Trending
WHEELING - Due to ongoing concerns and uncertainty for the near future due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the St. Michael Parish Community Festival has been canceled this summer.
A perennial favorite of the community, the festival's cancellation came Tuesday morning. The decision came out of a desire to ensure the safety of festival-goers and workers alike.
"Tradition is a cornerstone of our faith, making this community tradition difficult to cancel. As a community we all understand the current situation and why it is necessary to cancel but unfortunately that doesn't ease the disappointment," said the Rev. Carlos Melocoton.
The 2021 festival is scheduled for July 7-9, and live music has already been booked for the event. The festival will also see the return of Mexican, Italian, American and Cajun foods, as well as fan-favorite strawberry short-cake and funnel cakes.
As the festival is a key part of the parish's fundraising efforts, Advancement Coordinator Shandi Nodurft said they would be working on finding alternative avenues to hold events in the coming months.
"As always, the safety of our community is our number one priority," SMPS Interim Principal Kim Burge said. "I have no doubt that the festival will be back in 2021 better than ever."