Polson Cherry Festival blooms
Janessa Taylor, left, sneaks a peek at her competition, Olivia Hewston, during the kids' pie-eating contest Sunday afternoon.
By Ali Bronsdon / Leader Staff
Record-breaking crowds made Polson's Main Street Flathead Cherry Festival a huge success, the event's organizer Jackie Cripe said.
"There were a lot of people in town," said Cripe. "Every year just gets bigger and better thanks to the support of the community."
Seven Flathead Valley orchards participated in the event. Some sold cherries or a variety of cherry products from barbecue sauce to jellies and jams, T-shirts, aprons, cookbooks and homemade cherry pies. More than 40 cherry pies were devoured at Sunday's pie-eating contest, which made its festival debut. The stem-tying and cherry pit spitting contests were also popular with festival-goers and a number of gift certificates to local businesses were handed out to the winners of those events.
One-hundred twenty vendors from as far as Florida, Arizona and California participated.
"They loved Polson and are already signing up for next year," Cripe said.
According to Cripe, the festival's goal is to promote agro-tourism as well as raise awareness of Flathead cherries and what the community has to offer.
Plans are already under way for next year's event, which is slated for July 18 and 19. Vendors can sign up as early as December for next year.
"We are working with our agricultural community and coming up with new ideas to make it another exciting event in Polson," she said.