Top 5 Reasons to Hang Out in Kamloops this October!

  1. Adams River Sockeye Salmon Run:

Head to the Adams River, which flows into Shuswap Lake 60 kilometres east of Kamloops, to witness a four-year peak of this world famous sockeye salmon run. From Oct. 3 to Oct 26, Robert Haig-Brown Provincial Park comes alive for Salute to the Sockeye, an unparalleled opportunity to see one of nature's greatest spectacles as an estimated 3 to 5 million sockeye culminate an epic journey from the Pacific Ocean to the Adams River, turning the waters a deep crimson colour.

 

  1. Fall Motorcycle Excursion:

Hit the road on your motorcycle to explore the Kamloops area along quiet country roads. Whether its gold rush history, ranch lands, or remote wilderness, Kamloops is central to a stunning variety of two-wheeled - and if you prefer, four -wheeled - excursions. The Motorcycle Circle Tour Maps offer a range of self-guided itineraries. The Thompson Shuswap Explorer is a 270 kilometre route that winds through golden rolling grasslands and lush forests, ranch land and quaint rural towns, taking you from Kamloops to Armstrong and Salmon Arm and back along Shuswap Lake, within easy striking distance of the Adams River.

  1. Spookloops:

    1. Tranquille Farm Corn Maze, Tunnel Tour Theatre and Market

Get your Halloween fix in a city that has turned this spooky season into a destination event. As the darkening days of October dwindle, Kamloops will echo with the calls of ghosts, goblins and ghouls as the city transforms itself into “Spookloops.” From fascinating tours of the city’s spooky historical spots to a mind boggling, night time wander through a mystifying corn maze, the city boasts a huge variety of family friendly ways to celebrate the end of the harvest season and onset of wintertime.

In the spirit of Halloween, Tranquille Farm Fresh, located on the shores of Kamloops Lake for the past 149 years, offers tours of the property’s historic underground tunnels and corn maze where guests can wander among ten foot tall corn stalks and unravel clues in search of the right path and the key to the maze.

  1.    Boo at the Zoo

The BC Wildlife Park is renowned for its season themed events, and come Halloween the park offers the perennial favorite, Boo at the Zoo, featuring a kid’s haunted house, freaky family farm, spooky light displays, a haunted maze and trick or treating. In addition to these special events, regular exhibits will be open to the public with opportunity to spend some time with fantastic critters and creatures native to Western Canada, from the orphaned and now resident black bears, Hamilton, Numees and Tuk, to wolf siblings Aurora and Cassie and recent arrival, a Kermode or Spirit Bear named Clover – all part of the centre’s rehab and conservation program.

  1. Night SUP:

And if you love the black of night and possess an adventurous spirit, try the new nighttime Stand-Up Paddle boarding excursions. Already a popular daytime activity in this region, the self-guided 1 hour evening sessions take place from 8-9PM nightly on the quiet surface of Heffley Lake under 2000 lumens of light power … and a few million stars.

  1. Fall Harvest at Kamloops Farmer’s Market:

Come autumn the bounty of Kamloops's rich and diverse farming sector also comes alive – punctuated by fields of orange pumpkins and golden grains. The Kamloops Farmers Market takes place in the city’s downtown every Wednesday and Saturday until the end of October, where several dozen vendors sell everything from certified organic vegetables to sausage, jam, honey and other preserves and artisan and crafter stalls are found on the adjacent Stuart Wood Elementary School yard. If you prefer the farm brought to the table, after exploring the spooky side of Kamloops why not unwind at the Noble Pig, the city's only craft brewpub and celebrate Oktoberfest with one of their specially brewed seasonal ales.

For more information on Kamloops visit www.tourismkamloops.com or call 1-800-662-1994.