Pumpkinfest will be held Oct. 15-17
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While some festivals have been cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, two of Norfolk’s largest community events will go on.
Organizers have announced that Waterford Pumpkinfest will run from Oct. 15 to 17 with outdoor events, including house decorating, a car show, stage entertainment and the popular fireworks and parade.
“Some things will look a little different,” said a post on the festival’s Facebook page. “We will ask you to stay in family groups and to try to stay distanced. We will ask you to wear a mask when in lineups. Most importantly, though, we will ask you to respect everyone and have a great time.”
Organizers said that more details will be released soon.
Meantime, it was announced last month that the Norfolk County Fair and Horse Show, after a hiatus last year, will run from Oct. 5 to 11.
“We are excited and proud to bring back the Norfolk County Fair and Horse Show in October,” said general manager George Araujo.
“Our board of directors, volunteers, staff and partners have been working hard planning for this year,” he said.
“And we will be here to welcome our community back to a fun and safe fair working with the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit to adhere to the regulations in place.”
Meanwhile, Bayfest in Port Rowan, Port Dover Art in the Park, Langton Fair and Donnybrook Fair in Walsh will not be held.
Carol Overbaugh, president of the Langton Fair Board, said the decision to cancel this year’s fair was made in light of a possible fourth wave of COVID-10
“We thought it would be better for the safety of everyone to cancel again this year,” she said. “Even though we really wanted to have it, we figured it was a little bit risky to go ahead with it.”
Plans were in the works to hold the Donnybrook Fair but organizers announced its cancellation last week due to strict health and safety regulations.
“With the health department’s rules and regulations, we thought there’s no way we are going to be able to do this,” said Linda Matthews, the fair’s secretary and treasurer
“We decided to opt out and say no,” she said. “We have been planning it all along and we had everything booked.”
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