Silver sparkly dress, white fur stole, faux diamond-and-pearl headband, platinum bling purse and even white boots.
Sherani Theophilus came dressed to impress at the Fire & Ice Gala at Spirit Ridge Resort in Osoyoos.
Gala guests were encouraged to don their best fire-and-ice inspired costumes to kick off the two-week South Okanagan Fire & Ice Festival, a celebration of winter in Oliver and Osoyoos wine country.
That meant there were also a lot of people at the gala in fur hats, hockey jerseys, illuminated Christmas sweaters, red dresses, sequins, a baby-blue 1970s-era tuxedo, complete with ruffled shirt, and even sombreros.
In fact, my wife, Kerry, and I felt a little under-costumed in our red blouse and icy-blue sweater, respectively.
The gala featured a fire pit and fire towers at the entrance to Spirit Ridge's conference centre and inside wines, beers, ciders and spirits on ice for pairing with passed hors-d'Oeuvres and oysters, which, of course, were resting on ice.
While the gala last Friday was the lead event of the festival, there's still plenty of Fire & Ice to revel in before it ends on Sunday, Dec. 8.
In fact, we count at least 16 ways to party seasonally with wine, light ups, fireworks, skating, music, eats, holiday shopping, candle and wreath making.
After all, Fire & Ice was originally developed by Destination Osoyoos, Oliver Tourism Association and Osoyoos Indian Band as a way to bring locals and tourists together to salute winter.
See the list and link below.
On the way to and from Osoyoos for the gala, we stopped at the District Wine Village in Oliver.
The village is an inspired setting of 11 wineries, a brewery, distillery and restaurant in buildings that form a circle around a courtyard that doubles as a skating rink in the winter.
Note, the rink has synthetic polymer plastic ice, which is totally skatable, but a different feel from real ice.
So, while at the village we skated round and round, tasted wines with winemaker Calli Bailey at JoiRyde Winery (our favourites were the 2022 Viognier, 2020 Chardonnay and foot-stomped --yes, made from grapes crushed by bare feet -- 2023 Rose of Cabernet Franc) and had lunch of crunchy chicken ramen at Ward's Country Kitchen.
Upcoming Fire & Ice events:
- Friday, Nov. 29, Oliver Community Light Up & Fireworks with activities downtown 4 pm to 8:30 pm, including Santa's arrival at 6 pm, grand light up at 6:30 pm, beverage garden, artisan market, bonfire and light tunnel at Lions Park and fireworks at 8 pm
- Skating rink at the District Wine Village is open noon to 6 pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. And, the wineries and restaurant are open Thursdays through Mondays noon to 6 pm
- Through Sunday, Dec. 8, tastings of the Qwam Qwmt Riesling Icewine at Nk'Mip Cellars winery, which is right beside Spirit Ridge Resort in Osoyoos
- Saturday, Nov. 30 and Saturday, Dec. 7, 10 am to 4 pm, Winter Wine Country tastings and shopping at Moon Curser Winery in Osoyoos
- Friday, Nov. 29, O-Celli classical music at the Venables Theatre in Oliver.
Also at the theatre, Thursday, Dec. 5 pianist Michael Kaeshammer, Saturday, Dec. 7 Will's Jam at 2 pm and spoken word artist Shane Koyczan at 7 pm
- Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 29 and 30 and Dec. 1 and then again on Dec. 6, 7 and 8, the 10th annual Fondue Parties at VinAmite Winery in Oliver
- Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 29 and 30 and again the weekend after that, Winter in Wine Country complimentary tastings, mulled wine and truffle popcorn at Hester Creek Winery in Oliver
- Saturday, Nov. 30, Holiday Open House at River Stone Estate Winery, 11 am to 4 pm, in Oliver
- Sunday, Dec. 1, ornament making, 1 pm to 3 pm, at Tinhorn Creek Winery in Oliver
- Sunday, Dec. 1, holiday wreath-making class, 3 pm to 5 pm, at Gneiss Winery at the District Wine Village
- Tuesday, Dec. 3, Fire & Ice longtable dinner at Miradoro Restaurant at Tinhorn Creek Winery
- Osoyoos Christmas Lite Up & Parade, Friday, Dec. 6 with the parade down Main Street at 6:30 pm and light up afterward and then on Saturday, Dec. 7, Breakfast with Santa at Campo Marina Restaurant from 8 am to 11 am and craft fair at the Legion Hall 9 am to 2 pm
- Friday, Dec. 6, First Friday Art Walk, 4 pm to 7 pm, at Osoyoos Art Gallery, Wayside Books and Okanagan Art Gallery
- Saturday, Dec. 7, Christmas plant workshop at Black Hills Winery, 1 pm
- Winter Celebration at Over the Fence Winery, 3 pm to 7 pm, Saturday, Dec. 7
- Candle making workshop at Tinhorn Creek Winery, 1 pm to 3 pm, Saturday, Dec. 7
Check out all the details here: https://southokanaganfireandice.com/events/
