It’s not a complex formula.
But that’s the whole point. The wild and crazy event known as the Penticton Beer Run is just as it sounds. Run or walk ten kilometers (or a six-kilometer variant), knock back beers at a bunch of breweries along the way, and end it all with a party on the waterfront.
That it happens in October when summer's almost gone and the city's grown quieter only adds to its allure. It may be just weeks to Halloween – one of the key reasons so many Beer Runners wear costumes -- but for one day the vibe of summer returns with a punch.
Adding to the magic, the gods of weather always seem to smile on Beer Run day. The 2024 edition, held last Saturday, saw 20-degree temps and sunny skies. Two year ago it was even warmer than that before a fierce snow storm materialized just days later. And last year, the dark clouds of the early morning scattered like guilty rioters once the Beer Run had begun.
There's one other similarity in the three most recent editions. Each has set a new attendance record. And this year, for the first time ever, registration topped 400. By a lot. The final number was 455.
So what does Beer Run registration get you? A morning bus ride from Okanagan Lake Park to the start line at Abandoned Rail Brewing on the KVR Trail. From there it's a scenic journey along the KVR to a temporary tent just west of McCulloch Trestle manned by Summerland's Giant's Head Brewery, then on to another tent out front of Bench Market run by Oliver's Firehall Brewery.
Down the hill, runners/walkers next hit the Barley Mill setup adjacent to Hoodoo Adventures, then Cannery Brewing and Highway 97 Brewing before trekking across town to Tin Whistle Brewing.
Then it's back downtown to Detonate Brewing's tent outside the Hub on Martin, then Slackwater Brewing, Neighbourhood Brewing, the outdoor patio of the soon-to-be-open Yellow Dog Brewing, and finally that finish line party at Okanagan Lake Park.
Liberal tasters are served throughout.
Put it all together and you have one of the South Okanagan's premier fall happenings – one that attracts not only hundreds of locals but oodles of out-of-towners as well.
Mike Stewart and Colleen Datt of Vancouver are two of the many people we chatted with who came to the Okanagan specifically for the event. In fact, they brought along another couple from Comox.
"We're from Vancouver and we came for her 50th birthday," said Stewart gesturing to Datt. "We came here to try to convince her to retire."
"They asked me what I wanted to do for my 50th birthday," laughed Datt, "and I said I wanted to go for a good 10K run. So here we are."
All four wore t-shirts Stewart commissioned especially for the day.
"It's our first Beer Run and it's been lovely," he said. "We get exercise between drinking beers and the breweries have been awesome. Very good beers.
"And we're really impressed with Penticton."
But covering the Beer Run also gave us a chance to reacquaint ourselves with local folks we know from prior Beer Runs. Folks like Michelle Smyrski and friends, all of whom hail from the South Okanagan and all of whom get together each year for the brewery tour.
This year, Smyrski's posse numbered nine. And each of them dressed up, quite convincingly, as old school rock stars. It was the fourth consecutive year the group has participated in the Beer Run wearing top-grade costumes, many homemade.
"We've been beer wenches, Disney princesses, Barbies and now rock stars," said Smyrski. "It's a blast. We absolutely love this event. And it's for the children."
She's right. Partial proceeds from the Beer Run go to the "Youth Outdoor Recreation Society," a youth outdoor rec program begun by Beer Run founder (and Hoodoo Adventures founder) Lyndie Seddon Hill.
"It benefits a lot of people," said Hill at the start line Saturday, "like the kids we send to camp.
"But it also benefits the breweries. It brings people through in the shoulder season and gets their names out there.
"And it benefits the hospitality industry. We have people coming from all over the place and staying here. I've talked to people from Vancouver, Squamish, Edmonton, Calgary, and even Peace River. And these people go out to dinner too. So it's a big tourism driver."
One of Saturday's first-timers was Pentictonite Jen Sigston, who brought a whole flock of costumed newbies along with her. They creatively called themselves the "Care Beers," a take on the popular line of "Care Bear" greeting cards and toys.
"We're all nurses," explained an upbeat Sigston at Cannery Brewing Saturday morning. "Community nurses. We take care of people for a living at Penticton Health Centre. So we called ourselves the Care Beers today."
Sigston and buds were all smiles every time we ran into them.
"It’s been super fun,' she said. "We'd do it again."
But some folks boldly participated solo. And good on them for doing so.
Like Greg Hewitt of Penticton, who proved you can still get out there and whoop it up even if your plans fall through.
"I’m doing it by myself today," he smiled. "I was going to do it with a couple friends and they canceled at the last minute, and I just like to get out and meet people. Do something fun. Life's too short not too."
"And it’s been great. Great for the community. It lets us see stuff we don’t normally see. And it supports local businesses. That's important."
