A FEEL-good atmosphere combined with blistering sunshine got the crowds in the mood for dancing at the Okehampton Arts Festival's Party in the Park on Saturday rounding off a week-long event which surpassed all expectations.
Tremendous, brilliant, wonderful are some of the words used to describe Okehampton's first large professional arts festival which was very well received by the public.
Chairman of the festival committee Alan King is ecstatic: 'It is the first time I have seen so many people from Okehampton get together and talk from different age groups. It was great to see.'
Mr King was anxious before the event because he said despite a well thought out and varied programme the number of 'bums on seats' would determine the success of the festival.
'It surpassed all our expectations,' he said. 'There were so many highlights it is hard to pick out one but to get someone like Georgie Fame here was fantastic.
'He and his band were absolutely superb and we sold just over 400 tickets.'
The chairman said for atmosphere and weather, the Party in the Park in Simmons Park on Saturday was a real winner attracting around 1,000 people.
'One of the events we were particularly pleased with was the tea dance which 90 people attended and everybody had a great time — there are some real silky movers in Okehampton especially the over 50s.'
More than 300 children took up seats in the Octagon Theatre to see magical puppets and live music by Puppetcraft and links were forged with the variety of international acts appearing in Okehampton.
Mr King said so many new friends were made and soon the committee would start planning for next year.
'We must go on from here — we cannot go back to a low-key festival,' he said. 'Okehampton deserves more and we have shown the town is capable of putting on events like this.'