The beautiful weather only made the festivities sweeter, as a long-standing event returned to downtown Blenheim.
An estimated 15,000 people attended during this year’s Cherry Fest, which took place over three days and featured numerous activities, carnival rides, entertainment acts, and of course, pies.
Speaking on Saturday, JP Huggins, organizer, said each of the days had large crowds of smiling faces.
“It’s been amazing down here,” he said, adding it’s heartwarming to see families and friends having fun together in the wake of the pandemic.
“That’s the biggest thing for me. I think that’s why everything’s been so busy. All the festivals. … It’s exciting to be back together.”
The famous cherry pit spit championships also took place, with former Toronto Maple Leaf Todd Warriner winning in the celebrity category with a spit of 10.44 m.
Other participants included local politicians, business and community leaders, and media personalities.
In addition to the activities, Cherry Fest is also a celebration of the area’s rich agricultural history and community tradition.
Huggins said the organizational efforts were condensed into a shorter timeframe this year, but that he was pleased with how the event turned out.
“This year, we didn’t really get the go-ahead until March,” he said. “We got four months instead of our usual six, seven or eight months.”
With next year being Cherry Fest’s 40th anniversary, he expects there will be even bigger plans.
This could include bringing the Guinness World Records to town, which Huggins admitted is a long process requiring some funding.
“We’re looking at maybe getting a couple of grants to fly in a Guinness World Records judge,” he said.