SPANISH FORT, Ala. – Camille Doyle and Feaster arrived by boat to the third annual Delta Woods and Waters Expo and made a beeline for the arts and crafts.

“They’re having such a good time,” said P.J. Doyle, who shuttled the 7-year-olds to Family Day festivities on the third and final day of Spanish Fort’s signature event Saturday.

“You really couldn’t ask for better weather, and there’s a lot for them to do,” he said, while the girls decorated wind chimes in their bathing suits while overlooking the Mobile-Tensaw Delta from the expansive deck of 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center.

With everything from raptor bird and turkey calling demonstrations to casting lessons and educational lectures on black bears and bugs, the expo attracted an estimated 2,000 visitors, but organizers say an exact count is unlikely.

“Without a clicker tracking every single person who comes into the park, we really don’t have any way of knowing, but we know we were every bit as busy as we were last year,” said Donna Dunning, permit clerk and one of the city’s two liaisons to the festival.

“Every time I passed by a demonstration or a class, there was a crowd, but we’re still brainstorming a better way to get an accurate count.”

In addition to the Family Day activities, Dunning said the expo also attracted about 600 area fourth-graders during its first two days.

Mayor Joe Bonner, who spent the majority of his day popping popcorn to hand out during Saturday’s fanfare, said organizers couldn’t have asked for a more “beautiful day,” and everyone involved worked so hard to make the environmental education and marine safety event a success.

“We want people to come out and have a good time, but we also want them to go home having learned something about Spanish Fort they didn’t know before, and I think everybody’s really working together to make that happen,” Bonner said.

In addition, the festival has gained a little firmer financial footing in its third year, Dunning said, with corporate sponsorships accounting for about $8,200 and a silent auction earning nearly $1,900.

“That doesn’t count all of the in-kind contributions we received or any checks that have come in since Saturday, though, so we feel really blessed with the level of community support this event attracts,” Dunning said.

Spanish Fort High School junior Rebecca Womack wows the crowd with her rendition of the National Anthem during the opening ceremonies for the third annual Delta Woods and Waters Expo Family Day at 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center.

(Staff video by Kelli M. Dugan)