August in the Okanagan – Your Eat and Drink Calendar

August in the Okanagan. No need to smuggle that bottle of wine for a picnic in the Okanagan. Most wineries allow picnics and  wine, purchased (chilled-of course) from their winery, be consumed on their grounds.

Eat magazine’s top picks for August include:

Wednesdays thru-out August. 6:30pm to 9:30pm. The Great British Menu. Poppadoms Indian Restaurant.  Kelowna

The Dosjan family who run Poppadoms, are originally from England and they know a thing or two about good British fare. In fact, this delightful Indian restaurant has become a hub for Okanagan British expats. On Wednesday evenings in August, Poppadoms celebrates The Great British Menu presenting English pub classics with an Indian twist. Reserve a table or pull up a seat at the long communal table and get to know the Okanagan’s British ex-pat community. Info/reservations: Poppadoms Indian Restaurant. 778-753-5563

Thurs. Aug. 2^nd -5:30pm. Many Happy Returns Gala Dinner. Kelowna

Did you know that many moons ago, sockeye salmon thrived in Lake Okanagan? Human destruction of their natural river passages between Lake Osoyoos and Lake Okanagan all but wiped out the sockeye salmon. However, excitedly due to the dedicated work of the Okanagan Nations Alliance who are restoring traditional river passages between Lake Osoyoos and Lake Okanagan, sockeye salmon are returning and could one day prove to be a thriving source for fresh local salmon. Join the Pacific Salmon Foundation and the Okanagan Nature Alliance for a gala dinner at the Delta Grand Hotel and help the continued efforts to bring back Lake Okanagan’s sockeye salmon!  Enjoy a two hour sparkling reception with stations from Okanagan restaurants including RauDZ,  the Hooded Merganser, the Grapevine Restaurant at Gray Monk Estate Winery and Codfathers before sitting down to a gourmet dinner followed by live auction and music. $100.00 inclusive. Tickets/more info: Okanagan Nation Alliance: 250-707-0095.

Sat, Aug. 4^th -Celebrate Food Day Canada 

The official day to celebrate the local food of Canada!  Plan your own party using Canadian only ingredients with wonderful ideas from the official website. http://fooddaycanada.ca/.  Or reserve a table at one of the participating restaurants across Canada for a truly special evening. Okanagan restaurants showcasing local Canadian cuisine as part of the official celebration include Waterfront Restaurant and Wine Bar, Summerhill Winery’s Sunset Organic Bistro, RauDZ , Quails Gate Old Vines Restaurant and Mission Hill Estate Winery’s the Terrace Restaurant.

Sat. Aug. 4^th – 6:30pm. Visa Infinite Card Dinner Series. Miradoro Restaurant at Tinhorn Creek 

A reason to sign up for a Visa Infinite card or rally up a friend with a card. Miradoro’s Chef Jeff Van Geest hosts Top Chef Canada winners Chef Dale MacKay and Carl Heinrich along with runner-up Trevor Bird for a collective culinary extravaganza. Sparkling reception followed by wine-paired dinner. For Visa Infinite Card holders only- $175.00 plus. Tickets/more info: 1-888-711-9399 Visa Infinite www.visainfinite.winebc.org.

Sat.Aug. 4^th & Sun. Aug 5^th -6pm. Bard on the Bench at Naramata’s Township 7 Winery 

This year’s performance is the light-hearted Shakespearean comedy “As you like it” with the beautiful vines in the background.  Many guests use this as an excuse to hold an elaborate pot-luck picnic. Tables and chairs can be reserved. Tix: $20.00 Info/tix: Township 7 Winery. 250-770-1743.

Thurs. Aug. 9^th – 6:00pm Feasting in the Vineyard at Cedar Creek Estate Winery. Kelowna.

A fundraiser for the Okanagan Symphony with live music from the Insansan Percussion Duo. Enjoy a beautiful evening dining in al fresco in the vines. Cedar Creek Winery’s Chef Chris Thomas hosts Chef Geoffrey Couper (Okanagan Chef’s Association), Chef Jesse Croy (Summerhill Winery’s Sunset Organic Bistro), Chef Matthew Batey (Mission Hill Winery’s Terrace Restaurant) and Chef Bernard Casavant (Manteo’s Resort-Wild Apple Grill). Tix: $160.00 plus. Contact/more info: Cedar Creek Estate Winery: 250-764-8866 ext. 102

Sun. Aug. 12^th  -1pm to 5pm. Feast of Fields. 

The always sold-out Okanagan Feast of Field’s celebrates this year at Claremont Ranch Organics in Lake Country. Shuttle service available. Tickets/more info: Okanagan Feast of Fields. 250-328-4894

Wed. Aug. 15^th – 6:30pm Julia Child 100th Birthday Celebrations.  Across BC

Les Dames d’Escoffier, BC Chapter presents Grande Dame Julia Child 100^th Birthday Celebrations at various locations across BC at the same time, same night and same price. Join the celebration at the Okanagan’s only participating restaurant, Waterfront Restaurant and Wine Bar

$69.00 not including gratuity. Tickets/Info: Les Dames d’Escoffier British Columbia

Sun, Aug. 19^th -10am-5pm. Grindrod Garlic Festival. 

Fun for the whole family. Held in Grindrod at the Grindrod park. This year’s theme is “Homegrown, Homemade, Organic”.  Join the fun with competitions for biggest garlic, best garlic braid, most varieties of garlic, best garlic pickles and home-baked garlic bread.  Contact: Gabriele, Garlic Festival Co-ordinator 250-838-6581 or Green Croft Gardens. www.greencorftgardens.com

Sun. Aug. 25^th -6:30pm. Sea to Sea II Chef Collaborative Dinner. The Terrace at Mission Hill Family Estate Winery. West Kelowna.

Chef Matthew Batey hosts Chef Jeremy Charles of Raymonds, Derek Dammann of Maison Publique opening fall 2012, Anthony Walsh of Canoe, Michael Noble of Notable, and David Hawksworth of Hawksworth Restaurant for a wonderful wine-paired Sea to Sea Collaborative dinner. Tickets $225.00 plus. Available to Visa Infinite cardholders only. Tickets/More info: 1-888-711-9399. Visa Infinite. www.visainfinite.winebc.org.

Plan ahead- September

Sat. Sept. 8^th – 5:30pm. Naramata Tail Gate Party. Naramata.

The Naramata Tail Gate Party triumphantly returns. Join 21 Naramata Bench Wineries at the ultimate tailgate party at Manitou park on the shores of Okanagan Lake. From $89. Tickets/More info: Narmata Tail Gate Party:

Sun. Sept. 9^th -7pm-10pm. Le Diner Okanagan.  Secret Location by invitation only.

Vancouver celebrates the official Le Diner en Blanc http://dinerenblanc.info/ which originated in Paris on August 30th.  This beautiful event now occurs in major cities around the world. Although a non-profit event, the $59.00 per couple fee covers overhead costs only, such as transportation, rental of the location, sound, lighting, associated permits fees, insurance, and security.  To sign up for an invitation or to learn more visit the website. The Okanagan hosts a secret sparkling white picnic on Sunday, September 9th.  Your only hope of snagging an invitation to this exclusive Okanagan event is to sign up on the website in hopes of receiving a coveted invitation.  Tix: $25.00 per guest, $50.00 per couple. (Plus guests bring their own picnic dinner and BC wine.) To sign up for an invitation/more information visit Le Diner Okanagan.

Sat. Sept. 15th -7:30am-5pm. Similkameen Sizzle Pepper Festival. Keremeos

Now in it’s 11^th year the Similkameen Sizzle provides a fireman’s pancake breakfast, a beer garden with live music, a chilli cook-off, and a Hot Pepper Eating Contest. Eat magazine along with BC Wine Trails sponsors the 1^st annual Hot Sauce Competition of the festival.  Anyone can enter but beware many of the Okanagan chefs’ take great pride in their home-made hot sauces and competition is expected to be fierce. Great prizes to be won. For more info: visit Similkameen Sizzle Pepper Festival.