The festival is aimed at collectors of vinyl records as well as other analogue audio media and gear. Over 40 vendors will come from throughout British Columbia and Alberta, from professional sellers to hobbyists, offering records from across the full range of decades and genres. The festival is also a fundraiser for Okanagan College’s CFUZ radio station, and one of the major contributors to keeping the all-volunteer station on the air. Promotional material emphasizes the range of material on offer:
“Our vendors offer a wide and eclectic variety of used and new vinyl LPs and 45s, in addition to cassette tapes, 8-track tapes, CDs and DVDs. We also welcome vendors who are selling new and used (vintage) audio equipment, vinyl art and up-cycled vinyl items.”
The festival will also be collecting non-perishable food items for donation to the Penticton Food Bank. Record collector events like this have a long history but have also become popular among a new generation of audiophiles looking for retro sounders or greater audio fidelity, with events often promoted through graphic design styles from past decades.
The 2024 Okanagan Vinyl Festival will take place on the Okanagan College Penticton campus on the morning and afternoon of September 22.