Kelowna Made cancelled as wildfires, smoke strain regional resources

Kelowna Made, the city’s signature summer community festival, has been cancelled for 2026 due to wildfires, poor air quality and pressure on emergency resources.

Kelowna Made logo

OKANAGAN — Kelowna’s signature summer community festival has been cancelled as wildfires, poor air quality and pressure on emergency resources continue to affect communities across the Okanagan.

The City of Kelowna announced Wednesday, Aug. 12, that Kelowna Made, scheduled to run Aug. 14 to 16 at City Park, will not go ahead. Officials cited wildfires affecting neighbouring communities, high-risk air quality conditions, participant cancellations and a desire to avoid placing further demands on emergency resources already responding across the region.

“This is incredibly disappointing for everyone who has worked so hard to plan and participate in Kelowna Made,” Mayor Tom Dyas said. “We know residents, visitors, vendors, performers and community partners were looking forward to celebrating together this weekend.”

Dyas said cancelling the festival was the appropriate decision given the circumstances, with community safety and emergency-response needs taking priority.

The three-day festival was expected to bring live entertainment, multicultural performances, amusement rides, family activities, an artisan market and food trucks to City Park. A special culinary event tied to Kelowna’s UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy designation had also been planned for Sunday, with chef demonstrations, local producers and food and beverage sampling.

It is not the first time wildfire has disrupted Kelowna Made.

The festival was founded in 2022 by a group of residents working with the City of Kelowna. It grew out of the city’s Event Strategy, which identified the creation of a signature community event as a way to celebrate Kelowna’s identity and strengthen local pride.

The original vision incorporated music, sport, culture, food, Indigenous culture and other aspects of life in the city, with plans to gradually expand the festival over time.

The inaugural Kelowna Made was held as a one-day event at City Park on Aug. 27, 2022.

Its planned second edition in August 2023 never happened.

That year, the festival was cancelled during the Central Okanagan wildfire emergency. A local state of emergency was in effect and travel restrictions were in place as crews responded to fires across the area. Organizers said it was not the time to hold a community celebration while emergency efforts continued.

Kelowna Made remained on hiatus in 2024 before returning in 2025 for its first full three-day edition.

The revived festival ran Aug. 15 to 17 at City Park with amusement rides, sporting events, live performances, an artisan market, food trucks and family activities. The City described the comeback as a return after a two-year hiatus.

This year’s festival would have continued the expanded three-day format introduced when Kelowna Made returned in 2025.

The event itself also draws on a much older Kelowna tradition of community celebrations. Organizers trace that history to the Kelowna Fall Fair, which began in 1886, and the first one-day Kelowna Regatta at City Park in 1906. Kelowna Made was conceived as a modern signature event reflecting the city’s changing population, culture and identity.

For now, however, organizers say the focus is on communities dealing directly with the current wildfire situation.

“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the current wildfire situation,” Dyas said. “We are deeply grateful for the dedication and tireless efforts of firefighters, first responders, emergency personnel, support crews and volunteers working to protect and support communities across the region.”

The City thanked the volunteers, vendors, performers and community partners who helped plan this year’s event.