The 14th annual OppFest kicked off Saturday morning in the city’s downtown district and kept locals and visitors alike busy with shopping, food and entertainment until nearly sundown, event organizers said.

Tommie Norris, vice chairman of the Downtown Redevelopment Authority, said the goal of the festival is always to improve on last year’s event, adding the 2014 installment certainly accomplished that.

“I think we had a great turnout,” Norris said. “It was better than last year, that’s for sure.”

Norris credited OppFest organizers with a job well done, but said the pleasant fall weather certainly didn’t hurt numbers.

“We had beautiful weather,” he said. “Last year it was cold and windy, but this year it was so nice. We had a great turnout at the car show, too. I was pleased.”

Norris also said this year’s festival brought in more revenue than OppFest 2013 – funds that will be funneled right back into the revitalization efforts in downtown.

“We did better than last year, financially,” he said, adding private vendors also seemed pleased.

“I talked to a family from Geneva, and they were planning to come back. ”Opp and Covington County Area Chamber of Commerce Office Administrator Emilee Gage said she too noticed the big crowds visiting downtown shops.

“I saw a lot of people going into businesses downtown, so that was good,” Gage said.