BIBLE HILL - Patrons came in waves to this year's Nova Scotia Provincial Exhibition leaving officials expecting it is the most they have seen in about a decade.
The variety of events and Mother Nature's co-operation combined for a successful show, said exhibition manager Diane Daniels.
"In excess of 38,000 went through the turnstiles during the exhibition," she said, noting that represents a 5.1 per cent increase in attendance from the year before. "It was a ... varied program that appealed to a wide demographic of people. It was new, it was fresh and the price ... is definitely a selling feature."
The five-day event included a rodeo, sand drags, talent shows to traditional agriculture shows and the midway. Daniels said it had the largest beef show in at least the past four years.
"The beef show was a major statement for our exhibition," she said. "That speaks volumes for the kind of show we put on here."
Exhibition commission chairman Jeff Yuill was pleased to see the numbers increase.
"Weather plays a critical part in getting the numbers," he said. "Compared to some exhibitions, we're fortunate to have so many large buildings."
Those buildings allowed people to take shelter when the rain came on Thursday while enjoying the shows and displays inside the buildings.
The attendance numbers are still down from traditional highs, Yuill said.
"Back in the heyday, say 50 years ago, they would have been in the 60,000-plus mark," he said.
A diverse program and good weather helped bring people to the exhibition grounds where a committed group of volunteers worked long hours to make their day enjoyable.
"The volunteers at this exhibition are phenomenal," said Daniels, estimating they contributed between 18,000 and 20,000 hours of volunteer work. "It's just astounding."
Exactly what the increase in attendance means financially has not been determined, but Daniels is "very optimistic" the festival broke even or made a small profit.
"Our goal is to showcase agriculture and give those folks a venue to show the community and the province what they do," she said.
Plans are already underway for the 2011 exhibition, but people will have to wait for details.
"I can't even let the cat out of the bag, but I have a few good ideas," Daniels said. "Something fresh, something new."
jmalloy@trurodaily.com
