Goodnight Sunfest, you were the best so far.

This year's Saanich Sunfest season of events enjoyed its biggest

gatherings ever, "attendance was a lot higher at our big events (this

year)," said Saanich's special events co-ordinator, Rob Phillips.

With words like 'stay-cation' having crept into the summer vernacular,

Phillips points to Sunfest's rise in popularity perhaps as a by-

product of the economy, or the result of an unusually sunny summer.

Perhaps it was a combination of both.

"The biggest attendance was Gorge Canada Day with 8,000 to 10,000

people," he said of the Sunfest kickoff.

"Gorge Tillicum Canada Day was the concept of what Saanich Sunfest

would be, we'd provide some seed money for community groups to host

their own events. Gorge Canada Day has blossomed into a flagship event

for Sunfest."

Despite the difficulty of gauging attendance numbers at non-ticketed,

open area events, Phillips and the Saanich staff are going by some

educated guesses.

Those who endured the never-ending lineup for strawberry shortcake at

Beaver Lake won't be surprised to learn the Strawberry Festival's

numbers are estimated at 6,000.

The newly renamed Cadboro Bay Festival brought 4,000 onlookers to Gyro

Park for the sandcastle event formerly known as Sandfest and Gyro

Family Fun Day.

"We found people were confused by the name Sandfest thinking it was a competition but we don't have the capacity at that park for something

of that scale," said Phillips, adding the Caddy Bay Fest name should

stick from now on.

sports@vicnews.com

Final notes

The umbrella title Sunfest was created to capture the various

festivals put on in Saanich.

Tuesday night's Music in (Rudd) Park, put on by Quadra-Cedar Hill

Community Association, is the final event.