Despite taking a weather hit on Friday, the Salmon Arm Fall Fair rebounded Saturday and Sunday.
“We were down about 300 folks,” said Salmon Arm and Shuswap Lake Agricultural Association president Phil Wright Monday. “We had 8,500 people, which is in the normal numbers and the majority were happy people. That’s how I judge the fair – lots of happy people.”
Wright congratulated Tracy Nash and several Rotarians for marshalling parade floats and Citizens on Patrol for keeping the crowds in check.
This year’s parade featured several dozen fire trucks as the Salmon Arm Fire Department celebrates 100 years of providing service to the community.
“Fire trucks were the draw this year because every community had one – Enderby had a 1937 truck, Notch Hill, Armstrong, Kelowna, someone from the Island,” he said. “Lindsay Blackburn used three horses to pull the steam truck.”
Saturday also had the largest attendance at 6,000, with many going to the fair following the parade – an Wright heaving a sigh of relief for another successful parade completion.
“Once the parade is over, I can relax a bit.”
Wright says the West Coast Lumberjack Show was a very successful new event for the fair, as was Poultry in Motion. Another popular addition was the golf cart decorated with Christmas lights that carried people from one end go the fairgrounds to the other.
“We had a record number of photography entries with new classes,” he said. That really was a success.”
Judges selected the winners from a total of 525 photos prior to their display at the fair. During the three-day event fairgoers chose their favourite for the People’s Choice Award.
Grateful for the help from all the fair volunteers, Wright also acknowledged Lori Graham for filling the arena with great commercial exhibitors and to June Griswold and Active Artisans in Memory Lane. Wright applauded the organizers (Gil and Lori Risling) of entertainment and Shuswap Idol, noting the Adam Fitzpatrick wowed the crowd with his tribute to Elvis.
“We had a record number of flowering wheelbarrows, some with succulents, others with grasses,” Wright said. “They were really outstanding and gratifying for Lori. She also had over a dozen scarecrows.”
Another division that saw increased participation this year was dairy.
“We ended up with 59 animals being shown, that was gratifying,” he said.
