West Kelowna: our Westside favourites
Shannon Lake is one of the most family-oriented corners of West Kelowna, and it's a great place to start the night. Up in Tallus Ridge, the newer homes sit close together along winding streets, so the kids can collect a lot of candy in a short walk. It's on the hilly side, which suits older kids with energy to burn a little better than strollers.
Rose Valley is a favourite with families for good reason. The streets are quiet, Rose Valley Elementary and the local parks are just around the corner, and it's easy to make a loop of a few blocks before the little ones run out of steam.
Glenrosa is full of young families and has that settled, everybody-knows-everybody feel. With mature trees towering over the streets, the sun going down and the wind picking up in the branches, it has the spookiest setting of the bunch. The houses are side by side down every street, so it's easy to fill a candy bag before anyone starts asking to go home.
Kelowna: flat streets and full candy bowls
If you're in Kelowna and want to keep things flat for little legs and wagons, the Lower Mission side streets between Lakeshore Road and Gordon Drive are hard to beat. The blocks are walkable, the houses are close together and you're never far from home base.
Rutland, especially the streets around Benchview and Dougall, is flat and packed with family homes, and it has been a local favourite for trick-or-treating for years.
Kettle Valley is the one hill we think is worth the climb. The village layout puts front porches right up near the sidewalk, and the neighbourhood has long been known for going all out on decorations, so it feels like a little Halloween festival when it's in full swing.
Before you head out: a few tips
Sunset in Kelowna is at 5:36 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, so heading out a little before dark gives the youngest ones a chance to settle in before the streets fill up. Here are a few more things to pack into the plan, and the City of Kelowna has a full list of Halloween safety tips if you'd like to go over them with the kids.
- Make sure everyone is easy to see. A flashlight, glow sticks or a strip of reflective tape on the costume go a long way, and lighter colours help too.
- Check that costumes fit well and that masks don't block anyone's vision, and keep kids clear of candles in jack-o'-lanterns.
- Drivers, slow right down in residential areas and watch for kids crossing mid-block or stepping out from between parked cars.
- If you're handing out candy, light up your walkway, clear away anything people could trip on and keep pets safely inside.
- Leave the fireworks to the professionals. In Kelowna only licensed operators with a city permit can set them off, and setting them off illegally carries a minimum $250 fine. West Kelowna regulates fireworks too, and using them without permission can mean a fine or having them seized.
Falling for a street on Halloween night
Halloween is one of the best times to get a feel for a neighbourhood. You see who's out on the porch and how the street comes together, and you can tell pretty quickly whether it feels like home. If one of these streets catches your heart this year, we'd love to help you find a place there, and our guide to buying a home is a good place to start. You can also hear from families we've helped settle in on our testimonials page.
Quick answers
What can I do with my jack-o'-lantern after Halloween? A lot of local farms are happy to take leftover pumpkins to feed their pigs, goats and chickens, so before you toss yours, ask around in your neighbourhood Facebook group or give a farm near you a call to see who's taking them this year. Farms generally only want pumpkins that are free of mould, so pull out any candles and wax first, and keep the painted or glittered ones out of the donation pile since those aren't safe for animals. Anything a farm can't use can go straight into your yard waste cart, and curbside yard waste pickup in the Central Okanagan runs every other week until December 31. If you have more than your cart holds, the Glenmore Landfill and the Westside residential waste facility both take extra yard waste, though fees apply.
Can I decorate and hand out candy if I live in a strata? In most cases, yes, but it's worth a quick look at your strata's bylaws and rules first. Some buildings have rules about decorations on balconies, doors or common property, or about who can come into the building, so check with your strata council or property manager if you're not sure. Our BC strata buyer's guide explains how bylaws work.
How do I let trick-or-treaters know I'm handing out candy? A porch light left on is the classic signal that your door is open, and turning it off lets families know to skip your house. If you're offering non-food treats like stickers or glow sticks for kids with food allergies, a teal pumpkin on your step is a common way to let families know.
Happy Halloween from all of us! If you're thinking about a move to one of these neighbourhoods, or just want to chat about the market, get in touch. We'd love to hear from you.
