Still vacancies in Grand Falls-Windsor, as town gears up for Salmon Fest

It's one of the biggest outdoor concerts in Newfoundland and Labrador, but some people in Grand Falls-Windsor are worried this year's Salmon Festival is lagging behind previous concerts.

The weekend-long festival kicked off Thursday night with the Salmon Dinner, serving up 500 plates, but there are some things missing around the community.

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Resident Paul Barnes says he packed his backyard with campers for the previous three festivals.

"Back in the day, Salmon Festival was huge for this town and it brought a lot of money in to business in this town, and it brought a lot of money in for me," he said.

Before, Barnes used to host eight tents and three motorhomes on his property. He provided water, electricity, and even drove the visitors around town while charging $100 per night.

This year, Barnes says he hasn't received a single request — and he says he's not the only one with room to spare.

"When Salmon Festival was good, you can't even get a spot in this town. It's hard to drive around, it's hard to move around," said Barnes.

"When it's what they call not good, I could phone Mount Peyton [hotel] right now and get a room booked. I could phone Red Cliff and get a trailer in there if I wanted to. Any other time, say Monday or Tuesday, you can't even get a spot in this town. Nowhere."

In previous years, campgrounds were jam-packed with hardly any room between trailers. This year, there's nothing but space.

Festival organizers previously said they still expect a good crowd for Saturday's outdoor show, with anticipated high sales at the gates.