Well, that was fun!
What's that you say, you got wet?
There is no one you can blame for that, unfortunately.
You had to wait in line for beer, food, or washrooms?
Welcome to the big time. The promoter underestimated the demand. No worries, you can be sure there will be a more efficient system to separate you from your cash next year.
The concert that took place at Centennial Field on Saturday was the one people have been wanting to have for several years.
Kudos to our Town Council, who decided that it might be best to get out of the concert promotion business and let someone with a little more experience take care of it.
They went big, and should be congratulated for it.
Yes, there were problems in the beer tent, but think about why you went to the concert in the first place.
You wanted to be entertained.
And if you came away from that show complaining that did not happen, then there is no possible way to please you. Please take your whining, which is, no doubt, constant on any and every subject, to your own little corner of the room.
The Kiss "machine" rolled into town and did everything they were expected to do.
They put on a show that was pure theatre. They brought middle-aged people back to their youth and showed the younger set that rock music is as much about the show as it is teenage angst.
Even the warm up acts were world-class. In previous Salmon Festivals, Smashmouth would have been the headliner and people still would have come in droves.
And for those who are still complaining that Jeff Lynne was not with The Orchestra, they weren't listening, because that group was simply incredible.
Businesses in Grand Falls-Windsor saw a marked increase in their trade this past weekend.
One restaurant owner admitted it was hard to keep up with the demand, but she was grinning ear-to-ear as she said it.
And this is the desired effect.
What happened here this weekend exposed the town of Grand Falls-Windsor to not only the thousands of out-of-towners who came to the show, but also thousands more through the media coverage of the event.
Dedicated rock music fans know exactly here their favourite band is playing, so many now know Grand Falls-Windsor as the place where Gene and the gang kept playing through torrential rain.
This Salmon Festival will be remembered not only as when one of the best bands in the history of rock and roll came to town, but one where people were safest. The former Red Cliff Rocks den of iniquity is gone, replaced by a more family-friendly campground.
It will be remembered as the Salmon Festival turning point, where the event was rescued from its demise and transformed into a truly world-class event.
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