One of the biggest summertime events in Michigan is the latest to fall victim to the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Cherry Festival in Traverse City is not going to be held this summer. Executive director Kat Paye tells WSJM News this is the first time they’ve had to cancel the festival since 1947, and the decision wasn’t easy.
“It’s been a trying couple of weeks, and this was not something that was made lightly,” she says of the decision. “We feel for our volunteers and our vendors and our community. This is a devastating time all around, and we just hope that we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel eventually soon, and we will all celebrate again when it’s time.”
Paye says they will be trying to do something virtually this summer if possible. The festival wasn’t held from 1942 to 1947 due to World War Two and the Great Depression. Paye says protecting public health was a huge factor in calling off the event, even with the huge economic impact it has on the Traverse City region.
“We did an economic impact study in 2016, and that estimated about $24 million annually into our region,” says Paye. “It’s a huge economic driver for the area, and we are very sad this is not something we are able to do this year.”
The National Cherry Festival will next be held from July 3rd-10th in 2021.
