Organizers of this summer's PGX were in a celebratory mood Tuesday after confirming they met their goal of seeing at least 50,000 people pass through the gates during the four-and-a-half-day extravaganza.
Despite a squall of stormy weather that put a damper on the opening evening, 50,187 tickets were taken by the time all was said and done, making the 100th edition of the fair a success in the eyes of PGX president Nancy Loreth and general manager Terri McConnachie.
Both were quick to acknowledge the many volunteers who made the fair a possibility.
"From helping fairgoers find parking spaces to keeping Exhibition Park clean and tidy, we cannot rave enough about our volunteers," Loreth said. "I don't think that most people realize that we are 95 per cent volunteer driven and a 100 per cent non profit organization in every sense of the word."
Loreth also acknowledged the contributions of the many funders, sponsors and supporters.
"Of course, fairgoers are our largest supporters of all. I hope we did them all proud," Loreth said.
The PGX drew fairgoers and competitors from B.C. and Alberta and from Oregon and Oklahoma and it showcased a wide array of events and attractions, from 4-H clubs to bull riding to the Hearts of the West trick riding show to musical acts and entertainers to racing pigs and ducks.
The fairgoers included Alice Vanwormer, born on Aug. 2 of this year, and Ivy Gandolfo, born on Oct. 23, 1911.
"We brought together the generations from just days old to older than the fair itself," Loreth said. "Not many annual events, a century old, can boast that."
Starting next year, the fair will be known as the British Columbia Northern Exhibition. Dates for the event will be announced shortly.
In the interim, a legacy mural will be unveiled in September and later this year, the organization's second published book will be released, documenting the fair's colourful history from when it began in 1912 in Fort George to where it stands today.
