The 2012 Coon Dog Day in Saluda on Saturday, July 7 could have been one of the largest in history in terms of attendance and one of the hottest, organizers said.
Downtown Saluda was packed with festival-goers. Organizer Monica Pace said attendance was the highest she’s seen in the years she’s been organizing the festival.
“I think it’s the most people I’ve seen in the six years I’ve done it,” said Monica Pace.
Saturday’s temperatures followed the area’s recent trend, reaching the high 90s and above.
The Saluda Fire and Rescue responded to nine emergency calls, mostly for dehydration and people passing out from the heat, according to Saluda Fire and Rescue Deputy Chief Zach Pace.
Zach Pace said this year’s festival was one of the hottest he’s attended and people in distress hadn’t stayed hydrated enough. He said most of the emergencies were children. One person was transported to the hospital, he said, but others were treated for symptoms on scene.
Some relief from Saturday’s heat was offered by Autumn Care, which provided a water mister near the library.
Monica said the festival was very successful regardless of the temperatures. She said this was the city’s third year having parking at the Saluda Mountain Jamboree and shuttling festivalgoers to downtown. This year seemed to be the best as far as traffic and parking, she said.
Saluda had for years battled with parking problems with people parking on the sides of roads and blocking shuttles.
Monica also said the night street dance was great, with lots of people in attendance.
Coon Dog Day is held annually the Saturday after July 4 in downtown Saluda. The event begins with a 5K run through Saluda and includes an hour-long parade that brings crowds every year. Children’s rides, crafts, food and music are among the many events, as well as dog judging shows, a coon hunt and the street.
This year’s festival was the city’s 49th annual event.
Coon Dog Day began as a chicken supper fundraiser for the local Coon Club and grew into the annual festival, which draws about 10,000 people each year.