As the sun inches into its fall retreat, there is still good time for a weekend trip to the Okanagan.

For a well-rounded Interior experience, park your car by Okanagan Lake Beach on Penticton’s Lakeshore Drive. At this time of year, as you walk along the seawall, you won’t see a lot of swimmers. You will see dogs and ducks in the grass and kayakers heading out for a paddle.

Past James’ Giant Peach concession stand, you’ll turn right along 100 Main Street and – if it is a Saturday between 8:30 and 1 pm – you’ll be absorbed into the largest Farmers Market in the Okanagan.

This is a humming market with an authentic, local feel. Everything you see – be it fruits, vegetables, breads, balsamic vinegars, knitted wear, jewels, bath potions – is produced in the South Okanagan.

“We’re a family business right here from Penticton,” say the friendly folks from Soda Creek Soap. Their booth looks and smells so inviting. The Soda Creek products are made by hand, vegan and scented with local botanicals.

The market features stunning cut flower bouquets, perfectly arranged in country chic receptacles.

Pashley the vintage ice cream tricycle delivers Gorgeous Georgia’s Homemade Ice Cream to the Penticton Farmers Market. Newish Owner Alex Sielmann offers flavours like Fresh Blueberry, Sea Salt Dark Chocolate, Summer Berries and Lemon. You can even get dairy-free scoops in flavours like Salted Caramel, Rhubarb Swirl, Chocolate and Chocolate Mint.

Gather your weekly fuel from from Backyard Beans. Liz Lemare and Richard Haverkamp run their micro-roastery in Summerland, roasting their creatively named beans in the red barn in their backyard.

Here, at the Market, you can borrow one of the Backyard Beans ceramic mugs, sip your coffee as you wander and return the mug into one of the designated bins as you leave.

And, given that this is wine country, you can find all sorts of offerings from the local wineries and a growing number of distilleries.

The market continues through to the end of October, so there is still plenty of time to visit.

Written by Elizabeth Newton
www.creatorsvancouver.com