A record-setting crowd attended Saturday’s 70th annual Gwynn’s Island Festival, despite scorching temperatures, which, with the humidity, made it feel like well over 100 degrees. 

This was Jan Bassett’s first year coordinating the festival on her own, taking over the reins from Cricket Call, who had chaired the festival for 17 years. Bassett estimated between 4,500 and 5,000 people attended this year’s event, which was held on and around the grounds of the Gwynn’s Island Civic League building.

“We were extremely busy all the way from when the festival started through about 2:30,” Bassett said. “Then, it dropped off. It was so hot.” She said two people had to be transported by ambulance from the festival due to heat-related medical issues.

Despite that, in talking to all of the vendors that attended, she said they all had good sales and seemed to enjoy themselves. “Lots of people also attended the fire department’...