It was another wonderful year of Bowfest fun, from a vibrant Go-Kart aka mostly Mario themed parade, to fun, food, friendly competition, and great music too over at the Bowfest Field. Take a look at all the activities in our photo gallery, and then read on below for Sarah Haxby's recap of all the action at the Country Fair Tent (and more pictures too).
The Bowfest Country Fair
Sarah Haxby / Country Fair Tent, Slug Race Officiant
This year’s Bowfest Country Fair was a big hit with monstrous zucchinis, slug artworks made out of clay, fabric, wood and lego, as well as a display of slug t-shirts and information about the three types of slugs that live on Bowen Island (two of which are invasive/ introduced species).
There was a new jumbo-sized tabletop game of Slugs and Ladders (you go up the slugs and fall down the ladders) and the ever-popular slug races. We’ve been racing slugs on Bowen Island since 1977 (or possibly even longer, if more historical evidence is unearthed). Note: if you have any historical photos, stories, or records of the early days of the Bowfest community festivals, please share them!
.png;w=960)
Bo the Banana Slug is the original mascot of Bowfest who invites people to slow down to island-time and have fun at the community festival which is created by community volunteers for the community! Perhaps Bo the Banana slug inspired young Ayrton O. to design a wheeled slug-bus out of lego, which received an honourable mention ribbon for its beauty and celebration of the slug as Bowfest’s mascot. The other honourable mention of the day went to Home Farm for ‘Biggest Onion entered into a Biggest Zucchini Contest’ with an almost 3 lbs monster onion!
Being a warm summer day, even in the shade of the tent and the trees in the upper field, the slugs were a bit more sluggish than in past years, and no slugs crossed the finish line this year, but the races went on! The slugs raced down the track (a few of them made it almost half way!) and the individual slug-jockeys, slug race teams and throngs of slug-race fans cheered on the Pacific Banana slugs (in green with black spots, and pale yellow-greens and yellows) as well as the Black slugs (ranging in colour from black to a lovely nut-brown Black slug).
For the second year in a row, no Leopard slugs showed up at the races. The length of each slug race mirrors the length of a ferry ride to Bowen - roughly 20 minutes - and as the slug races are much better at maintaining a schedule, three races went roughly as scheduled.
Biggest (heaviest) Zucchini Contest
Nine zucchinis were weighed in between 2.5 to 12.5 pounds, grown by all ages.
1st Place: Liam E. grew a 12.5 lbs monster squash… possibly the heaviest zucchini to ever go on the scales at Bowfest!
Youth 1st Place: Martin & Georgie
Slug Race #1
1st Place: Selena the slug raced by Cali
2nd Place: BlueJay raced by Miles
3rd Place: Sluggie raced by Freja
Of note: Heinous the slug was disqualified for crossing lanes and crashing into another slug
Slug Race #2
1st Place: Sabastian the slug raced by Amelia
2nd Place: Mike the slug raced by Fiona
3rd Place: Sophia the slug raced by Samuel
Of note: Sally the slug pulled the same stunt that Heinous the slug did, and was also disqualified! There was also an alleged slug-napping of a winning racing slug (but it appeared it was just a case of mistaken identity as the missing slug was returned shortly after the alarm was raised).
Slug Race #3
It was basically a tie between Turbo, raced by Cayden, Tiny Hero the slug raced by Freya... and Salt the Slug, a plastic slug toy that moved the same amount as the actual slugs in this last race of the day.
Honorable mention to Baby Slug, Dobby, Banana, Sonic, Comet, Spinaut, Baricuda, Dug the Slug, and all the other slugs that raced! Please note, as always: all of the slugs at the slug races were carefully returned to the wilds of Bowen after the races which are all held in fun.
.png;w=960)
Thank you to all the participants in this year’s Country Fair Contests. This Bowfest tradition was made possible this year thanks to Bowfest’s sponsors, the dedicated Bowfest organizers, volunteers, and the mother-daughter duo Sarah Haxby and Helen Wallwork who helped to keep the Country Fair Tent running again this year.
