If you caught last week’s blog, you know that the East Kootenay region has an abundance of artists, authors, performers, and more – who all contribute to the Kootenay Lifestyle. This week we’ll look at a second component – Community. More specifically we’ll check out some of the annual events held that help bring our communities together. But first, let’s learn how to refer to some locations in our region in the traditional Ktunaxa language: St. Eugene, Kimberley, Cranbrook, and Fernie.
Festivals and Events
Many communities have their mainstay community festival each year but there are a number of smaller community events that are worth checking out too:
Cranbrook
- Sam Steele Days
- Rockin’ in the Rockies Car Show
Kimberley
- JulyFest
- First Saturdays
- Lobsterfest
- Kimberley Kaleidoscope Arts & Culture Festival
- Motor Mountain Nationals Car Fest
Fernie
- Griz Days
- Fernival
- Elk Valley Pride Festival
Creston
- Blossom Festival
- Creston Valley Bird Festival
- Yaqan Nukiy Pow Wow
Invermere
- Wings Over the Rockies Nature Festival
- Columbia Valley Smokeshow
- Valley Appreciation Day
- Columbia Valley Classics Show and Shine
Golden
- Summer Kicks
- Live Kicks
- Film Kicks
Sporting Events
A big part of the Kootenay Lifestyle includes taking advantage of the beauty we are surrounded by. It’s no surprise College of the Rockies offers two adventure tourism programs (Mountain Adventure Skills Training and Adventure Tourism Business Operations) – Kootenay Life definitely includes a heavy dose of adventure. For those who like to combine competition with their adventure – options abound.
For Bike Lovers
- Kootenay Rockies Gran Fondo
- Creston-Kootenay Lake Gran Fondo
- Cranbrook Gravel Grind
- Lost Elephant Ultra Race
- Transrockies Gravel Royale
- Transrockies Singletrack Six: Ride the West
- Scott Downhill Race Series
- Fernie Dunbar Summer Series Canada Cup/BC Cup Downhill Mountain Bike Race
- Kootenay Krusher Mountain Bike Race
- The Golden Triangle Road Cycling Tour
- Golden Two-Four
- The BluMoose Gravel Bike Race
Just for Runners (mostly)
- Black Spur Ultra
- The Lone Wolf
- Round the Mountain
- Jaffray Off-Road Mayhem
- Fernie Half Marathon
- Blue Heron Half Marathon 10K, 5K Fun Run
- Crazy Soles Nipika Trail Run
- Loop the Lake
- Hike & Walk for Hospice
- Golden Ultra
Golf Galore
- Boston Pizza/Northstar GM Charity Golf Tournament
- Home Hardware Building Centre Golf Tournament
- Cranbrook Bucks Annual Golf Tournament
- Ktunaxa Nation Annual Golf Tournament
- Fernie Open
- Ironman Open
- Fernie Golf’s Tombstone Event
- Pucksters
- Iron & Tin Tournament
- Canadian Tire Couples Cup
- Matchplay in the Mountains
- Wine-not Par-tee
- Golden Golf Club’s Fall Classic
Multi-sport and Miscellaneous
- Wasa Triathlon
- Lake Windermere Aquathon
- Heart of the Rockies Multisport Festival
- The Willi XC Challenge
- BallFest Slo-Pitch Tournament
- Kinsmen Fishing Derby
- Moyie Lake and River Classic Fishing Tournament
- Slope Soaker
- Raging Elk Dummy Downhill
- Cranbrook Professional Rodeo
For Music Lovers
No matter what genre you prefer, the Kootenay Lifestyle definitely includes music.
- Wapiti Music Festival
- Summer Sounds & Dancing in the Park
- Peak Music Festival
- Symphony on the Mountain
- Wednesday Outdoor Concert Series
- Battle of the Bands
- Steamboat Mountain Music Festival
- Invermere MusicFest
- Rock the Fort
Farmers’ Markets
Farmers’ Markets are a huge weekly attraction during the summer months. Locals and visitors alike come for homegrown produce, baking, handcrafted items, and so much more.
- Cranbrook Farmers’ Market
- Jaffray – Baynes Lake Farmers’ Market
- Fairmont Hot Springs Farmers’ Market
- Kimberley Farmers’ Market
- Mountain Market
- Creston Valley Farmers’ Market
- Agri-Park Farmers’ Market
- Farmers’ and Artists’ Market
- Market on Main
- Golden BC Farmers’ Market
- Sparwood Market
So there you have it. Another big part of the Kootenay Lifestyle – Community. Whether it’s to gather for annual festivals, participate in (or volunteer at) a competitive event, enjoy our local musical talent, or find a treasure at a Farmers’ Market, the sense of community coming together is definitely part of the Kootenay Lifestyle.