There was dancing, laughter and just all-around great vibes at the big reveal party of the newly transformed Slack Alley on Sunday.
“This is better than I could have imagined,” said Slackwater Brewing’s Liam Peyton, while people mingled, drank and danced against the backdrop of a yellow, blue and pink alley.
“Penticton needs energizing and think this is such a great start. Great vibe here,” said Mass Abedi, who sits on the Downtown Penticton BIA, which sponsored the alley project.
“Let’s hope we can transform more alleyways,” said Abedi.
On Sept. 25, the Downtown Penticton BIA and Slackwater Brewing showed off the transformation from a dingy back alley to a great space for art and culture.
Dubbed ‘Slack Alley, the pilot project behind Slackwater saw the alley wall and ground painted in vibrant colours and lights hung across the laneway.
There was an art station for the kids, a bar for the adults, seating areas that looked like they belonged in a magazine shoot, a DJ spinning tunes, kids and adults dancing and plenty of mingling. It was an amazing mix of families, strollers, dogs and skateboarders, artists and politicians too.
The mood was electric and happy.
The alley project is designed to raise awareness and put forward the idea that downtown alleys can be used for much more than simply dumpsters and deliveries, said DPBIA executive director Brett Turner.
There are young people and young families in Penticton who are looking for this type of art and culture akin to events like the alley parties in Vancouver that inspired this idea for downtown Penticton, said Turner and Peyton.
Turner said they are working on transforming a couple more alleys. One of the alleys will add a large art installation to the space.
As for the future of Slack Alley, expect to enjoy more events like Sunday, with Music in the Alley events next summer.
READ MORE: Downtown Penticton alley being transformed into a place for art, culture and music
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