Things to Do in Penticton

Tipplers who choose the Naramata Wine Tour will traverse the vineyard-lined vistas of the Naramata Bench, visiting five to seven wineries, such as Elephant Island Orchard Wines, Laughing Stock Vineyards, and Red Rooster Winery. The Kelowna Wine Tour leads libation lovers into the sun-soaked wealth of Kelowna's wineries, with such featured stops as the Mission Hill Family Estate and Quails' Gate. Guided by an expert in the ways of wining, both tours regale visitors with tales of grapedom and include chauffeured transportation, ensuring guests will save enough energy for decadent imbibing. Naramata pick-up and drop-off is at the Summerland Waterfront Resort & Spa, about a five-hour drive from Vancouver; Kelowna pick-up and drop-off is at the Best Western Inn Kelowna, about a 4.5-hour drive.

4Cats Art Studio founder Joey Simon and her son Jet developed their fun and educational art program in 2005 while transposing the techniques they learned in a library's collection of art history books onto blank canvases. Since then, their process of teaching students about an artist's method and then allowing them to practice it on their own has expanded throughout North America. The studio draws its name from Els Quatre Gats, or The Four Cats, a café in Barcelona where Pablo Picasso often showcased his work and shared intellectual musings with cats.

Much like the legendary brush wielder, students between the ages of 2–15 expand their creative abilities at 4Cats Art Studio, first discussing famous artists and then using their techniques to create original pieces. Each 60-minute class begins with a history lesson on a famous artist such as Frida Kahlo or Paul Klee, followed by a creative project using the featured artist's techniques. After learning about Frida's life and love of animals, students create their own colourful self-portraits. Likewise, classes on Klee integrate music and colour-mixing techniques to teach students how to truly capture the emotions of a trumpet.

The crown jewel of Hopscotch Festival Kelowna is the tasting hall, where guests assemble to sip, sample, and learn about a massive variety of premium beverages. In its fourth year in Kelowna, the festival will showcase an expanding list of more than 160 libations, which patrons can convert from a jingling fanny pack full of tasting tokens to sips poured into their souvenir tasting glasses. Domestic and international beers can quench thirsts in styles such as Grolsch, Hop Head IPA, or Mort Subite Kriek Lambic. Tongues can taste the single-malt Scottish fruits of the Glenlivet 15, matured in French oak, or the Dalmore 12, hailing from the Firth of Cromarty.

Golfers of all stripes can groom their game at the Doc's Golf Centre’s driving range and 9 Moons Pitch & Putt course. With most holes measuring 100 yards or fewer, 9 Moons Pitch & Putt helps players hone their short games as they wedge their way to birdies and pars. For most golfers, a full nine-hole round takes less than an hour, freeing up daylight for them to continue building a robot caddy. At the 20-stall driving range, players can swing from grass hitting bays or one of 10 synthetic turf stalls. CPGA professional John Ferrier teaches lessons at Doc's Golf Centre's outdoor facility, where you can also receive club-fitting and repair services, or use the indoor golf simulator.

At Okanagan Street Striders, mobile elliptical machines break free from the gym’s stationary rows and help exercisers grab some fresh air during their cross-training workouts. A fitness-savvy staff acquaints riders with their mounts, which target muscles all over the body without unnecessary impact or unnatural motions. Riders glide along paved trails and pathways, taking in a scenic alternative to staring at television screens, helping riders avoid the cardio room’s cramped confines or tempting smells from the gym's in-house bakery. In addition to daily rentals, Okanagan Street Striders also organizes group night rides.

Surrounded by rolling mountains and the shimmering waters of Okanagan Lake, packs of go-karts spend their days chasing each other around Westside Superkarts’ challenging track. Under new management, Westside allows adult karts to navigate four hairpin and four banked turns at various speeds—basic single and double karts can hit 35 kph, performance karts are capable of 60 kph, and Extreme Elite karts reach velocities of up to 75 kph. Kiddie karts putter around a separate track, offering their young operators important driving tips, such as how to pass politely. After the races are finished, drivers may receive a personalized print-out or e-mail of their lap times, view them through a smart phone app, and have them posted to Facebook.