Nine-year-old Carole Gilley, of Louisburg, Tenn., plunged her face into a vanilla cream pie, hoping to beat her competitor during a pie eating contest.

The effort paid off.

"I won," she said with a smile as she held a red, white and blue ribbon.

Her strategy?

"I'm normally a fast eater," she said. "So I ate big bites."

On Saturday, visitors packed the Augusta Canal Headgates in Martinez for an old-fashioned festival dubbed Summertime on the Canal. Festivities included eating contests, children's games, entertainment, homemade churn-style ice cream and an antique car show.

Sandy Boner, the manager for the canal community center's department, said she was surprised at the event's turnout, stating that there were about 200 participants at 10:30 a.m.

"It's a little bit better than I thought. I thought people would stay in because of the heat," she said.

Mrs. Boner said the purpose of the event is to promote the Canal Headgates, which have undergone renovations since last year.

"The canal is historically a recreation site," she said, adding that people have come to the site for recreational activities for more than a century. "We want to bring that back."

Angela Barnes, of Martinez, who attended the festival with her children, said she was pleased with everything the event had to offer.

"I wish they would really have more activities like this," she said.

She and her children visit the canal from time to time. "It's a good, family-oriented place," she said.

Reach Quandra F. Collins at 868-1222, ext. 109, or quandra.collins@augustachronicle.com.

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