LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A longstanding Indiana festival won't be held this fall amid coronavirus concerns, but safety isn't the only reason officials canceled Harvest Homecoming for the first time in its 51-year history.
Every fall for the last 51 years the streets of downtown New Albany have been packed with booths, games, entertainment and activities for thousands of people who attend Harvest Homecoming.
That won't be the case this year.Â
The festival's board has been meeting since the coronavirus pandemic began, and ultimately made the decision to cancel for the first time in its history.
The announcement came Thursday night on the festival's Facebook page, saying the health and safety of everyone was at the forefront of the decision.
The festival is coming off a record attendance year in 2019, so board members say the decision to cancel was not made lightly. They're now getting mixed feedback from the community, with some understanding the reasons but others wondering why events like the Derby are still planned but Harvest Homecoming is canceled.
Harvest Homecoming Board Chairman Courtney Lewis says while health and safety were the most important reasons for cancelling, they also had to think of the hundreds of vendors who set up every year.
"A lot of these vendors know what to expect: hundreds of thousands of people every year, and they prepare that way," Lewis said. "So if we don't have hundreds of thousands of people, and they've prepared for hundreds of thousands of people, that could put them in some financial strains."
Lewis says there has been mixed reactions from vendors as well. The board is planning ways to help the vendors and local businesses who will be missing out.
Festival organizers are urging everyone to continue to support the nonprofits and businesses around town that are typically involved in Harvest Homecoming.
The festival, which has been a southern Indiana tradition for 51 years, is held in October every year in downtown New Albany, Indiana.Â
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