North Thompson Star/Journal
There will be no North Thompson Fall Fair in 2021 advised North Thompson Fall Fair and Rodeo Association president Jill Hayward on Tuesday, Apr. 26.
“We held an informed and active discussion at our April 21 general meeting via Zoom regarding canceling our annual Fall Fair,” reports Hayward, “Unfortunately, the unanimous consensus was that due to the unknowns involving COVID-19, plus the ongoing health restrictions that are continuously changing to keep up with the virus, it would be almost impossible to plan and produce a successful Fall Fair on the September long weekend of this year.”
The NTFFRA had previously voted during their 2020 AGM (held in March of this year) to make a decision by the end of April 2021 on whether or not they would go ahead with the annual Fall Fair due to the fact it takes at least four months to plan, promote, advertise, take entries, book entertainment, and enlist volunteers “to be able to hold a successful event”.
“We have always been committed to making the right decision,” said Hayward, “To not in anyway jeopardize the health of our members, volunteers, exhibitors, vendors, fairgoers, and our community at large. We also recognize how vital the resulting economic boost from this annual event is for area businesses, service organizations, the town of Barriere, the region, and of course our own NTFFRA financial situation. This was a decision we did not want to make, but knew it was the only right thing to do.”
However, the president says the organization will mark a 2021 event by once again hosting a Fall Fair Drive Thru on the September Labour Day Weekend (as they did last year), and this year it may be held from Saturday through Monday.
“We are also moving forward with a Christmas At The Fair Light Show in 2021, which will be much larger than our 2020 Light Show, and over more days as well,” said Hayward.
“We are already planning for our grand re-opening of the North Thompson Fall Fair and BCRA Rodeo Finals in 2022 – it promises to be bigger and better than anything we have presented before.”
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