Springfest will soon make its downtown debut, continuing in the tracks of the former Salty Street Fest.
Sunday, May 11, marks the return of Salmon Arm's premier mountain bike race, the Salty Dog Enduro, where hundreds of riders take part in a variety of cycling events at the South Canoe trails. These include the main event, the six-hour solo or team ride, as well as a roughly 3.5 hour U-15 race and, for the younger riders, the Salty Pup rides.
The Salty Dog Street Fest, held the Saturday before race day, offered a mix of bike-oriented attractions and family friendly entertainment for registering race participants and the community.
Last year, the Saturday event was changed in name and theme to the Salty Bike Fest, with a smaller footprint and a renewed focus on bike vendors and activities.
For 2025 the event, there's a new name, Springfest on Hudson, and a renewed focus on activities for the community.
"Last year we really wanted it to be like, it香蕉视频直播檚 bike only, and it just fell flat and there was a lot of disappointed people," said Shelley Desautels, one of the volunteer organizers behind the downtown event, adding Springfest brings back that community element. "We香蕉视频直播檒l have Silverstar and Sun Peaks and those people for the bike aspect down there still, but really focus on the face painting and the entertainment and the family friendly, and you don香蕉视频直播檛 have to be a bike person to come down and enjoy the event."
Plans for Springfest include a kid zone, a visit from Uncle Chris the Clown, face painting, prizes and the popular annual pie-eating contest.
Desautels said the organizers behind the Enduro, the Shuswap Cycling Club didn't have the capacity to oversee the race and the street event. However, she and other community members, including the chamber and former Salty Dog organizer and Skookum owner Tom Peasgood, wanted to keep it going, and formed a committee to do just that.
"We know it香蕉视频直播檚 a benefit to the downtown to have all the people from the race come downtown and have something to do so we香蕉视频直播檙e still having registration, we still have some of the same vendors downtown that usually come, but we just wanted to rebrand it," said Desautels.
Despite their enthusiasm, committee members too were limited in capacity and were considering an event without the pie-eating contest. That changed, however, with the Salmon Arm Rotary Club recently coming onboard as a partner. The club will be presenting the pie-eating contest, and has an interest in growing the event.
Rotarian Winston Lee-Hai said the club was looking for a way to become involved with the Salty Dog. When it learned of the need for help with the street event, the club chose to get involved.
"We had a good meeting with them the other day and they香蕉视频直播檙e interested in potentially seeing this as one of their key events that they organize each year香蕉视频直播�," said Desautels. "To have another group that香蕉视频直播檚 excited and energetic and has people that want to organize and plan is really what香蕉视频直播檚 going to keep this event going into future years."
Springfest on Hudson runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 10.
