Taste Around Kamloops 2026: A Winter Food Festival
That Feeds Community and Commerce
Kamloops is tackling one of the restaurant industry’s biggest challenges:
keeping tables full in January and February.
From January 21st to February 8th, Taste Around Kamloops invites you to explore our city’s vibrant (and delicious) culinary scene. Local restaurants are serving up signature dinner specials, showcasing the drool-worthy flavours of the Thompson Valley. Discover your new favourite dine out spot and toast to the new year in true foodie style.
While most Canadian cities hunker down in January, Kamloops is doing the opposite: getting people out of their homes and into local restaurants with Taste Around Kamloops. Running January 21 to February 8, 2026, this annual festival transforms the quietest dining season into a celebration of culinary creativity, with specially curated three-course menus ranging from $25 to $70 that showcase everything from farm-to-table fare to international flavors.
The festival runs alongside downtown ice skating and foodie films at the historic Paramount Theatre, turning dinner into a full night out. This year there’s a comedic addition too. Ali Hassan, CBC Radio personality and former chef, brings his show “Does This Taste Funny” to the Paramount on February 6.
WHY THIS MATTERS NOW
January and February are traditionally brutal months for restaurants. Taste Around gives chefs a reason to get creative and diners a reason to brave the cold. Tourism Kamloops sponsors the program in partnership with the BC Restaurant & Foodservices Association because supporting the restaurant scene year-round makes Kamloops a better place to live and visit.
While ski towns boom in winter, cities like Kamloops have to work harder to drive shoulder-season visitation. With culinary tourism growing as one of the fastest-rising travel segments, events like this position Kamloops as a destination with dining culture worth exploring, not just a pit stop between Vancouver and the Rockies.
For more informatioon about Taste Around Kamloops, incuding a list of restaurants and menus, click here.
More restaurants and menus are still being added; check back often for updates!
Modifications to Taste Around menus for dietary restrictions are often accepted, though it’s best to check directly with the restaurant to confirm.
Ali Hassan’s Does This Taste Funny?
Comedy Show
Friday, February 6th | 8:00pm
Paramount Theatre
Ali Hassan is an award-nominated comedian, actor, author, and former chef who knows his way around both a stage and a menu. Best known as the host of CBC Radio’s Laugh Out Loud, The Next Chapter, and Canada Reads, Ali’s comedy draws on food, family, and culture, serving up big laughs with plenty of heart.
You’ve seen him on hit shows like Run The Burbs, Sort Of, Workin’ Moms, Murdoch Mysteries, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. His comedy, often inspired by food, culture, and family, pairs perfectly with a night out.
Image courtesy of Tourism Kamloops – Cordo Resto & Bar, photo credit: Jonny Bierman