New Leaves Festival of Arts and Culture Returns to Kelowna, March 6-8, 2025

The highly anticipated New Leaves Festival of Arts and Culture is back, bringing a vibrant three-day celebration of literary and performance arts to venues across Kelowna from March 6-8, 2025. Hosted by Inspired Word Café (IWC), a local non-profit arts organization, the festival showcases diverse talent from the Okanagan and across Canada, with programming in English, French, and other languages.

Taking inspiration from the phrase “turning over a new leaf,” the festival embraces a different theme each year, exploring ideas that resonate with the Okanagan community. The 2025 theme, “Your Backyard,” highlights the rich literary and performance art scene right here in Kelowna while marking the milestone 15th season of Inspired Word Café’s impactful work in the region’s arts community.

Festival Events

Thursday, March 6 – IWC 15: Open Mic featuring Rawle James

📍 BNA Burger, 1254 Ellis Street🕡 Doors at 6:30 PM | Event: 7:00 – 9:00 PM🎟️ Sliding scale: $10 - $20 (Tickets available only at the door)

The festival opens with IWC’s signature Open Mic Night, featuring past and present members of the IWC Collective. Headlining the evening is IWC co-founder Rawle James, returning to the Okanagan for a powerful performance. With the community’s deep love for Rawle and the popularity of IWC’s Open Mic nights, early arrival is encouraged.

Friday, March 7 – Many Tongues: Plurilingual Music and Storytelling

📍 Centre culturel francophone de l’Okanagan, 702 Bernard Avenue🕡 Doors at 6:30 PM | Event: 7:00 – 9:00 PM🎟️ Sliding scale: $5 - $10 (Tickets available only at the door)

In collaboration with Centre culturel francophone de l’Okanagan and Espaces francophones UBCO, this evening celebrates the diversity of languages and cultures through music, storytelling, and poetry. The event kicks off with a storytelling open mic, where participants can share tales in any language—fictional or real, written or spontaneous.

Following the open mic, audiences will be treated to mesmerizing performances from Rina Garcia Chua, Élodie Orsei, and Caroline A. Pinheiro da Costa, who will perform in multiple languages, including French, English, Tagalog, and Portuguese. Priority open mic spots will be given to French and bilingual speakers.

Saturday, March 8 – PONY! Cabaret

📍 Black Box Theatre, 1375 Water Street🕖 Doors at 7:00 PM | Show: 7:30 PM – Late🎟️ Sliding scale: $15 - $40 (Tickets available online and at the door)

Closing out the festival is the 9th annual PONY! Cabaret, known for its electric atmosphere and stunning performances. Hosted by the charismatic duo Mister Sister (Ms. Cookie LaWhore) and Erin Scott, the show features a stellar lineup of artists, including beatboxer Poppa Nuge, storyteller Ed Wolf, drag performer Guido La Bido, writer Joshua Whitehead, and burlesque dancer Miss Ocean Squeeze.

This event is a fundraiser for IWC, helping to support its year-round programming. With limited seating at the intimate Black Box Theatre, tickets are expected to sell out quickly. Advance purchase is highly recommended.

Join Us at New Leaves 2025!

Don’t miss this extraordinary celebration of arts and culture. Whether you’re a longtime supporter of the local arts scene or discovering it for the first time, New Leaves Festival offers an inspiring and inclusive space for all.

For tickets and event updates, visit Inspired Word Café’s website or follow IWC on social media.