The History of the festival
The Okanagan Valley Music Festival was founded in 1926. The Kelowna Parent-Teachers Association published a syllabus announcing a one day festival. Choirs, voice, piano and elocution classes were offered. The following year, a second day was required and it grew steadily in subsequent years. Folk dancing was added in 1931.
The festival became a tri-city event in 1936 with Vernon, Penticton or Kelowna taking turns hosting the event every three years. In 1949 the OVMF was officially included in the Federation of Canadian Music Festivals and adjudicators were drawn from the “British team” which travelled across Canada. In 1951, Kelowna hosted the Silver Anniversary Festival, with special scholarships being awarded.
After the band programs were established, school participation increased. By 1958, the Canadian Federation had become affiliated with the Federation of British Music Festivals, the patron: Her Majesty, the Queen.
In 1979, the Kiwanis Club of Kelowna was approached to sponsor a Kelowna festival. In the spring of 1980, the Kiwanis Club hosted wind instruments and accordion classes in Kelowna while Vernon hosted piano, voice, choirs and string classes. The Kiwanis Clubs of Kelowna became sole sponsors in 1981.