TOWNSEND -- Eleven-year-old Amanda Hansen eagerly crunched into a steamy hot, golden yellow piece of corn on the cob on Sunday.

"I don't even need salt or pepper because it's showered in butter," Hansen said about one of her favorite foods.

The freshly boiled vegetable was the 240th ear of corn cooked by the Townsend Knights of Columbus on Saturday and Sunday morning at the seventh annual Townsend Rotary Fall Fest.

Virginia Poole, past president of the Rotary Club, said the event not only brings customers to Townsend businesses, but serves as a fundraiser for community projects like the pavilion at Heritage Fun Park.

Broadway Street, the main drag through town, was closed for the two-day event as thousands of people browsed the hot rods at the car show and strolled by the 72 vendor tents.

Whitehall artist Laurel Ovitt sold all but two of her original watercolor paintings of Montana and Western wildlife.

A former Townsend resident, Ovitt enjoys the Fall Fest because she gets to see a lot of familiar faces, so she's attended for the past six years.

"Townsend is a good place for me," she said. "People here are very supportive of my art."

It was Townsend logger Jimmy Carter's first time as a vendor at such an event.

Carter is the president of Walleye Freak, a clothing and accessories company for those who adore walleye. From coffee cups to Tt-shirts, Carter created a business from his love for fishing.

"Once you fish them, you turn into a freak," he said. "This is a great place to try it out to see if people like it."

Umoh Essiet, who is regularly seen selling African goods on the Walking Mall in Downtown Helena, tried to enlighten visitors about her native country.

If a shopper was interested in a hand-woven hat from Madagascar, she asked if the buyer knew what the country's capital is. If they didn't know, she happily got out her laminated map, pointing to Antananarivo.

"It massages their brain because it's unexpected," Essiet said.

Judy Hazard sat quietly working on her needlepoint as passers-by admired her and her husband's 1965 Ford Mustang.

"I thought it was rude to read," she said. "You can do this and still look and talk to people."

Unlike some car enthusiasts, Hazard and her husband and high school sweetheart, Jack, drive their vehicle to the shows.

"This is our 15th car show in Montana this summer," she said. "We love it and small-town shows are our favorite by far."

Reporter Alana Listoe: 447-4081 or alana.listoe@helenair.com