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Trails supporters defy elements for successful Salmon Arm celebration

91Ƶ91Ƶthis is definitely the new event.91Ƶ

A little rain couldn91Ƶt hold back the Shuswap Trail Alliance91Ƶs Trails Day Celebration.

Despite cooler wet weather, people were lined up for the event, which took place at the South Canoe trailhead from 4 and 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 1.

91ƵWe had people lined up at 4 p.m. to come in, in their raincoats with umbrellas 91Ƶ and some people brought their own tents,91Ƶ said Shuswap Trail Alliance (STA) executive director Jen Bellhouse.

The celebration, held in conjunction with BC Trails Day, featured local food trucks Arma Greek Food and The Yukon Smash, a beer garden hosted by The Barley Station and The Shuswap Cider, and the main attraction: music by Nelson band Shred Kelly.

Bellhouse said the rain, which stopped about two-thirds of the way into the band91Ƶs first set, didn91Ƶt keep people from dancing.

91ƵEverybody will remember that time they were dancing with Shred Kelly in the rain,91Ƶ said Bellhouse. 91ƵShred Kelly did a dance contest and little kids up to older folks were just grooving and giving 91Ƶer.91Ƶ

Tickets for the event (free to people ages 18 and under) were capped at 500. Bellhouse said 482 were sold/given out, with more people picking them up at the gate up until about 6:30 p.m.

91ƵPeople kept piling in, hundreds of people came and it was super,91Ƶ said Bellhouse, noting trails users/supporters are a hearty crowd. 91ƵSo many wonderful volunteers, everybody was happy, smiles on their faces91Ƶ

91ƵThe music was great and it was super peaceful happy, and then so many people stayed and helped pull down tents. We were done and cleaned up and out of there by 9:30.91Ƶ

Despite the good turnout, Bellhouse said the space was big enough that 91Ƶyou never really felt crowded.91Ƶ

This was the first outdoors Trails Celebration of its kind for the STA, which opted to run the event this year instead of its popular indoor Trails Party that also served as a fundraiser. With its success, Bellhouse was certain the Celebration blazed a trail for future STA events.

91ƵThis year wasn91Ƶt a fundraiser 91Ƶ we did it as a celebration but we may turn it into the fundraiser next year,91Ƶ said Bellhouse. 91ƵWe91Ƶll work through that with the planning committee and see, but I think this is definitely the new event. We were outside and it was the people that we do the work with showed up and that really made us happy.91Ƶ

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Lachlan Labere

About the Author: Lachlan Labere

Editor, Salmon Arm Observer
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