Party time in Barrhead

Stilt walkers love the high life.

So what better place for Goldy, Mindy, Rosy and Tangerine to come than Barrhead during the annual street festival?

“We are looking for a party,” Mindy called to a Leader reporter at about noon, giving a coquettish turn of her head.

And that’s what they found.

Glittering in the June sunshine like giant ’70s disco queens, they went high-stepping up and down Main Street throughout the day, grooving to a constant beat from a sound system, their angular 10-foot frames proving remarkably agile.

Forget about Saturday night fever. This was Saturday afternoon fever as the fabulous foursome joined more than 1,000 others for a six-hour party.

Getting the party rocking had been the job of the Footworks Dance Academy, whose nine performances attracted a large ring of spectators in the morning.

There was jazz, hip hop, “A Spoonful of Sugar” from Mary Poppins and even “The Pink Panther” theme to get people in a festive mood.

“All the dancers did an awesome job of entertaining the crowds,” said academy owner and director Irene Widdup. “There was jumping, leaping, clapping and smiling to some toe-tapping tunes.”

Once the Footworks dancers had departed, others took their place. And after that there was karaoke, an open invitation for anyone to grab the limelight for a few minutes.

It didn’t matter whether you could sing in tune. Just give it a go and have fun – that seemed to be the theme of the festival.

Music filled the air from one end of the street to the other, whether you were watching pony rides, admiring art at the gazebo or a photography show at the Catholic Church, enjoying a firefighter’s challenge for children or standing by bouncy castles, sitting for caricature artist Rob Guthrie or trying your hand at a flight simulator. Or even laughing as Will Assenheimer got dunked in an ice-cold tank, thanks to mum Charlene’s accurate throwing arm.

For those wondering at Will’s attire, he was wearing his sister Emily’s bikini.

No matter where you were, nobody could be immune from the party spirit. Well, maybe those who took a bus trip to Kees de Wildt’s dairy barn three miles east of Barrhead could no longer hear the sounds of the street.

Instead, they listened to Douwe Akkerman explain the process involved in milking cows. Afterwards each visitor got a carton of chocolate milk.

Festival committee chair Carol Farnalls was thrilled by the turnout to an event which carried an old-fashioned penny carnival theme and has become a glorious gateway to summer.

People came from all over the area, some making the journey from Edmonton or Whitecourt.

“I think this has been one of the biggest crowds ever,” said Farnalls.

It was a view shared by Dennis Donkers, owner of Barrhead Bakery, which was again at the heart of entertainment.

The pie-eating contest is a huge crowd favourite, with camera-clicking family members eager to record the messy affair while Donkers urged on contestants.

“Do you still think chocolate was a good choice of pie?” he asked those who appeared to be struggling.

This year Donkers placed his flat-deck on the other side of the road from the bakery.

“I think it was a far better arrangement, giving everyone a better view of what is happening,” he said. “The turnout today has been awesome. People are now coming with higher and higher expectations of having a great time.”

The Westbrook family were among the many convinced the festival had delivered again.

“We love coming here,” said Karen, whose grandchildren Kaden, Vadania and Robert had joined a long queue for face painting. “It is kid-friendly. It is fun and there is a lot for kids to do.”

Always a hugely popular draw for children was the petting zoo, where six-year-old Kaylan Hiemstra couldn’t get enough of cradling a little duck.

“I love animals,” she said.

At her Barrhead home, she has a dog and a cat, but the petting zoo offered a greater variety of animals, including llamas.

Four-year-old Shealynn Rettie also adores animals.

“First thing this morning she went to ride on the ponies,” laughed mum Ashley, who lives just outside Tiger Lily.

By about 3:30 p.m. the crowd had begun to disperse and Goldy, Mindy, Rosy and Tangerine made their final strides.

Members of the National Stiltwalkers of Canada – their real names are Sharon Mellot, Margaret Field, Jayne Waldon and Miranda Allen – they rejoined their producing director Randall Fraser, who ran the step-up stilt workshop.

“It went really well today,” said Fraser as he gathered together the aluminum stilts. “We had people of every age trying. Next year I should have a two-day workshop beforehand. Soon everyone in Barrhead will be able to stilt walk.”

By 4 p.m. there was just a smattering of people on Main Street. Only the karaoke singers seemed to be going strong.

Summer had finally arrived. And it came in style.