The 29th Annual Columbus Scottish Festival planned Sept. 12-13 has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event that brings the culture of the Highlands to the Midwest in the form of everything from food to music to dance to athletics normally unfolds rain or shine at the Bartholomew County 4-H Fairgrounds at 750 W. County Road 200 South in Garden City.
The gathering generally attracts 3,000 to 5,000 people, from children to retirees, for the weekend, according to organizers’ estimates.
Organizers announced the news just before midnight Saturday on the Columbus Scottish Festival Facebook page.
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“Sharing Scottish culture in our corner of southern Indiana is something we look forward to every year, but we felt that the possibility of risking the health of anyone involved with the festival is not an option,” reads part of the post. “We want to ensure the health and safety of our committee members, dancers, bagpipers, athletes, vendors, reenactors, musicians, sheep dog enthusiasts, haggis tossers, and our amazing supporters and festival goers.
“… We have weathered tough times, and will get through this as well.”
One of the tough times referenced was a deluge of rain in 2018 brought on by Hurricane Gordan. Both days of that festival were drenched, with an attendance of 1,500 — among the lowest numbers anyone could recall at the time.
By noon Sunday, most of the responders thanked organizers for their caution and nod toward safety amid a virus that has canceled virtually every major local entertainment event since April, including the Bartholomew County 4-H Fair. A few others did not seem to understand that bookings with vendors, athletes, musical acts and others normally are done months in advance.
But organizers did promise to return in September 2021.
