CANTON — Hundreds of festivalgoers gathered in the Canton Village Park on Saturday for the final day of the 62nd Annual Dairy Festival, braving iffy weather to enjoy a full slate of vendors, food trucks, children's games, a petting zoo, and a historic community tradition.

A highlight of Saturday’s festivities was the annual parade, where local judges handed out top honors to standout community floats.

In the commercial division, United Helpers earned top honors, capturing the First Place Grand Prize. Community Bank was awarded second place. United Helpers also swept the specialized design categories for commercial entries, winning both Most Colorful and Most Creative.

In the non-commercial division, the Youth Advocate Program won the First Place Grand Prize. Nature Up North took second place, and the St. Lawrence County Promotions Dairy Court finished in third place.

Specialized category awards for non-commercial entries went to the Future Farmers of America, which won Most Colorful, and the St. Catherine of Siena School, which won Most Creative for its "Saints Through the Years" float.

The afternoon also marked the return of a culinary staple, as the FFA Alumni Chicken Barbecue celebrated its 30th year of serving the festival crowd.

The weekend-long celebration kicked off in spectacular fashion on Friday night with the annual Big Wheel Races and Block Party on the Village Green. The races were incredibly spirited, with nearly 40 young competitors tearing up the track before a large hometown crowd. As the night went on, the Block Dance kept the energy high, drawing a crowd of dancers who grooved to the sounds of Steelin' Country and the Adirondack Playboys. Attendees were also treated to a surprise guest performance by fire dancer Jon Lynch, who lit up the evening.

The success of the 62-year-old community tradition is due to a robust network of local business supporters.

Co-organizers Laura Pearson, the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce assistant director, and Tom Graser, the chamber’s community and membership relations manager, issued a joint statement Saturday afternoon.

“This would not have been possible without our generous sponsors, the hard work of our volunteers and colleagues, especially the chamber’s finance and office manager, Amanda Gordon, who helped keep everything organized and running smoothly," the statement read. "But honestly, it is the businesses and residents of Canton who give the annual festival its spark and its lifeblood. The Dairy Festival is something special that happens every year that is due directly to the people of Canton.”

Pearson also lauded the long-time efforts of community volunteers, Joe Siematkowski, Sherry Stone and Mike Snow, who have made the Dairy Festival a success for many years. 

This year’s event was supported by Cornerstone Sponsors LeBerge & Curtis and Casella Waste Management. St. Lawrence Federal Credit Union served as a Pillar Sponsor. Special attraction sponsors included Farm Credit East, ACA, which sponsored the petting zoo; Coakley's True Value Hardware, which served as the music sponsor; and North Country Savings Bank, which sponsored the Big Wheel Races.

Additional key backing came from Pillar Sponsors Grasse River Family Dental; Partner Sponsors Bill Rapp Chevrolet of Ogdensburg, Stadium Sports Bar, and A.W. Collins Corp. Amusement and Vending; and Neighborhood Sponsor White's Flowers. Critical in-kind donations were provided by the North Country Children's Museum and Stewart's Shops.