, just where do you begin? Talk to the team at Tourism Kelowna to find the perfect pairing for your next meeting or conference in Kelowna.
At this time, in British Columbia, event organizers are ordered to limit all gatherings larger than 50 people. Refer to our Meetings & COVID-19 FAQs page for more info.
