Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

MEADVILLE — This year’s Homochitto River Festival has been canceled, organizers announced on Wednesday.

The Franklin County Chamber of Commerce has been monitoring the COVID-19 situation and its impact on our community and the Homochitto River Festival, a press release states.

“The festival takes a tremendous amount of advance preparation coordinating numerous committees, vendors and sponsors; scheduling entertainment and hosting large crowds of both locals and guests alike,” the press release states. “We depend entirely on community businesses for sponsorships to hold the festival and requesting such sponsorships during these challenging times does not seem appropriate. As a result, it is with deep sadness that we have made the decision to cancel the 2020 Homochitto River Festival.

“This difficult decision was not made in haste, and is based on the current restrictions outlined by our state government, as well as the uncertainty of what is to come in the next couple of months. The safety and well-being of our volunteers and visitors, as well as our ability to produce a festival to the standards that you are accustomed to and deserve cannot be guaranteed this year. We thank everyone for their understanding and support during this difficult time. Also, please mark your calendar for Oct. 23, 2021, for what is going to be the best Homochitto River Festival yet!”