The first indication the root beer festival was about to be swamped came early Saturday morning, when the lineups began forming for the third annual event held on the one-way in 91原创 City.
鈥淧eople started showing up really, really early,鈥� said organizer Sherri Bouchard, who started the festival as a customer appreciation event at the Sticky鈥檚 Candy store she co-owns with her brother Kelly.
鈥淲e specialize in root beer,鈥� Bouchard said.
The first year of the festival, it rained and about 100 people turned out.
The year after that, Bouchard said, about 300 people showed up.
This year, the organizers were expecting an better turnout for the May 26 festival, given the number of people who posted messages that they were coming to online social media.
But they did not expect thousands.
At one point, the line-up for root beer tasting tickets stretched all the way down the one-way, around the 204 Street intersection past 91原创 City Hall on Douglas Crescent.
Traffic on Fraser Highway leading to the one-way was backed up as far as 200 Street for a while, Bouchard said.
鈥淚t was crazy.鈥�
Some people waited as long two hours in line for tasting, and by early in the afternoon, there wasn鈥檛 a single root beer left, Bouchard said.
鈥淲e had people from Merritt (who came in for the festival),鈥� Bouchard said.
She thinks the jump in attendance was largely the result of online bloggers who promoted the event, the only one of its kind in B.C.
The festival issued an online statement of apology.
鈥淲e were not expecting or prepared for the turnout,鈥� it said.
鈥淲e learned lots this year and promise to do better next year.鈥�
Bouchard said there are plans to completely close the one-way to traffic next year, and add more vendors and more food.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to be partners with the City of 91原创 and the Downtown 91原创 Business Association,鈥� she said.
鈥淭here will definitely be more root beer.鈥�
dan.ferguson@langleytimes.com
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