This Okanagan fair is just peachy

For Jenny Cooper, volunteering is a great opportunity to meet new people and help with an event in a place she loves.

“I live alone, this is my community,” she told Kelowna10. “You bring new volunteers in, you see the excitement and the fun that we have, even though we’re working hard, what more can you want.”

Cooper was the fruit and nuts section head at the 103rd Peachland Fall Fair, an ongoing tradition that brings in some of the best art, produce, and baking the town has to offer.

The theme for this year was ‘A New Beginning’, since there’s been changes that have happened since the last fall fair in 2019, such as the pandemic. This was the first time in two years everyone had been able to gather for the special event.

“As much as some people think old fashioned should be in the past, other people find heirloom memories and just the traditions to be homey and something worth keeping,” Tami Theriault, president of the fair said. “People just love the tradition of it, it’s a reinvigoration of the old, and the importance of taking care of your own things instead of depending on others for that.”

There were ten categories for people to enter and judges picked the winners for each section on Saturday, with awards and trophies given out on Sunday.

Theriault has officially been the president for the past three years, but since this was the one back after the pandemic, it was her debut fall festival in the new role.

“I love the people in Peachland, they’re very involved in the community,” she explained. “I love building a team, understanding the different personalities, and letting each person shine in their role.”