For the Okanagan, it all came apart in mid-August. Two furious blazes – one near West Kelowna, the other near Keremeos – erupted on Aug. 15. Three days later, another wildfire exploded at Twin Lakes.
On Aug. 19, the BC government instituted a "travel ban" to the Okanagan, effectively murdering the regional hospitality industry. Then a rockslide just north of Summerland closed the only artery through the valley.
What was next? Locusts?
Places like Penticton's unique live music den The Dream Café were hit like a cartoon coyote with an anvil. And they're still trying to extricate themselves.
One of the ways the Dream Café has done that is though an auction. An auction with an online component that ended Friday at midnight.
But the in-person part, with Penticton Art Gallery curator Paul Crawford expertly pulling auctioneer duties, goes Saturday (tonight) at the Café.
And they'd like you to be there, hopefully bidding on whatever strikes your fancy.
"The Dream Café brings in national and international artists as opposed to just Okanagan artists," said GM Kevin Rose, "and when the travel band was issued, we basically had to throw in the towel.
"We had 12 canceled shows, we had to return over $40,000 worth of tickets. And of course we didn't have the venue open. So as well as losing all our ticket income, we also lost any restaurant and bar revenue."
According to Rose, a bit more than half of that $40,000 goal has been raised as of today. And while that makes him happy, it leaves them 18 grand short and certainly doesn’t resolve the issue.
"We're basically just trying not to close," he said. "It is that tight, though I don’t see us closing immediately if we can’t raise the money Saturday night. I think someone on the board would personally come up and put some money in, but we are at a breaking point."
We asked Rose why the average Pentictonite should care if the city were to lose the Dream Café, and he was quick with the response.
"The best way to explain it is the way artists explain it to me," he said. "That rooms like this that are specifically dedicated to the arts and musicians are incredibly rare, nationwide.
"There's a reason people come through here and take a 50% discount on their normal guaranteed gig fee. They know how amazing this room is. To have a one-off like this in the middle of Penticton is pretty great."
Items up for bids Saturday night include festival tickets, concert tickets, helicopter tours, signed works of art, wine packages, music lessons, vouchers where noted local musicians will come to the venue of your liking (your own house?) and play, and, said Rose, "tons more stuff."
Doors will open at 6 PM Saturday (tonight). There'll be live local music and canapés up 'til the 7:30 auction kick-off.
Tickets, which are $75 apiece, include "exciting appetizers from the new Dream Chef and complimentary beverages from supporting wineries and breweries."
Get your tickets here.
