Londoners looking for beer and grilled foods got their fill this past weekend.
Thousands gathered at the Western Fair District on June 19-21 to get a taste of summer during the third annual London Beer and BBQ Show.
The event showcased over 50 beer samples from Ontario's culture of craft beers, along with pork ribs, pulled pork, chicken and more prepared by local grillers.
Kris Dinel, director of business development at the Western Fair District, says the organizers were thrilled with the turn out along with the good weather that lasted the entire weekend.
"The first year of the show, we had about 3,000 people, the second year we doubled the attendance with just over 6,000," he says. "We were hoping and anticipating that we would get anywhere from 7,000 to 9,000 people (this year), and I'd say, based on some preliminary numbers, we'll end up in that neighbourhood."
Dinel explains what differentiates the Beer and BBQ Show from other events is the sampling.
"The event has a a lot of potential. We've seen what happened with our Wine and Food Show in January -- for its tenth year it just cracked the 16,000 person mark," he says. "For the Beer and BBQ Show, there's a whole other element there. The outdoor component of the show adds a real different flavour, and it creates a few more opportunities."
According to Dinel, there has been an overall positive reaction to this year's event.
"It was, all and all, just a fantastic weekend," he says.