The Friends of Chippewa Park are putting off the park’s 100th anniversary celebration.
President Lorraine Lortie explains the five-day event they originally planned for this summer is being postponed for a year.
“We felt it would be irresponsible to hold an outdoor festival that could attract as many as 10,000 people, when so many could still be susceptible to catching COVID-19,” she says, adding they are also concerned the family event would bring children to the park before anyone under 18 is able to get vaccinated.
Officials say it also doesn’t make sense to hold a festival when the park isn’t fully open or operating.
Secretary and Project Manager Iain Angus says they are working to make sure the funding for the anniversary festival can be carried over into 2022. They also expect the C. W. Parker Carousel to be fully restored by Spring 2022.
The event has been rescheduled for July 28th to August 1st, 2022.
The Friends of Chippewa Park are still planning on some form of commemorative event for this July 15th, the actual anniversary of the park being declared open in 1921. Details are still to be worked out.
