Bluewater BorderFest has been deemed a big success, after over 10,000 people went through the gates during the three-day waterfront concert.
Headliners for the eighth annual event at Centennial Park, June 20 to 22, included several acts from the 90s, Bush, Creed and Our Lady Peace.
Committee Member and Tourism Sarnia-Lambton Executive Director Mark Perrin said it was a great weekend that was rewarding for everyone.
He said they usually generate about $2 million for the local economy, but this year he's projecting that number to be closer to $3 million.
Since BorderFest's inception, about $200,000 has been earmarked to support local charities.
Perrin noted that about 60 per cent of the crowds were from out of town, and hotels and restaurants were packed.
"It was great to see lots of smiling, happy faces coming through the gates," said Perrin. "Everyone really enjoyed their time and there weren't really any big issues. People, for the most part, stayed hydrated. One of the main goals was to keep everyone hydrated and safe."
Perrin said there were weather concerns but it could have been worse.
He said they were forced to evacuate the park Friday due to lightning, but it was handled extremely well.
"I'm really proud of our team for using everyone's knowledge and experience in emergency management," said Perrin. "The evacuation of the park was done really well. We've already had a couple of people from the festival industry reaching out to find out exactly what we did so they can kind of copy it and implement if ever needed at other festivals."
"We were able to get that our area was not under a warning or watch," said Perrin. "I know that came out about half an hour after the sirens went off, but we probably knew that within the first 15 minutes or so. By that time, we got kind of the all clear on what was going on, and we were good to continue with how things were."
Perrin noted there are over 200 volunteers that make the show possible.
He said they're looking to further expand community partnerships moving forward.
"As we move forward and look ahead to next year, we really want to get the message out on trying to get more community partnerships," he said. "We want to get more local businesses involved. I think that's something that we can really focus more attention on is getting the local community, and more businesses involved as partners. We'd also like to get more volunteers. It takes a lot of moving parts with these festivals, and I think having more hands to help set up the event right through to teardown just helps keep everyone fresh and working together."
