No record, but lots of fun

It wasn't the record-setting attendance organizers anticipated, but the 25th annual Sunshine Festival was still a huge success.

Put on by the Downtown Vernon Association, the single-day festival attracted 12,000 to the downtown core.

Up to 15,000 have attended in the past.

“The Sunshine Festival has certainly evolved from a merchant sidewalk sale to the large-scale community event that it is today,” said Susan Lehman, executive director of the DVA. “There are benefits to each sector of the DVA membership during events such as these, from increased sales, customer appreciation opportunities, community engagement, to taking the afternoon to spend with family and friends in a festive and family-friendly environment.”

Lehman also noted it’s because of the community support from DVA members, vendors, sponsors, city officials, volunteers and other stakeholders that the Sunshine Festival is so successful.

Although the festival did not break an attendance record which may be attributed to various factors including high temperatures, it had the highest vendor participation ever, with 170 vendors lining 30th Avenue, and the feedback the DVA has received so far has been positive.

The next major events in Downtown Vernon start in July with the Civic Sounds concert series taking place Thursdays on the steps of City Hall, and Try It @ Justice Park, a new health and wellness event during the lunch hour on Wednesdays.