While they are few and far between, rainy days in Kelowna are great for exploring the city's many indoor spaces.
If you are already downtown, start your day with a tour of Kelowna’s Cultural District. Open Tuesday through Sunday, the Kelowna Art Gallery is one of Canada's most respected public art galleries, with more than 800 works of art in its permanent collection. Most of these pieces are by contemporary Canadian artists, with a focus on BC and Okanagan artists. As an added bonus, admission is free on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. For information on current and upcoming exhibitions, click here.
Next door is the Rotary Centre for the Arts (RCA), a multi-disciplinary arts building open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Stroll through the two floors of artist studios and chat with the artists while they work or visit the Alternator Gallery that features contemporary and often thought-provoking exhibits. RCA also hosts a variety of events in its Mary Irwin Theatre. Be sure to grab a latte or gelato at the bistro before continuing on.
Conveniently located beside the RCA is the Laurel Packinghouse, Kelowna’s first heritage building. Stroll the Orchard Industry Museum and the BC Wine Museum to learn about Kelowna's roots in orcharding and about our history and future in the world of viticulture. The museums are open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; admission is by donation.
If you are thirsty for more history, a visit to the Okanagan Heritage Museum might be in order. The museum explores the natural and human history of the Okanagan region and regularly features visiting displays from around the world. Visit Monday through Saturday, between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Again, admission is by donation.
If your thirst is of another kind, pick up a Kelowna Wine Trails Guide and plan your itinerary to explore the area's wineries. Make your way up to the tasting bars of picturesque wineshops and learn about the local wine industry as you sample some delicious award-winning varietals. You can please all tastes in your group because local breweries, cideries, and distilleries also offer tastings of their handcrafted beers, ciders, and spirits, many of which are crafted from locally-sourced Okanagan Valley ingredients. Plus, many of these spots host live music and offer other activities, like bowling, board games, or trivia, to make your time indoors even more fun!
A rainy day doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the area's lake views. Take a drive to Quails’ Gate Winery Summerhill Winery, Arrowleaf Cellars, Mission Hill Winery, or Gray Monk Winery. They all have covered decks off their restaurants that offer amazing vistas of the vineyards and Okanagan Lake.
Photo by: James O'Mara
If shopping is more your style, head to Orchard Park Mall, the largest shopping centre in B.C.'s interior, housing 180 stores and services that offer something for everyone.
For more information on other rainy day adventures that fit with your tastes and timing, visit http://www.tourismkelowna.com/do/ or stop by our Kelowna Visitor Centre, located at 238 Queensway Avenue, to chat with our Visitor Experience team. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest for more ideas of things to see and do.