Meghan Neufeld is literally counting down the sleeps until the 22nd annual Cranberry Festival arrives in Fort 91原创.

Last year鈥檚 show was a bit of a wash, Neufeld acknowledged. But despite the extensive power outages and torrential rains that hit 91原创 that day, at least half of the normal 50,000 to 60,000 visitor 鈥� and many of the vendors 鈥� still braved the elements.

This time around, Neufeld hopes the forecasters are right and that this weekend鈥檚 festival will be held under sunny skies. But, she assured guests that the festivities run 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine.

Many guests come to the Cranberry Festival with a primary goal of getting some of the fresh red berries for their Thanksgiving feast.

And, for president Eric Woodward, working with a team of about 15 volunteers to package and sell those berries is one of his favourite parts of the event.

Thanks again to the 鈥済enerosity鈥� of Ocean Spray, he said, there will be at least 10,000 pounds of fresh cranberries up for grabs. A pound costs festival goers $3, two pounds are worth $5, and those with a big dinner planned can purchase five pounds of cranberries for $10.

All proceeds from the berry sales go back into operation of the festival, Neufeld explained, noting the annual event budget is about $50,000 for necessities such as toilet and tent rentals, road closures, security, waste disposal, and other general operating expenses.

While many folks come for the berries, most stick around the village and enjoy everything else the festival has to offer.

This year, the main street will once again be closed between Francis and Mavis Avenues, and there will be at least 100 market vendors showcasing their wares (at least a 30 per cent turnover from last year, Neufeld noted), as well as 16 food trucks scattered throughout, live entertainment on stage, and various children鈥檚 activities (such as facepainting, balloon art, and a creative cube) focused primarily around the community hall area.

The Lion鈥檚 Club will also be hosting their pancake breakfast at the community hall (not the Lion鈥檚 Hall), again. It starts at 8 a.m., and until they sell out.

Woodward has been involved for five years and said this popular seasonal event has become a great way to showcase Fort 91原创 at its finest.

For those looking to avoid a hunt for parking or a long walk, there is free shuttle service running every 10 to 15 minutes between the festival and Trinity Western University or Walnut Grove Secondary. The school buses start rolling about 9:30 a.m. and wrap up just after 4.

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Elsewhere in the village

The cranberry-themed festivities in the village are not exclusive to the market downtown. Some fun promises to unfold at the Fort and in the Bedford Channel on Saturday, as well.

Nearby, at the , Parks Canada staff is once again celebrating the cranberry.

On Saturday, between 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., there will be a popular cranberry stomp, as well as a series of farm-related games 鈥� including a cranberry relay. People can take their photo with the big red balloon, guess how many cranberries are in the jar, or participate in a kids scavenger hunt.

These, along with guided tours that explain the importance of cranberries to the success of this trading post back in the 1800s, are added to all the regular activities, programs, and exhibits on display inside the Fort walls.

Admission to the Fort is free all year, as part of Canada鈥檚 150th anniversary.

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Fun on the water

Also a tradition during the festival is the Voyageur Cranberry Races.

There are 24 teams of paddlers (10 to a boat) taking part in the day-long series of races, starting mid-morning.

With eight boats in each race, there鈥檚 usually 80 paddlers on the water at one time in voyageur canoes.

鈥淓very race has mass starts with all the boats paddling hard to get around the marks for the best time,鈥� explained Cheryl Macintosh.

The races start at 10 a.m. and run approximately every half hour.

All the races run just upriver from the bridge, and places the teams in their categories for their final race, which is expected between 2 and 3:30 p.m.

鈥淭hese races are on both sides of the bridge so lots of spectators really enjoy watching from the bridge,鈥� McIntosh explained.

The teams start downstream off the boathouses and first need to pickup pumpkins dropped off the bridge at the start of their race.

They race upstream around marks near the boat launch, then back downstream around the mark by the boathouse, before heading to the Brae Island beach where one paddler per boat needs to get out and do a juice run along the beach to get a bag of cranberries, then back in the boat so the team can race to the finish line off the observation deck in Marina park at the foot of Church Street.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of fun for paddlers and spectators alike,鈥� MacIntosh said.

As for the history of the race it has changed over the years.

The club first started in 1994 and was 鈥渧ery small,鈥� she explained.

The Cranberry Races have changed a lot over the years, as well, MacIntosh elaborated.

The first Cranberry races was in 1996 with teams racing from Chilliwack to Fort 91原创 in a long-distance race.

鈥淣ot great for spectators, but a challenge for paddlers,鈥� she said.

In 1997 the race was set in the Bedford channel, which McIntosh described as 鈥渕uch better for spectators and also more appealing for non-paddlers to come out for a fun paddle.鈥�

Community members are encouraged to enter.

Over the years they have had teams from 91原创 Advance, financial and public service teams, neighbourhoods, LePs, and family teams.

鈥淲e used to be pleased to have six or eight teams enter in these fun events,鈥� she said. 鈥淚n the past `0 years we have been attracting dragonboat teams to join so the calibre of the races has gone up, but it is still a lot of fun to watch.鈥�

Due to demand over the years, the club has increased the number of teams they would accept.

鈥淎s I said we started with six or eight teams each year. We increased to 12, then 16, then 20, and now have 24 teams enter each year 鈥� and usually have teams on a wait list.鈥�