Events held in conjunction with festival canceled
In what representatives from the Georgia Apple Festival’s two sponsor organizations are describing as a very difficult, but necessary decision given current circumstances, it has been decided that Gilmer County’s biggest annual event will not take place this year.
The reason is one that’s prompted the cancellation or postponement of innumerable large events, festivals and gatherings this year -— concern that COVID-19 will be spread within the crowds that typically attend the festival, which typically brings an average of 50,000 to the Lions Club Fairgrounds the second and third weekends of October.
“It was an extremely hard decision to make, but, for the sake and welfare of the community, we had to do it,” said Ellijay Lions Club President Sam Burrell.
“You make a decision to do it, you’re going to lose and you make one not to do it, you’re going to lose. We’ve been having weekly meetings just trying to make it work and we finally came to this one where we needed to make a decision. It’s just too much of a danger, too much of a chance for our people. There’s just too much going on right now.”
Gilmer Chamber President Paige Green Hutto confirmed that the cancellation comes after festival organizers sought advice from the local healthcare community, consulted with local officials and heard feedback from festival vendors, volunteers and local citizens.
“The only thing I ask is that people understand this is difficult and they understand why we did this. It was not just because we wanted to,” she said. “The board has met over the last several months and has been in very deep conversation, understanding the gravity of what the decision would be. We know the ramifications of it, but, given the spike in cases locally and the magnitude of that, it’s the right decision for the health and well-being of not just the people who visit the festival, but also our volunteers.”
Hutto said she’s also been in contact with other festival organizers to try and figure out how the large-scale event could be staged in accordance with CDC and other safety guidelines.
“I’ve been in constant communication with my peers across the country, people who run festivals in Kentucky and Kansas, as well as locally and regionally. We’ve tried looking at best practices and what has happened with other festivals to see if they know something we don’t or have thought of something we haven’t,” she added.
This is normally the time of year when all vendor applications have been received and the Apple Festival team starts working to assemble the physical framework of the event, Hutto explained.
“When the 2019 festival was over, plans for 2020 started immediately. It’s a year-round job. It just so happens that one of the busiest times of the year for us is late March and early April when our vendor applications are due. Of course, this year, that coincided with the beginning of COVID-19,” she said. “Since then, we’ve paid attention to what was happening and delayed any decision till we felt it was absolutely necessary. There comes a point of no return where we have to extend money in order to put the festival on -— to advertise it, to secure things like Porta-Potties, ATMs, buses and all the other expenses. We were quickly approaching that point.”
Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, organizers of multiple fall events in Gilmer and neighboring counties have also announced first-time cancellations. Those events include the Marble Festival and Jeepfest in Pickens and the Blue Ridge Blues and Barbecue Festival in Fannin.
The Apple Festival announcement follows cancellation of other events sponsored by the Chamber or Lions Club including this year’s Taste of Ellijay, Apple Blossom Festival and Gilmer County Fair.
“Every festival and public event has different layers and logistical things that make them different. In the end, we have to make the decision that’s safest for Gilmer County,” said Hutto. “(The Apple Festival) takes hundreds of volunteer hours with great exposure. You have people standing at the gates taking money or serving meals or parking cars. Those are all exposure points we just could not figure out a way to mitigate.”
Loss of revenue will affect many
Since it began in 1972 as a small arts and crafts fair held around the town square to spotlight the local apple-growing industry, the Georgia Apple Festival has grown into a far-reaching, two-weekend event that brings attendees and vendors from across the country while providing sizable revenue for its two sponsor organizations.
The cancellation means a loss of revenue that will be felt by both the Chamber and the Lions Club, as well as vendors and others who depend on the festival for income. All vendors and other stakeholders will receive direct communication from festival management in the coming days, noted a press release provided by the chamber last week.
“It is by far the largest fundraiser for both organizations and this is going to be felt by so many. It also affects the local Boy Scouts and the school athletic groups and band who do the parking,” said Hutto. “We are going to do as much as we can through our Facebook presence to help our vendors whose livelihoods have been disrupted because all their spring, summer and fall shows have all been canceled. Many of them have become friends and family over the years and it hurts my heart for them. It’s not easy.”
Burrell said the Lions Club alone stands to lose approximately $150,000 from the festival not being held this year. On top of that, the club already suffered an approximately $25,000 hit from cancellation of this year’s county fair, which would’ve taken place Aug. 12-16.
The Ellijay Lions use proceeds from both events to fund charitable programs and donations to local nonprofits and community organizations, Burrell confirmed.
“Everything we collect, we donate back to the community and we’re trying to keep that going. We’re a budget line item for some of the people we donate to and we’re already through the fiscal year. We’re covered right now for what we have commitments for, but then we’ll have to take a look and may have to cut back,” he noted.
The Lions are already looking at smaller fundraising events they can hold to offset the loss, Burrell said.
“We’re looking at doing things as a club like pancake breakfasts, spaghetti dinners, car washes or maybe having the fair in the spring. Whatever we can do to ease up the loss as much as we can,” he added.
Other ‘apple’ events also off for this year
Apple Arts, the smaller sister festival held in downtown Ellijay the same two weekends as the Apple Festival, will not take place this year, either, Hutto confirmed.
“We’re going to cancel Apple Arts, as well. We just don’t feel we can do both effectively,” she said.
Hutto said the downtown parade that usually kicks off the second weekend of both the Apple Festival and Apple Arts is also canceled.
Burrell confirmed that both the Miss Apple Queen Pageant and the Apple Classic Car Show, events typically presented prior to or in conjunction with the Apple Festival, won’t be held this year. The pageant might go on next spring, he noted.
“We’re going to try to do it in April 2021 around the time of the prom,” Burrell said.
Hutto wants visitors and would-be festivalgoers to know there’s still plenty to do and see around the county, even though the banner fall festival won’t be one of them.
“Canceling the Apple Festival doesn’t cancel fall in north Georgia and it doesn’t mean apple season is canceled. We still want to encourage safe travel and encourage people to visit our stores and our apple houses knowing they are going to put every precaution in place to safeguard our visitors,” she said.