The Interior Savings Fat Cat Children’s Festival is an annual two day event taking place at Kelowna’s Waterfront Park.
It is a non-profit event with the goal of offering children unique, hands-on learning experiences to engage little minds and encourage creativity.
Festival organizers believe creative thinking is crucial for a child’s development. Artistic Director Dorothee Birker added, “Our mission is to spark imagination and creativity in kids, so we have a whole slew of entertainment, stage performances, activities; hands-on interactive things where kids get an opportunity to explore and learn.”
The festival also hosts a school program on the Friday of the event. Children attend with their classmates and teachers and get a chance to explore the different stations. These include pottery demonstrations, crafts, drum circles and much more.
A large component of the event is the parade. This is the first year it was held inside the park. This allowed for a more interactive experience for the children who were able to get up close to the performers.
About eight hundred volunteers, performers and participants were involved in this year’s festival and approximately ten thousand people are expected to enjoy the festivities.