JulyFest is a go for 2025 and will be organized by Events from Myrtle Mountain.
In October 2024, the Kimberley and District Chamber of Commerce announced they would be pausing their involvement in the 51-year-old local festival for at least one year. Immediately following the announcement, numerous community members and groups began discussing ways to ensure the event would still happen next summer.
On Wednesday, Dec. 4 the Chamber announced that, following a meeting with them, Events from Myrtle Mountain will be organizing JulyFest in 2025.
"After receiving valuable feedback from the community, we believe that this shift will enhance the event’s vision and execution," read the release. "As a Chamber of Commerce our primary focus is to provide support and advocacy for our business community. This shift provides us with the ability to focus on efforts that better serve our members and work to grow the business and non-profit environment in Kimberley.
"We appreciate the overwhelming support and ideas shared by our community. We look forward to seeing how Events from Myrtle Mountain brings a fresh perspective to JulyFest that aligns with the needs of the community. We would like to express our sincere gratitude for your continued support during this transition. For any questions, concerns, or if you are interested in volunteering, we encourage you to reach out directly to the Myrtle Mountain team. Thank you, and we look forward to an exciting future for JulyFest."
Events from Myrtle Mountain, according to their own press release, is made up of Ron Christensen, Jeremy Christensen, Mike Guarnery, Darren Shaben, Arthur Luk, Ryan Ma and Bruce Zhong and they are "invested in the future of not only JulyFest, but in Kimberley itself" and are "dedicated to bringing JulyFest back to its roots and [making] it affordable for all to attend."
"The Kimberley Chamber of Commerce has graciously come to terms with Events from Myrtle Mountain, to keep the tradition alive," the group said in their release. "Thank you to everyone who has already reached out and graciously offered your time and support."
More details on what next year's JulyFest will be released over the coming weeks and months, but one organizer confirmed with The Bulletin that the parade and the bocce tournament are a priority.
The group can be reached at eventsfrommyrtlemountain@gmail.com
