Photos 1: Country Fest entertains big crowds
The entire fairgrounds in Albion - including Planet Ice - were taken over by Country Fest this weekend.
Tyson Boyes from the Mission 4-H Beef Club, brought his one-year-old cow Chester to Country Fest.
Photograph by: Maria Rantanen , TIMES
As the sun came out on Saturday, so to did more and more people to the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Country Fest.
By the end of the weekend, thousands of cowboys and cowgirls had enjoyed the Sunday-morning church service, music, rides, games, food, roller derby, live animals, and so much more.
"Overall, it was a very good time. There were a lot of people - very crowded. I would guess the attendance was better than 14,000," said Tom Cameron, president of the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Agricultural Fair Association.
"I was quite impressed. I got a lot of compliments on the entertainment," explained Cameron, who when asked what his favourite part of the lineup was, answered: "It's hard to pinpoint my favourite because they are all so good. There isn't enough words to compliment them all."
A large influx of people came early Sunday morning for the church service and once that was over a lot of them stayed to enjoy the fair, said Cameron, who added that many people asked Pastor Ed Bradley, who led the service, how many churches were involved.
"His response was 'just one - the church at Country Fest,'" said Cameron.
Fair manager Lorraine Bates said the 4-H component of the fair was a "big success."
"We had no more room in our barns. Our 4-H attendance exceeded some of the larger fairs in B.C.," she explained.
Bates also took in the first ever culinary competitions, and hopes it is the start of something much bigger.
"As an agricultural association we've been educating with animals, and now we can focus on people too," she said while in the backyard farming section of the fair, where the culinary competition was also held.
"I want it to include every high school next year, so everyone has a chance to participate and earn the $500," Bates said, referring to the money each culinary student who competes is given.
"People want to eat local and grow local - they are more conscious about what they eat than ever," Bates explained. "This is about teaching people how to produce in their own backyards."
Tyson Boyes from the Mission 4-H Beef Club, brought his one-year-old cow Chester to Country Fest.
Photograph by: Maria Rantanen , TIMES
