2020 in review: Festivals, fairs canceled in year of pandemic
Editor’s note: Today we begin our look at events that shaped 2020. We will be publishing stories through our New Year’s Eve edition.
By Terry Ahner
Neighborhood fairs, the lifeblood of local communities, were nowhere in sight in 2020.
Local community fairs and parades were grounded at the mercy of the coronavirus pandemic.
The cancellations were a huge blow for volunteer organizations who rely on fundraising from those events and the vendors who sell food at them.
In April, the Schnecksville Community Fair canceled its 37th annual event that had been scheduled for June 16-20.
Then, in early June, the West End Fair, Carbon County Fair and Schuylkill County Fair all called off their respective events.
In mid-July, the Palmerton Community Festival scratched what would have been the 31st annual event.
Just a few weeks later, the Redneck festival was canceled after Weissport Mayor Paulette Watson made the decision to cancel what would have been the 13th annual event due to growing concerns over potential safety issues.
A monument in the Weissport park honors soldiers, including those who fought in the Civil War. Borough officials worried it could be damaged because nationwide protests had left many monuments vandalized.
In August, the Walnutport Canal Association shelved its 40th annual Canal Festival.
While they couldn’t continue on with their traditional events, in some instances, committees of those respective events opted to hold a few smaller-scale events for their respective communities.
The West End Celebration Fest was held in early July at the West End fairgrounds.
Likewise, the inaugural Carbon County Harvest Festival was held in early October.
But, rather than be held in Carbon County, the event was staged at the West End Fairgrounds in Gilbert.
That came after the fair board announced in August it would hold the event at the fairgrounds off Little Gap Road in Lower Towamensing Township.
However, board President Robert Silliman explained that they weren’t permitted to hold the event in Lower Towamensing Township.
Despite the hand they were dealt, various fair board members vow to not only be back next year, but also be bigger and better than before.