WILTON – The Wilton Blueberry Festival will be postponed until 2021, the event’s board of directors announced this week.
It would have been the 38th iteration of the town’s iconic August festival which, highlighted by a popular parade, draws thousands of people to the area annually.
Via a press release, Chair Shannon Smith said that the decision was made after consideration for COVID-19 social distancing-related restrictions, including limits on crowd size. The festival has been postponed until Aug. 6 and Aug. 7, 2021. The theme designated for this year’s event, “Happy Birthday Maine,” will remain the same for 2021.
Smith, who had been planning on stepping down from her role as primary organizer after this festival, said that she will continue to serve as chair through October 2021. Anyone with questions or who would like to get involved in future planning should contact Smith at 207-778-4726 or scsmith.wbbf@gmail.com.
Smith said organizers would be looking forward to celebrating Blueberry Festival in 2021.
What will get canceled next? Halloween? Thanksgiving? Christmas? I have an annual BB Fest party and it will be held whether there is a festival or not.
So sad to hear this ,,, have been a part time Wilton resident since before the Blueberry Festival began and always look forward to the pancakes and parade , not to mention the book sale and fireworks. Crazy times we live in ,, look forward to summer at the pond anyway ,,
Another hit to the economy. Up next…Your life is canceled
Ambition Brewing will be open by then, and blueberry shenanigans will be happening that week regardless. Check our FB page for updates and events.
This is ridiculous. Maine has a .000038 death rate from COVID and the Governor is canceling summer events already? Government has overstepped its bounds and it will be years before the country recovers, if ever!
What a joke, its an outdoors celebration for gods sakes.
Should we just cancel life ??? Lets cancel everyone who wants to cancel US. RECALL MILLS
Now and America,.Aunt Janet did not directly cancel the blueberry thing,the article says the people in charge done that and that is a judgement call that probably needed to be called early because of planning etc.Now as far as aunt Janet goes,the sooner she goes the better for the state.The welfare recipients are going to miss her.
What people are forgetting,(those who are demanding that we open everything back up) is….Maine was one of, if not the, last state for this virus to hit. It started way back in January for states like Washington, and quickly moved across the U.S. and finally landed here only weeks ago…not months ago. The states who are opening more are ones who have already battled this for 3-5 months .And if you watch the National news ( not any of the fake news outlets) you will see those that opened to fast, and to much at once, had HUGE spikes in deaths and cases. Maine is still new at this virus, yet our Gov. has already allowed some business to open. And she will continue to do so IF people do it gradually and with all the precautions in place. Holding rallies and opening sit down places, with hundreds of people shoulder to shoulder and no protective masks, is asking for big outbreaks. and will cause the Gov, to shut everything down again..and maybe even lockdown, which means you cannot even go for a ride or be out in your own yard. ( Italy and other countries have done this, and I believe Italy is still in lockdown..and it has been months for them) I can already hear some comments that ‘well we just had rallies and no one is sick yet’..true, but remember, it takes up to 2 WEEKS for some symptoms to show. Also remember, you may be asymptomatic and never get it….but…because you went to a rally or a restaurant, or other large gathering, you just might be the one to cause the death of a loved one…and I don’t know about you…but..my choice to attend a large gathering to prove my ‘freedom’….. is not worth the life of ANY of my family or friends. I am an essential worker, I put my own life on the line every day that I work. And you can be sure I have stayed away from my loved ones, who I miss a lot. But I will not endanger their lives to have my freedom of selfishness … peace, kindness and patience to all…
Suzie, while your watching “your” national news, did you happen to notice Sweden Did NOT lock down and have same per capita totals as everywhere else?
Would you mind sharing the scientific data that shows wearing a mask and staying six foot away prevents people from getting this or any other flu?
Do you have any idea the amount of death these lockdowns have and will cause?
Sweden’s response is not no holds barred. They’ve disallowed gatherings of 50 people and isolated vulnerable individuals.
As for masks and the six foot rule, I could lead you to several different scientific websites that show how COVID-19 is transmitted, but why bother. I don’t care if motorcyclists don’t wear helmets. Those who disregard this threat are only hurting themselves and the vulnerable people they contact.
THANK YOU for keeping Maine health in the forefront of your mind. I know it is difficult to make these decisions. I produce two events that are now cancelled due to the virus and the coming second wave.
You are doing the right and difficult thing.
I don’t think anyone insinuated that Sweden did nothing, great non answer to the question about Sweden though!
“Several” that tell how it’s transmitted, another non answer I guess…
Exactly what micron mask would I need to wear to stop the transmission or at the very least slow it down? Is their any evidence whatsoever that wearing a mask makes me less likely to transmit or get this flu or any flu for that matter?
There is much data on harm from wearing masks both for healthy and unhealthy people and you can easily do a search for this.
Do you have any idea how many “vulnerable” people are going to die because of what we’re doing to our economy? This isn’t a may or could or might, it’s a definitive that many many people will experience unprecedented hardship so you can feel like a hero protecting people from the flu.
Oh Suzie. The Irony in your words….Make sure you watch the news Tommorow evening…..if I ever get the chance to pick my team in kickball again….I’m not going to pick you.
Swedan has less people than the state of Illinois not to mention their density, so I’m not sure how comparing them to the United States for any statistic is relevant.
The statistic is relevant if you look at cases per millions. Same as New York, California or Texas could be compared to states with less people, not looking at total numbers but rather cases/deaths/tests etc. per million people.
That is true, but when talking about containment steps and effectiveness I’m not sure Sweden is a good comparable. Sweden has 64 people per square mile while New York for example has 421 per square mile. Surely Sweden will have a much easier time confining citizens, making for a much more effective response than even are more mildly populate states, which will of course make Sweden look like its doing something far more effective then the US, other than just having a low population density.
I’m not sure what your argument is John, my point is that Sweden did not confine citizens at all nor destroy their economy. Maine has a lower population density than Sweden and don’t rely on public transit- my point is that much of the US did/does not need to lockdown and destroy an economy based on actual numbers versus someone’s best guesstimates.
Just to clarify, I’m not saying that Sweden did better or worse- I am saying that lockdown or no lockdown the numbers are the same. Meaning masks and lockdowns are irrelevant to how many contract or die from this or any other flu- ever.