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$content = "<p>It began with the South Okanagan's biggest parade and finished with an evening of killer concerts at Okanagan Lake Park.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: Gord Goble</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283205.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283036.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>And if you took in everything offered during Saturday of the 2025 Penticton Peach Festival, you'd likely cloned yourself in advance.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283091.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: Gord Goble</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283263.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>PentictonNow started its day early, parking near the SOEC to avoid the inevitable gridlock, and hiking a kilometer and a half to the key parade intersection of Winnipeg Street and Lakeshore Drive.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: Gord Goble</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283308.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283107.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>It ultimately took nearly two hours for the procesison to make its way past our spot, and it didn't disappoint.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283042.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: Gord Goble</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283071.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>For a comparatively small city like Penticton, the annual Fest parade is a doozie.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: Gord Goble</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283250.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283313.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>As is often the case, some of the most outwardly impressive entries came from our neighbours to the south.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: Gord Goble</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283137.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283188.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>Floats like that of Deer Park, Washington, the Spokane Lilac Festival and Portland's Royal Rosarians were straight-up stunning.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283272.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>As was the always sensational (and sensationally gigantic) Seattle Schools All City Band.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: Gord Goble</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283316.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283074.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>But there was plenty of local awesomeness too.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283025.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>Like the crazily acrobatic kids from Springers Gymnastics. And the slighlty less adventurous but more musically inclined Falun Dafa contingent.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283011.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>Other standout regional entries included floats from the Phillipines, SOS Pride and Peach Fest itself.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: Gord Goble</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283329.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p><img alt="" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283078.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>And we can't forget the numerous community and service groups who always make the Penticton parade scene.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: Gord Goble</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283242.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283223.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>The event done, we took a siesta and headed back mid-afternoon to the Peach Fest epicentre of Okanagan Lake Park.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283402.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>We arrived just in time to witness Okanagan party/rock band Cobra Radio doing its thing.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283377.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>We knew nothing about these guys coming in, but fell for them immediately.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283345.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>A hard working band that knows how to read an audience and doesn't forget to have fun, the Cobras were a perfect pre-dinner tonic.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283393.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>How many drumsticks did vocalist Joey Sather toss into the crowd? Just enough.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283380.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283362.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>Up next was one of the highlights of the entire Festival - Penticton's own Balance School of Performing Arts.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: Gord Goble</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283412.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>Energetic, dedicated and polished beyond their years, the Balance kids wowed a big crowd that seemingly reacted to their every move.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: Gord Goble</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283458.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>And some of those moves were spectacular.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: Gord Goble</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283442.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>Check out the photos.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: Gord Goble</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283416.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: Gord Goble</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283426.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: Gord Goble</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283443.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: Gord Goble</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283452.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: Gord Goble</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283471.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>Next it was back to the Saturday diet of rock and roll with Kelowna's Crush XO.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: CIty of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283482.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>Slightly harder-edged than Cobra, Crush XO played loud and hard for the duration of its one-hour set and effectively primed the headbangers in the audience for Saturday evening's headliners, Econoline Crush and Sloan.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283485.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>Note: Singer Shalisa Liesch can wail with the best of them.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283476.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>Celebrated Penticton rope-jumpers Black Window Rope Spinners followed, though we caught their opening night performace (check out our Peach Fest Day One summary here) and opted instead to cruise down the road to Rotary Park to watch other, braver people than us hop aboard amusement rides.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283496.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283492.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>The place was packed and splendidly illuminated and so were all the rides. It was heaven for the thrill-seeker crowd.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283591.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283499.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>All of the above led up to our final appointment of the night, with platinum-selling Vancouver alternative/nu-metal band Econoline Crush.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283515.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>And yes, that meant we saw two bands back to back with "Crush" in the name.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283525.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>The Econoline variety was...loud. It was also heavy, abrasive and a little dangerous.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283514(1).jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>Just like rock's supposed to be.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283550.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>And singer Trevor Hurst simply owned the crowd. A natural showman, Hurst was the third vocalist in a row that seemed so perfectly at home on the big stage.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283526.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>Indeed, the entire band smashed their way through a set that left the crowd screaming for more.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283540.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>We hope it's not the last time we catch an Econline Crush show.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283556.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>Candian rock royalty Sloan ended the Saturday rock-centric Peach Fest activities, but we weren't there to see them.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283544(1).jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>No offense. It was a long day. A long, good day.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/front%20lg3-1(1).jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
<p>Now it's only a year to the next Peach Fest.</p>
<p><img alt="<who>Photo Credit: City of Penticton</who>" src="/files/files/images/20250809-283580.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" /></p>
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