Kelowna's favourite social foodie event proves that the Okanagan culinary scene doesn't hibernate.

‍

There's a particular kind of magic that happens when February rolls into Kelowna. The ski hills are stacked, the lake is steel-grey and moody, and most people assume the city goes quiet until patio season. They're wrong. On the last Saturday of February, downtown Kelowna plays host to one of the most exciting food events in the BC Interior, and it happens just steps from Okanagan Lake.

AMUSE! eat, drink & be social is Kelowna's annual culinary showcase. For 2026, it returns to the Delta Hotels Grand Okanagan Resort on Water Street. From 7 to 10 PM on February 28, the resort's conference space becomes a roaming tasting floor where the Okanagan's top chefs, winemakers, craft brewers, and mixologists set up their own stations. Your ticket gets you access to all of it. No reservations. No choosing between restaurants. Three hours of walking, tasting, sipping, and voting for your favourites.

‍

What Actually Happens at AMUSE!

Think of it as a culinary open house. Over 50 presenters fill the venue, each with a tasting station showcasing their best work. You grab a drink, wander from booth to booth, and eat your way through the valley's food and beverage scene in a single evening. Chefs plate dishes right in front of you. Mixologists shake cocktails you won't find on any regular bar menu. Winemakers pour limited releases. Brewers and cideries round out the lineup.

The competitive element keeps things sharp. Every presenter is gunning for People's Choice in three categories: Best Bite, Best Sip, and Best Pairing. You vote alongside a panel of expert judges. The result is that every station brings serious effort. Past years have featured everything from duck confit bites paired with Okanagan Pinot Noir to inventive cocktails built around local fruit spirits. The event supports the Okanagan Chefs Association, a nonprofit funding culinary education and mentorship for young cooks in the valley. AMUSE! teams often pair Okanagan College culinary students with established chefs, giving the evening a genuine sense of community investment.

‍

The Practical Details

AMUSE! 2026 takes place Saturday, February 28, from 7 to 10 PM at the Delta Hotels Grand Okanagan Resort, 1310 Water Street, Kelowna. Tickets are all-inclusive and available through amusekelowna.ca and Eventbrite. This is a 19+ event, and you'll need two pieces of valid ID at the door (one must be photo ID). The dress code is cocktail attire, and people take it seriously. This is one of those rare Kelowna nights where the valley dresses up. Tickets tend to sell out, so if you're planning to go, buy early, line up a designated driver, and come hungry.

‍

The Waterfront Setting

The Delta Grand sits right on Kelowna's waterfront, and the location makes AMUSE! feel like more than just a food event. The resort is a two-minute walk from the Kelowna Marina and surrounded by the city's best restaurants. Before the event, stroll the waterfront boardwalk toward Stuart Park. After, walk to a nightcap at OAK + CRU (the Delta Grand's own restaurant) or anywhere along Bernard Avenue. Stepping out of a culinary showcase on a cold February night and walking along the lake with city lights reflecting off the water, it feels like somewhere you flew to for a weekend, not your regular neighbourhood.

‍

Living Where the Food Scene Comes to You

Here's the thing about events like AMUSE! that visitors miss: for residents, this is a regular Saturday night option. You don't book flights or hotels. You walk out your door. Kelowna's downtown waterfront real estate has been shaped by this walkable lifestyle. Developments like One Water Street and the upcoming Water Street by the Park (set to become the tallest residential towers between Vancouver and Calgary) put residents within a five-minute walk of the Delta Grand, the boardwalk, City Park, and the Bernard Avenue dining strip. For anyone who values walking to a culinary event and strolling home along the water afterward, downtown Kelowna makes that lifestyle a default.

This is the real meaning of living where you vacation. Not just summer beaches and boat days, but a February evening in cocktail attire, tasting locally crafted bites paired with a Naramata Bench red, then walking home past the marina under a cold sky full of stars. AMUSE! just happens to concentrate that lifestyle into one perfect evening.

AMUSE! eat, drink & be social 2026 | Saturday, February 28 | 7–10 PM | Delta Hotels Grand Okanagan Resort, 1310 Water Street, Kelowna | Tickets at amusekelowna.ca | 19+ Event | Cocktail Attire

‍

Curious about waterfront living in Kelowna? Contact Coldwell Banker Horizon Realty to explore properties that put the Okanagan's best culinary events, seasonal festivals, and lakeside lifestyle at your doorstep.