Vendors and tourism officials appeared pleased at the turnout for the Simon Kenton Days Festival in Old Washington over the weekend.
With cooperation from Mother Nature for the duration of the festival, attendance topped 10,000, by early Sunday, with more to come, said tourism director Suzy Pratt.
"(Saturday) we counted 9,721 people passing from that end of town through here," Pratt said. "After church today, we expect we will have another good crowd as well."
Sunshine accented the BBQ, funnel cakes, brats and other dining delights, as visitors shopped at local merchants, arts and crafts and antique booths from one end of the historic town to the other.
Clogging for a Cure entertained, along with folk singers, various musicians, Native American drumming presentations and appearances by people portraying Simon Kenton and other historical figures.
At an encampment near the Harriet Beecher Stowe Slavery to Freedom Museum, demonstrations of archery were presented, along with a display of items representative of the Lewis and Clark expedition which passed through the area in the 1800s.
Also visiting the festival on Sunday were relatives of Harriet Beecher Stowe, Alfred and Leon Smith who marveled at the historic materials in the museum.
"This has been a very educational trip," said Alfred Smith, of Brookfield, New York. Smith has a great-great-grandfather in common with Beecher, he said.
As church services let out for the day, the streets of Old Washington began to flow with large crowds again. As for Pratt, she was already making plans and lining up entertainment for next year, she said.
The Ledger Independent is online at: http://maysville-online.com