Come with us on this downtown walking food tour

For tourists, exploring local attractions, dining at local restaurants, and discovering the heritage of Kelowna are often top priorities.

But this fun activity is also an opportunity for local residents to delve deeper into their own backyard.

A Taste of Kelowna Food Tours highlights seven local destinations at a time where guests can indulge in delicious food and drink.

It also offers an immersive experience that delves into the rich history and cultural aspects of downtown Kelowna.

Guide Andrew Dean told Sarah Nick from 104.7 The LIZARD he chose destinations where visitors can sense the history and authenticity as soon as they enter.

“I chose businesses that not only are local, but have been around for a while and have family connections,” he said. “We were finding places that their parents work at or have been here for ten or 15 years. You can feel that when you walk inside.”

The tours happen twice a day at 10:00 a.m., and 2:00 p.m. Monday to Saturday.

The seven stops, from a list of ten participating establishments take a total of three hours.

Dean said when the pandemic came, he lost his job with the Kelowna Rockets but wanted to continue working in the downtown alongside businesses.

“It’s kind of a win-win. I bring people to the businesses who may not find this place, and they come in, sit down for 10, 15 minutes, get a tasting and drink, and hopefully they come back for dinner again,” he said. “The business gets some help from that, and the people get help because they don't have to walk into a random place and hope that it's going to be good.”