Let’s fill the street of Kelowna with beautiful music. You are invited to the Rotary Commons Park in front of the RCA to tinkle on the ivories of the Piano in the Park piano sponsored by the RCA.

Festivals Kelowna has rolled out its annual “Pianos in Parks” program by placing artistically decorated pianos on Kelowna’s streets and public spaces including the piano at the RCA, an annual program that beautifies public spaces throughout Kelowna.

“Pianos in Parks has become one of our most treasured and memorable initiatives,” explains Renata Mills, Executive Director. “When we first launched the program in 2015 we knew had something special on our hands. Now on its 6th year, we have received inquiries non-stop for the past months asking when the pianos would be available to play.”

The pianos play a dual purpose to not only animate public spaces, they also become temporary pieces of public art having been hand-painted by local artists with original, unique designs. Each year multiple Okanagan artists participate by painting a piano in their artistic style. The piano at the RCA has been painted by First Nation artists Coralee Miller of the Syilx Okanagan Nation and Barb Dawson of the Tlinget Nation.

The program is supported by local organizations called “Piano Ambassadors” who not only contribute to the financial cost of producing the program but also keep a watchful eye on their condition. Other pianos in the community are proudly sponsored this year by our friends at the Downtown Kelowna Association, the Uptown Rutland Association, the City of Kelowna, and the Kiwanis Club of Kelowna. Thank you to Keystone Music, a long-time program partner, for not only sourcing and evaluating donated pianos, but also delivering all the pianos to their spots, and providing ongoing support through the summer with piano maintenance.