With some of us bemoaning the loss of small-town fairs and the migration of Canadians out of the countryside and into the cities, it was a pleasure to see last Saturday’s Friedsburg-Dashwood 150th anniversary celebrations come off as such a success.

The event was well organized, attendance was high and the variety of activities on Saturday meant there was something for everybody. Many small towns would do themselves well to use the Friedsburg-Dashwood celebration as inspiration on how to organize a successful community event.

While there was no definitive number available as the Times-Advocate was going to press, committee chairperson Tim Steele estimated about 5,000 people attended Saturday’s celebration and many were from outside the area, including some former residents who returned to Dashwood from Michigan.

And while Mother Nature didn’t entirely co-operate, serving up some wet weather in the afternoon, the event recovered and the party lasted until early Sunday morning.

The parade Saturday morning was well attended and lasted longer than half an hour, impressing spectators along the way. The Community Centre, which hosted the majority of Saturday’s events, was packed and there were lineups all day and night. It was a shame about the rain, but that was a temporary setback.

Dashwood (and its predecessor, Friedsburg) needs to be congratulated on reaching its 150th birthday. And those who organized last weekend’s celebration need to be congratulated for doing such a great job.

Here’s looking at another 150 years.