This year's Carrier Mills Springfest "best ever"

Festival-goers kicked of this year's Carrier Mills Springfest opened on Thursday evening, graced with good weather.

The festivities started with a 'Jeopardy' type game show by 'The Beat' Mobile DJ Show. The midway was in full swing and the cries of delight and screams of terror echoed across the square and the brave and not so brave tried their nerve on rides like the "Tempest' or the 'Loop the Loop Airplane'.

A ferris wheel swung round in stately revolutions and for smaller children, the 'Magic Dragon' whirled them around a track aboard the fearsomely fanged multi-colored beast. Colorful toadstools, mini cars and trucks and a small ferris wheel also provided ample rides for the younger children.

Food vendors were out in force and all the tempting aromas of carnival foods.

At 8 p.m. each night, free USA Wrestling opened in a ring near The Mills Cafe and the muscled gladiators again thrilled the crowd with their wrestling skills and crowd pleasing antics. Weather continued to be good on Friday night, which saw the largest crowd of the weekend with The Country Swing Band serenading the ears of the crowd throughout the evening.

"This has turned out to be the best Springfest ever," said Mayor Louis Shaw. "We needed it after the rainout and cancellation of Brady Amusements at last year's Catskin Days. This has been a great Springfest."

Last year, bad weather and damage to Brady Amusements from a tornado at another location put a real crimp in the annual fall carnival. Springfest, Trivia Night at the American Legion and other activities are all geared towards raising money for the Catskin Days Carnival. Last year, the Catskin Days Committee took a big hit financially as the bands and rides were paid for in advance and there was no refund of that expenditure. The success of this year's Springfest boded well for the fall Catskin Days Festival.

Even cloudy skies and an intermittent drizzle did not turn away the crowds on Saturday night, and the rides, food and craft vendors all enjoyed steady business late into the night. As this year's Springfest comes to an end, locals can look forward to the Catskin Days Festival the fall.