Following consultation with county health officials, the city of Frankfort has decided to cancel the last city organized festival planned for this year.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has been a key factor in determining festival cancellations. The city had previously announced the cancellation of all city organized festivals and events through July 4.
Until now, a decision had not been made regarding the Hispanic Heritage Festival planned for September 19. While COVID-19 is not impacting Indiana and Clinton County with the same intensity as other areas of the country, city leaders believe there is still a need to exercise caution.
Mayor Judy Sheets remarked, “We would like to keep our infection rate low. While we all miss these traditional opportunities to come together as a community, I believe that limiting large social gatherings is a small thing we can do to protect our city and our residents.”
Community Development Director Annie Bacon, who helped organize last year’s Hispanic Heritage Festival, adds, “This decision was not made lightly. Last year’s festival was a tremendous success, and we were looking forward to providing a Hispanic Heritage Festival again this year. However, our primary focus is on keeping our community safe. That includes our staff, volunteers, vendors, and festival attendees. Minimizing crowd size or trying to implement social distancing while hosting a festival are not feasible options at this time.”
Plans for city events and festivals in 2021 are underway. City leaders plan to host the Hispanic Heritage Festival next year on September 18.
