This summer's Festival of Nations in Chatham has been cancelled because of COVID-19 concerns.
Pandemic fears have squashed the popular event at Tecumseh Park.
Event co-chairs Mayor Darrin Canniff, Tracy Callaghan, and Dava Robichaud said there is no way to determine how the virus will affect the country by Canada Day when the festival was to take place.
"While we hope for the best, we realize that we cannot continue planning for the event in this time of uncertainty," read a statement issued by the organizers Wednesday morning. "The health and safety of members of our community is our first priority.”
The committee remains intact to plan "an amazing event" in 2021. Organizers said preparations will ramp up as soon as the pandemic is declared over by health officials.
The Festival of Nations returned to Tecumseh Park last summer after a 20-year absence. The three-day event involved a parade, several cultural displays, and performances and concluded with a concert featuring Canadian rockers Loverboy that attracted more than 10,000 people.
