October in Kelowna

While the first official day of fall arrives in late September, October is when the season kicks into high gear. The air is fresh and crisp, trees start changing colour, and wine grapes are ready to be harvested. Read on to find out more about what you can discover and what to expect in and around Kelowna when visiting at this time of year.

Celebrate all Things Fall

^{Mission Creek Regional Park. Photo by: ©RDCO & Michael Hintringer}

Many Kelowna activities can only be enjoyed during the fall. In September and early October, you can get a firsthand look at the Kokanee salmon swimming upstream to spawn—visit Hardy Falls Regional Park and Mission Creek Regional Park to see the salmon in action and to find out more about their journey with Regional Parks' Let's Examine Salmon or Shore spawning kokanee nature programs. As a bonus, the trees will be changing colours, making it an even more fall-esque experience.

To take in more of the changing colours, set out to discover the larch trees throughout the region—from mid- to late-October, they can’t be missed as they turn a bright gold hue. Find out more about where you can discover the golden larches here.

Head to Gellatly Nut Farm Regional Park from September through November to delight in chestnuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, and more grown in the working orchard. Or take a trip to Davison Orchards for an orchard tour, where you can hop on a tractor for a tour of the farm. Local farms and markets like Davison will have an array of fresh, seasonal produce, including gourds of all shapes and sizes. You’ll also find several corn mazes in and around Kelowna—the Kelowna Corn Maze, McMillan Farms (which also has a pumpkin patch), and Kelowna Fruit n Veggies are three spots to check out.

Savour Seasonal Eats and Sips

^{Photo by: Darren Hull}

Cozy spaces and comfort foods go hand in hand during the fall, and neither is in short supply in Kelowna. Many area restaurants will offer themed fall menus throughout the month and at Thanksgiving, showcasing the freshest local produce alongside newly released red wines and hearty stouts.

For beer lovers, the annual Kelowna Beer Week kicks off on October 4, 2024, and runs through until October 12. The kick-off party takes place at Three Lakes Brewing on October 4, and there's a Street Festival on October 12—visit the Central Okanagan Brewers Association website for details on these and other events as they are announced.  

October is also BC Wine Harvest Month, as grapes are ready to be harvested from the vines so that the wine-making process can get underway. Wine lovers can celebrate the season by visiting their favourite wineries on a guided tour or by attending fall events, including those taking place as part of the Okanagan Fall Wine Festival:

• October 17: Fall Wine Festival Party at Volcanic Hills
• October 19: TASTE Series—Scenic Sip Trail, Lake Country edition
• October 25: Cropped Kelowna at Revelry Food & Music Hub
• October 25: OC Cultivates: Tasting and Experience Festival

Discover Kelowna’s Ghoulish Side

In October, Kelowna offers spooktacular experiences for Halloween lovers. You’ll find fun for all ages at Don-O-Ray Farm Adventure’s family-friendly Haunted Farm, Westbank Museum's Haunted House, and the Family Monster Bash at the MNP Centre. Wine lovers can also join the Halloween fun at the Monster Mash '80s Bash hosted by Sandhill Wines on October 26. 

New Vintage Theatre is bringing Rocky Horror Show—The Musical to the Rotary Centre for the Arts from October 10 to 19, 2024. Shortly after that, Kelowna Actors Studio is presenting Evil Dead The Musical this October, with shows taking place between October 16 and November 2. Be sure to purchase tickets in the 'Splatter Zone' if you want to get close to theatrical fake blood effects. 

Local Events

^{Photo by: BreakOut West & Matt Lucas}

Arts & Culture

• The annual Culture Days celebration promotes arts and culture in communities across Canada, with free events happening between September 20 and October 13, 2024.
• Nuit Blanche, a multidisciplinary art event organized by the Centre Culturel Francophone de l’Okanagan (CCFO), returns to the heart of Kelowna on October 5, 2024.
• Okanagan Heritage Museum will host several events in October, including Portuguese and French tours of the museum as well as its popular syilx Traditional Plan Use Walking Tour.

Concerts

• The Okanagan Symphony Orchestra will kick off its 2024/25 season with Holst & Mozart at the Kelowna Community Theatre on October 18, 2024.
• Several shows, including Evanescence, Jordan Davis, and Sawyer Brown, are taking place at Prospera Place in October.
• Creekside Theatre in Lake Country has several shows happening throughout October; more info is available here.

Live Comedy, Theatre, and Dance

• Kelowna's Yuk Yuk's Comedy Festival returns to the Mary Irwin Theatre on October 5, 2024. 
• Prospera Place will welcome Jim Jefferies & Jimmy Carr's The Charm Offensive Tour and Russell Peters' Relax It's Not That Serious Canada! World Tour in late October. 
• On October 30, 2024, the Rotary Centre for the Arts presents Prism by Montreal-based dance duo, Tentacle Tribe.
• Homemade Husbands: DIY Manual, a theatrical play performed entirely in Ukrainian by top Ukrainian stars, will be presented on October 4, 2024, at Rotary Centre for the Arts. 

For more events in and around Kelowna, visit our online Calendar of Events.

Weather

Things start to cool down through the month of October, though in some years it remains quite warm through until Thanksgiving weekend. Things remain fairly dry, though you may start to see rain towards the end of the month, with cloudy days becoming more regular as the month progresses. October is sweater weather, with temperatures reaching an average high of 13°C / 56°F and an average low of 1°C / 34°F. Pack lots of layers and a decent jacket, and keep in mind that temperatures will be cooler near the lake and at higher elevations, so prepare accordingly if you’re exploring outdoors.

Helpful Planning Resources

^{Photo by: Shawn Talbot Photography}

Plan a purposeful and rewarding trip to Kelowna by using the resources available on our website:

• Use our itinerary-builder to keep track of things to do and to plan out your schedule.
• Learn more about Kelowna’s array of accommodation options.
• Discover more about fall in Kelowna.

Have more questions about your trip to Kelowna? Connect with our team at the Kelowna Visitor Centre.

Be sure to follow us on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for more inspiration and share your adventures using #exploreKelowna.