The Chester Community Association announced that it has canceled ChesterFest that was schedule to take place at the end of this month.
“We held out as long as we could but it was time to go ahead and call it,” said ChesterFest manager, Elliott Fausz.
Fausz cited COVID-19 as the reason for cancellation.
“Being an outdoor event, I think we could have maintain social distancing and made it a safe environment for everyone,” said Fausz. “But we rely heavily on buses and that would have been very irresponsible of us to stuff people in such a tight area.”
This year would have been the 19th year for the annual event that has taken place every September since 2001. Last year, ChesterFest hosted approximately 200 vendors and welcomed nearly 10,000 patrons at Chester Village Green.
ChesterFest is the primary fund raiser for the Chester Community Association that contributes to various community projects include the Chester Dog Park at Goyne Park, the Chester village Christmas wreaths, and contributions to Chesterfield Center for the Arts Foundation and other charitable groups to name a few.
“We will be back the same time next year, better than ever,” said Fausz. “With the Baxter Perkinson Center for the Arts opening next year, the village is going to be bustling for the arts and we hope that ChesterFest will help to shine a spotlight on our community.”
