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This year’s Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival, which celebrated its 25th anniversary from 4-13 July, was a huge success despite concerns about what effect the economic downturn might have on numbers attending.

According to Festival Manager Nicci Rousseau, the 10-day festival, which ended on Sunday, attracted a record number of visitors and all the events were extremely well supported.

"In fact the popular annual sport events such as the Pick n Pay Weekend Argus Rotary Knysna Cycle Tour and the Pick n Pay Cape Times Knysna Forest Marathon attracted the highest number of participants in the festival’s history," said Rousseau.

Over 6300 cyclists competed in the Cycle Tour and over 6800 braved the icy dawn weather to participate in the Forest Marathon. This is 300 more runners than last year.

The adventure sports also attracted record entries to the Petzl Adventure Nights Vaude Night Bike and Salomon Night Run, and the new Featherbed Salomon Trail Run.

The Duesouth Xterra was a great success, attracting double the number of participants they had last year, despite the slippery conditions in the Pezula forest caused by heavy rainfall during the week.

Unusually cold weather did not dampen visitors’ spirits and on Sunday, the final day of the festival, thousands of spectators were at the Knysna Waterfront to watch three popular annual events — the Navy Band in Concert, the Nando’s Knysna Lagoon Challenge and the finals of the Land Rover Waterfront Rush which was won for the third consecutive year by 'French housewife' Oliver Feuillette, who beat local favourite, Martin Fraser-McKenzie, in the final heats to take the crown.

Lifestyle events were also well-supported including the Pick n Pay Oyster & Wine Mardi Gras presented by Tabasco which saw 800 guests feasting on more than 16 000 oysters and wines from 25 premier wine estates in the Heineken Pavilion.

Said Rousseau: "We still have to do our numbers to see how much was raised for charity and how many oysters were eaten during the 10 days and this will give us a better indication of the success of the festival, but I have no doubt that we will equal or better last year’s stats."