With the setting of the sun this past Saturday night and the final musical act leaving the stage a couple of hours later, Albany and Clinton County put yet another chapter on the now 36 year long history of the Foothills Festival to bed for another year.

From the children’s games and contests to the arts and crafts around the square to the crowning of beauty queens and the naming of a host of contests winners, the 2016 Foothills Festival brought a host of fans into the downtown area for the two day event.

Festival fans milled around the streets in large numbers both Friday and Saturday, enjoying the entertainment offerings. The parade, contests, arts and crafts and of course, the ever popular Foothills Food Court offerings and the always entertaining and best single attended event of the weekend, the Saturday afternoon Lip Sync Contest.

And of course, there was the fall weather. Picture perfect from Friday’s parade, through the early morning Saturday 5K run, right up until the final event that same evening – perfect fall conditions to enjoy an outdoor celebration.

As always, the members of the Foothills Festival Planning Committee were heaped with both praise and criticisms throughout the weekend, and through tired backs and sore muscles, they survived and certainly have already begun plans for what will be the next chapter in the series – Foothills XXXVII in 2016.

Included on this page are three scenes from last weekend’s celebration, including the top photo, a look at the street full of fans who were on hand Saturday afternoon for the Foothill Lip Sync.

That contest included a host of entertaining acts, including the one brought to stage by Virginia Conner, left, who garnered the top prize in the adult division when she brought the Miranda Lambert hit You Can’t Ride In My Little Red Wagon to the stage.

At right, Bailey Gibson was all smiles Thursday night when she was crowned Miss Foothills Festival by the reigning queen, Alice Marie Delk.

As has long been the tradition with the Clinton County News, this issue includes a host of photographs made during the weekend by NEWS photographers Brett Gibson and Al Gibson, and we hope you enjoy this look back at the weekend we have just enjoyed together with our Clinton County family.

Again, thanks to the Planning Committee members for your hard work and from the Clinton County News we offer up to you a well deserved round of applause. As always, we look forward to doing it again next year, and our 2017 invitation to everyone to . . . Come See It Our Way!