Photo: Denim on the Diamond
Thousands of people attended the opening day of Denim on the Diamond at City Park on Friday.
Updated: 2:10 p.m.
Despite dealing with some technical issues that resulted in long wait times for drinks, Denim on the Diamond organizers say the event has been a huge success so far.
A capacity crowd of 4,500 filled City Park on Friday as attendees gathered to watch performances by Ernest, Mackenzie Porter, Tork, Raquel Cole and more.
Denim organizer Mitch Carefoot said: “The sun was shining, the music, sound and production were great and everyone left in great spirits.”
“It was a really great show… They came and just excited… The show was great.
“By 4 or 5 p.m., the place was completely packed and there was a lot of energy and a great atmosphere.”
On Saturday, Carefoot expects close to 3,000 people to gather at City Park due to reduced capacity compared to Friday due to RCMP staffing. Earlier Saturday, Carefoot and co-organizer Kurt Jolly apologized for technical issues that led to the extension of Friday’s drinks lineup.
“A new venue comes with new challenges, and if we postpone and try to get everything together in four weeks, our biggest concern as a group and as a community is to host an event of this size in a new venue. I think that’s a problem.’ It’s been a great success,” Mr Carefoot said.
He said he has made changes to Saturday’s lineup and how the bar is set up, and is asking people who come in today to bring cash to keep things running smoothly.
“We hope this takes some of the pressure off the technology,” he said. “Today is going to be another beautiful day because the sun is shining.”
Gates open Saturday at 3 p.m., and the lineup includes local bands 538st, Max Frost, Rêve, and Bryce Vine.Find out if you want to get last minute tickets here.
Original: 12:10 p.m.
The opening night of the postponed and relocated Denim on the Diamond Festival was marred by some issues Friday at Kelowna’s City Park.
The long-running festival, traditionally held at King Stadium in Kelowna’s North End, was scheduled for this year’s Labor Day weekend event but was canceled due to wildfires in the area at the time. .
The popular event was postponed for more than a month and moved to City Park, where organizers Chic as Thieves Entertainment held the first Beerfest event of the spring.
But with the first of two nights set to go ahead, organizers say there were problems on the first night, particularly with an “awful” drinks line-up.
“[In] In an effort to speed up the process for participants, we have moved from our old token system to a handheld payment system. We tested these devices in advance, but mobile phone and Wi-Fi networks were unable to keep up, resulting in a large line-up and frustration for both our guests and our team,” said host Mitch Carefoot. Kurt Jolly said in a statement Saturday.
“We’re right next to you, and we’ve gone through the frustrations to get these drinks into your hands.
“We take full responsibility and apologize for any inconvenience caused as your night was less than perfect. We are very proud of our site, music experience and atmosphere and are currently , we are working hard to fix this missing piece.”
To keep things running smoothly on Saturday, Mr Carefoot and Mr Jolly are asking attendees to bring cash instead of relying on cards. They’ve introduced additional ATMs on site, which they say will help you get your drinks faster if you arrive with cash.
“We’ve been strategizing with our team to better meet the needs of the bar, so today’s setup will look a little different,” the pair say. “I’m doing my best!”
The weather is improving on Saturday, with sunny skies and an expected high temperature of 21 degrees. While Friday was dominated by country music from artists like Mackenzie Porter and Ernest, Saturday will be more rock and rap, with California rappers headlining. Bryce Vine.
Gates open at 3pm and local band 538st will kick off the music at 3:45pm.
Even before this year’s Denim was postponed, Carefoot and Jolie had previously announced that 2023 would be the last time they would hold an event at King Stadium.
