The Northeast Kingdom Chamber of Commerce has canceled the Colors of the Kingdom Festival, originally scheduled for Sept. 19, due to the coronavirus pandemic. It marks the first time in the festival’s 26-year history that the event will not be held.
“We knew this decision was coming, but we were trying to figure out other ways in which to hold elements of the fair. It became apparent that even that could not be done at this time and we decided to cancel the event,” said Darcie McCann, the chamber’s executive director. “The safety of our visitors and community members is our paramount concern.”
The decision was complicated by earlier discussions about combining the autumn celebration with the St. Johnsbury World Maple Festival, which had been postponed in April. Both events hope to return in 2021, with next year’s Colors of the Kingdom set for Sept. 18.
The festival typically draws 5,000 to 7,000 people to downtown St. Johnsbury, featuring train rides, a vendor fair, bluegrass music, a farmers’ market, and participation from more than 25 local organizations and 50 businesses.
“One of the main reasons we started the festival was to feature downtown St. Johnsbury,” McCann said. “It is important, especially during these trying times, to support our businesses in the Kingdom, and our chamber plans to aggressively promote these establishments in the months to come as we come out of this crisis.”
Originally reported by Newport Dispatch.
Photo: Diego Costa via Unsplash. Photo is illustrative and not from the scene.
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