For the second time since 2013, the Bernard Avenue laneway has been spruced up as the city looks to create a new community space in downtown Kelowna.

Colour has been splashed into the alleyway and lights strung up above as volunteers came together to bring life to an otherwise dreary alley. According to Ben Walker, property officer with the City of Kelowna, the city would like to see the area become a hub for the arts.

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“It’s an underutilized alley that people didn’t know was here and drawing attention to the space will hopefully help create a publicly used space.”

Throughout the summer, the laneway will host a number of events, including the opening party on June 16 in conjunction with the Small Shop at Night event in downtown Kelowna. From 4 to 9 p.m., there will be a series of events in the laneway including music by Devon Coyote and Adrian Russo. Earls Restaurant will provide some complimentary food and drinks will be available from Okanagan Lavander Herb Farm.

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“We’re hoping to see some families and kids come down at 4 p.m. We will give them some chalk and they can go to town on the paint and asphalt and draw to their hearts content,” Walker explained.

The city is working with organizations such as Ballet Kelowna. Dancers are to perform while Devon Coyote plays. Walker said there are a number of events planned for the summer in conjunction with different arts organizations. Once the summer wraps up, staff will discuss the success of the events and feedback from the community and look at creating a permanent space in the laneway.

All of the work and paint in the laneway was completed on a volunteer basis and no tax dollars were spent.

Photo Credit: KelownaNow.com

“This was a volunteer project. A lot of City of Kelowna staff came out and helped, local business owners, an architect firm helped. The paint was supplied by Cloverdale Paints, it truly came together from community support.”

The colours chosen for the laneway may be recognizable as they are all City of Kelowna colours. Walker said they wanted to have that connection to the city and the logo is bright and vibrant, something they wanted to play off of.

People are welcome to start using the space and Walker encourages anyone interested in conducting a pop up in the laneway to contact the city to ensure that there is no overlap in usage.

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Buskers, yoga classes, arts, and more are encouraged in the space, anything with a positive aspect is welcome. Lights above the laneway will be on until 3 a.m. daily to ensure the alley remains safe and free of crime.