BUCHANAN — This weekend, Buchanan combined warm temperatures and sunny skies with water and sand to host the city’s fourth annual Summer Thrill on the Hill — one of its most successful on record.

The Front Street hill was transformed into a beach and water wonderland for the Thrill, which ran from Thursday through Saturday in downtown Buchanan. City leaders said Saturday that all indications were for record setting attendance for this year’s Thrill. 

A visit to downtown Buchanan Saturday afternoon proved that point. People were waiting in line to go down the water slide, taking their turn in the spray, playing in the sand and just hanging out in lawn chairs in the shade. Even the resident McCoy Creek Pond ducks seemed to be enjoying the day and all the activities around them. 

Kristin Capps and her family were among those enjoying the Thrill on Saturday. They set up a small screened in tent along the side of Front Street and congregated there when they were not going down the slide and doing other activities. She lives nearby and comes every year with family and friends. 

“It’s $5 for the whole day. You can’t beat that,” she said. “We’ve been here every day and usually stay until 8 or 8:30 [p.m.]. We have relatives visiting from Fort Wayne, and they’re here too.” 

Stephanie Byrd was one of Capps’ Fort Wayne relatives. 

“It’s been fun,” she said. “This is definitely better than some of the things we’ve gone to in Fort Wayne.” 

City Treasurer Juli O’Bryant did not have exact numbers to share Saturday afternoon, but she said she expects the final numbers to be record setting. 

“We’ve had record crowds. Last night’s concert was a huge hit with over 700 people,” she said. “We’ve beat the attendance records every day.” 

She said she expects the final attendance and profit tallies to beat last year’s numbers when 9,000 people came and more than $30,000 was raised for city parks and the city fire department. 

“I expect well over 10,000 people to have come to the Thrill by the end of today,” she said. “It’s been amazing.” 

“There’s something for people of every age,” she added. “We have the spray stations, the lazy river and the beach with all the sand as well as the 500-foot water slide with the big ramp.” 

She said that while city employees are at the heart of making the Thrill a success, local businesses, organizations and individuals also play an important role.  

This year, she noted that Affordable Asphalt owners John and Tim Wregglesworth sent their employees to build the water slide earlier in the week. In addition, Michiana Aggregate brought in the sand for the beach area and also helped sponsor the Kiddy Zone with AEP. 

Two new businesses, Redbud Roots and Zen Leaf, sponsored the Friday and Saturday night concerts. 

As for city employees, she said the Thrill is something everyone pitches in to help with every year. 

“This is a joint effort of all city employees and our way of giving back to the community,” she said. 

Buchanan Mayor Pat Moore said the city is happy to sponsor the Thrill every year for local families. 

“It really is a family oriented event that’s fun and safe,” she said.  “We also have a lot of people pitch in to help. Redbud Roots spent all day here Friday and pitched in and helped when the fire department was called out to the bad accident in the township. For our city employees, this is their event and a way for them to show their pride in the community.”