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Kanab • The show must go on.
The annual Western Legends Roundup got under way as planned Friday despite a massive manhunt about 10 miles south of here along the state line with Arizona.
By afternoon, crowds swelled as live music drifted from two stages and mingled with barbecue smoke.
The number of festival- goers was as healthy as in years past, said Bonnie Riding, the festival's film coordinator.
The event features appearances by aging stars who once filmed Westerns in the picturesque surroundings, from Clint Walker to Don Collier.
Riding said while most locals are aware of the search for Scott Curley, the 23-year-old Fredonia, Ariz., man accused of killing Kane County sheriff's Deputy Brian Harris, most visitors know nothing of the search for the armed suspect not unlike manhunts portrayed in old Westerns.
"We've kept it quiet," Riding said as crowds lined up to meet Walker, a festival favorite.
Most local law enforcement officers who normally help at the festival are engaged in the search. But officers who have come to assist from other areas — such as the Washington County Sheriff's Office and the Washington City Police Department — also are helping with security at the festival and for Kanab as a whole, said Steve Mower, the festival's executive director.
"They're doing a great job," he said.
Mower said a few visitors have expressed concerns, but most know nothing of the search for Curley.
Attendee Alistair Potts reacted with surprise when he learned of the manhunt.
"That is just crazy," he said.
Kelley Stowell, president of the area Chamber of Commerce, said a music festival planned for Sept. 11 in Kane County will honor emergency responders.
"We're going to make it a tribute to Brian," he said. "Everybody knew him. He was a great guy."