With her cherry-stained face, there was no mistaking that 15-month-old Noa Lewis was at Kelowna‘s 15th annual Cherry Fair Saturday. "She loves cherries. Can‘t you tell?" said mom Cammie with a laugh. "The funny thing is, we have two cherry trees in our yard, so we‘ve had tons of cherries. But they‘re done now, so we thought we‘d come to the Cherry Fair here today." Noa isn‘t a big talker yet, so she instead showed us how she eats cherries, smiles and waves. Her brother Azariah, 3, also got in on the act mugging for the camera and trying different varieties of cherries. In all, the fair, organized by the B.C. Orchard Industry Museum, was showcasing 11 different kinds of cherries all grown in the Okanagan. "I think I like the Sylvia best. It‘s so nice and sweet," said Joyce Halvorson of Kelowna who was making the rounds of all the varieties. "From when I was a kid, I‘m used to the old varieties like Bing and Vans, so it‘s nice to try something new and really like it." If you buy fresh cherries at the grocery store or fruit stand they are likely to be Lambert or Lapins - the most widely commercially grown and sold varieties in the Okanagan. Lambert is heart-shaped and dark red and sweet rich flavour. Lapins - named after Dr. K.O. Lapins, who first bred the variety by crossing a Van and Stella in 1965 in Summerland - are split resistant and have thus been very successful commercially. Besides the aforementioned varieties, there were many others out for people to taste and compare, from the the yellow Stardust and dark red Cristalina, Sweetheart and Skeena, to the almost black Sunburst and red, pink and black Marble. For the second year in a row, the fair was held on the expanse of lawn beside the Library Parkade, because the Laurel Building where it‘s usually held is being restored. "It‘s nice, and different, to have it here," said Risti Lesperance of Kelowna Museums. "It‘s good to have it outside and it gives us some flexibilty to have mini-golf and some other games for the kids." Cherries are the second biggest tree fruit crop in the Okanagan behind apples. They also hold a special place in many a locals and tourists hearts. "People look forward to July and cherry season in the Valley," said Lesperance. "Cherries are a hallmark of the Okanagan summer. When tourists come here, their priorities are into Okanagan Lake and then hit a fruit stand for some cherries." The fair also featured a barbecue, fresh cherries, cherry juice and cherry preserves and baking for sale, doughnuts and ice cream. Top of Page
