It may be early, but Cherry Fest organizer JP Huggins is already seeing a great turnout in downtown Blenheim.
"All the rides look like they're brand new," says Huggins. "The streets are pretty packed with people snatching up great deals."
The highlight of the weekend is the much anticipated cherry pit-spitting contests. Tryouts will go Friday from 1pm-3pm, with qualifiers starting around 4pm. Then on Saturday, three competitions will take place: kids division at 11:30am, celebrity division at 12:30pm and the national contest at 1pm.
"We're having Todd Warriner from the Toronto Maple Leafs coming out for the celebrity pit spit-off, as well as Meaggan Pettipiece, who was on the Canadian Olympic Softball Team. We're going to have Dave Van Kesteren come out, as well as some local councillors," adds Huggins.
The weekend will also feature sidewalk sales, carnival rides, as well as a new "best-dressed pet" contest.
The Cherry Fest will run in downtown Blenheim from 9am to 10pm on Thursday and Friday, and 9am to 5pm Saturday.
