Still plenty of summertime fun to be had at Sun Peaks Resort

KAMLOOPS — Sun Peaks was living up to its name Tuesday (Aug. 20), as a group of visitors from the Rocky Mountaineer took part in a walking tour of the village. These unexpected visitors have helped the resort municipality through a slower summer tourism season, thus far.

“We’ve still maintained to hold steady. A little bit of extra bus and rail [traffic] has helped with occupancy here this summer,” Naomi Kerchinsky, executive director of Tourism Sun Peaks, explains. “That’s why we’re starting to do more events, more programming, to give people more reasons to come up to Sun Peaks beyond its great biking and hiking.”

With Jasper still closed to visitors after the devastating wildfire, tourists have been finding new places to explore. However, the bread and butter for summertime in Sun Peaks remain the hiking and biking options.

“As the bike park grows, as the infrastructure grows — especially with our new master development plan — the place is only getting bigger in the summer. There are just more things to do,” Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Aaron Macdonald tells CFJC Today.

This summer marks a quarter-century of mountain biking at the resort, which culminates with the Peaks Pedal Fest, taking place on the Labour Day long weekend. However, this weekend the mountain is hosting its ever-popular Retro Concert Weekend, which is a huge draw for visitors.

“We’re probably looking at about 3,000-to-4,000 [visitors] showing up this weekend, if not more,” Macdonald estimates. “This, along with our Peaks Pedal Fest are probably our two biggest draws for the resort this summer.”

It’s also likely the last chance for visitors to get up into the alpine and see the tail end of the wildflower bloom that blankets the mountain in the summer.

“There’s probably another week left,” Macdonald says. “If you’re looking to get some hiking in, this weekend is probably the best bet to check out the wildflowers.”

While the winter season will be on the minds of visitors and locals alike, soon enough there are events planned throughout September, including a pair of concerts and a special event just for the puppers.

“We have our Paws in the Peaks, our first-ever dog festival,” Kerchinsky says. “If you feel like you want to get a little bit more summer and travelling in before the year ends, Sun Peaks has things going on all September.”