The weather played nice as thousands filled Cadboro-Gyro Park Sunday to celebrate Cadboro Bay Festival under brilliant blue skies after it had rained Saturday in the Greater Victoria for the first time in nearly two months.
B次元官网网址淚 think any event planner is checking the forecast hourly, and we were lucky that we missed by probably a couple of hours,B次元官网网址� said Rob Phillips, special events coordinator with the District of Saanich. B次元官网网址淪o we were very fortunate.B次元官网网址�
So Saanich in a way received the best of both worlds: much-needed rain before the start of the popular event and blue skies during it, notwithstanding the sometimes blustery wind that blew through the various booths. It certainly did not keep the crowds away as organizers expected some 4,000 visitors.
While this number represents that turned out for Strawberry Festival last month, Phillips expects that it Cadboro Bay Festival will eventually surpass Strawberry Festival.
B次元官网网址淪trawberry Festival is a bit larger than this event, but with the sand-sculptures that weB次元官网网址檝e got on display today and the beautiful park that we are in today, I think this is an event that will continue to grow. We are always looking for other sponsors to come on board, and in my opinion I think this event will be bigger than Strawberry Festival.B次元官网网址�
As in years past, PepperB次元官网网址檚 and Cadboro Bay Village Business Improvement Association served as primary sponsors.
One likely reason for the festivalB次元官网网址檚 continued growth will be its location. B次元官网网址淚t is probably my favourite part of Saanich, and I think lot of people will say the same thing,B次元官网网址� said Phillips. B次元官网网址淚t is just a beautiful location, with the beach and the water. So families can come down, and take part in a wide range of things. You can spend a couple of hours at the beach [and] take part in the activities. It is just kind of the location, where you can spend your whole day and probably one of SaanichB次元官网网址檚 busiest parks.B次元官网网址�
It will also remain B次元官网网址� at least for a while B次元官网网址� a gallery for the creativity of area residents in the medium of sand.As it was the case in previous years, the event featured the works of local sand sculptors led by VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Fred Dobbs, one of the worldB次元官网网址檚 leading sand-sculpting artist, who has worked across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Dobbs still remembers his first sand-sculpture. B次元官网网址淲hen I was five years old, my father buried me in sand up to my mid-body,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎nd he preceded to carve me into a convertible sand-car. I was on the inside in the car on the driverB次元官网网址檚 seat, and my first sculpture was doing the steering wheel in the car.B次元官网网址�
Decades later, Dobbs sits underneath a 50-ton sand sculpture that looks like the stylized Maple Leaf on DobbsB次元官网网址� Canada 150 T-shirt. A beaver drapes itself over one of leaf tips, giving the piece a whimsical yet pleasing touch.
B次元官网网址淎 lot of people can identify with sand-sculpting,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hey have probably tried it once or twice and it is kind of cool to see it bumped up to the next level in terms of quality and detail.B次元官网网址�
Overall, it took Dobbs and his team three days to work on the piece. B次元官网网址淭he first day was bringing in all the sand and packing it,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭he second day was a major sculpting day and here we here on festival day, we finishing up all the fine details.B次元官网网址�
The piece, said Dobbs, will remain in place until the elements say otherwise. , Saanich residents will be able to check out the work under blue skies for the foreseeable future.
