FERGUS - Butter tart lovers Brittany Springall and Sally Gomes found one thing missing at Sunday's For The Love of Buttertarts and Chocolate Festival.
"The only thing missing is wet wipes," joked Spingall, one of many at the Centre Wellington Community Sportplex resorting to licking their fingers clean after devouring one of the countless butter tart offerings on the arena floor.
Vendors each brought over 1,000 butter tarts to be sold at the five-hour event, which saw a long line up of people waiting to get in 45 minutes after the door opened.
Springall and Gomes, who came over from Kitchener for the event, were already two butter tarts deep after walking less than half an aisle.
"For me, it's all the types of butter tarts that makes this so great," Springall said.
"We'll have to take some home," Gomes added. "Every booth has at least two I'd like to try."
Gail Milton was shocked at how many different options there were.
"I'm a little overwhelmed," she said. "I've never seen so many different kinds."
Experienced tart makers were selling them individually for two or three dollars or a pack of six for between $10 and $13.
There were creative concoctions that included pieces of Skor bars and countless other adds.
Then there were the traditionalists.
"When you've got something that works, you don't mess with it," said Sarah Murray of Waterloo-based Lourenco's Bakery.
Her offerings were old school: plain, pecan, walnut and maple butter tarts, made from a recipe she learned from her grandmother that goes back generations before that.
"We basically stick to the classics for shows like this. But everyone has their favourites," she said.
Murray and her helpers spent two straight days making the 400 six packs of butter tarts they brought to the show.
"You don't want to make them too early because they're not as fresh," she said.
Show organizer Christine Ivany was thrilled with the turnout for the show, which included craft booths nd chocolatiers.
"We definitely plan on doing it again," she said. "We'd like to do two a year, one in the summer and one in the winter."
As for Springall and Gomes, they were asked the question as to whether there is such as eating too many butter tarts.
"We'll find out," Springall said.
