Head to the mountains for Seismic Fest, family-friendly fun and more this spring

2019 saw the arrival of an exciting new festival on the Okanagan calendar: the Seismic Spring Mountain Festival at SilverStar Mountain Resort. A perfect marriage of the ski and bike worlds, it was a celebration of everything great about the mountains. Now, the 10-day event is back for a second year (March 13th to 22nd), and there'struly something for everything, from sports enthusiasts to foodies, and comedy fans to little ones.

Family activities are a core part of the event and include a daily scavenger hunt, a St. Patrick's Day green-run ski, and a Bernese mountain dog meet. There are also multiple things for kids to do around the resort­, varying from ski and snowboard lessons to skating (weather dependent) and winter tubing, Adventure Camp, or even the world's only ski-in/ski-out bowling alley. Daycare for children aged 18 months to five years is available, so mom and dad can enjoy a day on the slopes. Many of the lesson and rental packages are discounted.

Featured sporting events include the Showdown Alumni Invitational, boasting some of the province's all-time greatest freestyle skiers; Frost Bike, a competitive mountain-bike ride down a snowy boarder track; and Girls Ride Day, an any-age, any-stage coaching day in collaboration with Freestyle B.C.


Also on offer? Free live music daily and after dark, with headliners including DJ Mat the Alien and local star Andrew Allen, plus many food events, from “Karaoke & Cocktails” and “Bourbon & Bluegrass” to a special craft beer dinner. Comedy will be headlined by Juno winner Ivan Decker. Another unique highlight is Seeing Stoke: A Ladies Film Series, a collection of women-led movies that highlight what It's like to be a woman in the ski industry.

€œIt's the sum of all the parts that makes this festival different and unique,€ says Chantelle Deacon, media relations manager for SilverStar Mountain Resort.  €œIt involves and engages our community groups and visitors. So much of our festival is about supporting local and our ski community in the Okanagan and B.C., with a large portion of our proceeds going back into the community. It's also about accessibility, with all of the music being free to attend, free demos, discounted lesson and rental packages, free family activities every day, and so much more.€

Visitors can pop in for a day or two, or spend all of Spring Break there, since the area offers so much this season. The Vernon area has every kind of accommodation one could imagine, from cozy cabins to swanky hotels. Complete listings are available online.