From staff reports
The Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Applefest Core Committee has voted to cancel this year’s Applefest as a result of safety concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event was scheduled for Oct. 2 through 4.
In place of Applefest, a chamber news release said a Small Town Spectacular will be held on the same weekend.
The decision to cancel Applefest “was reached after much discussion with the safety of our residents and our visitors as the top priority,” the release said.
The chamber and Core Committee “explored many alternatives,” the release said, but found it was not possible to hold the event and follow current COVID-19 mitigation guidelines from both the state and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Currently, as mandated by the state, no more than 250 people are allowed to congregate in an outside area, a number that could easily be surpassed multiple times over on even the slowest Applefest weekend.
Guidelines are also in place that limit the number of individuals in a building to 25, and relegate dine-in restaurant patronage to 25% of a building’s capacity.
“We believe that canceling Applefest #38 is the best decision for the health and safety of our communities, our business owners, our vendors, and all who attend our festival,” the release said.
