Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair Canceled; MB 10K to Go Virtual
Jun 24, 2020 09:34AM ● By Jeanne FratelloPhoto via MB Hometown Fair
The annual Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair has been canceled, according to organizers, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, the Manhattan Beach 10K, a separate event traditionally held on the same weekend in October, will now be virtual.
Hometown Fair Canceled
Joe Marcy, president of the Hometown Fair, issued the following statement on social media on Wednesday morning:
"After much thought and consideration,
we’ve made the difficult decision to cancel our Hometown Fair scheduled
for October 3-4, 2020. We know many of you were looking forward to the
festivities this fall. We assure you, no one is more disappointed than
us. The Hometown Fair has always been a safe place to gather, perform
and fundraise for 48 years. This decision was not taken lightly. Our
priority has to be the health and safety of our community.
"Our
event typically welcomes 80,000+ attendees over fair weekend and we’re
categorized under stage 4 of Governor Newsom’s reopening plan. As
previously stated by the Governor, treatment or a vaccine would be
necessary in order for us to reopen. An event of this scale doesn’t
happen overnight. It’s therefore important that we make this decision
at this time. For those that have submitted booth applications, refunds
will be issued in the coming weeks.
"In the spirit of
tradition and giving back, the Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair
Association’s Board of Directors have approved $10,000 for grants.
These grants will be distributed to our community clubs, boosters and
non-profits. For those that rely on our fair to raise money, we want
to help. Applications will be available starting August 1st. We’ll
award the grants fair weekend: October 3-4, 2020.
"While we may
not be able to meet in the traditional way, we do intend to have a
strong community presence. Please check back and follow us on social
media as we prepare to launch our online auction/raffle and merchandise
store. We’ll also spotlight local artists and businesses.
"Thank you on behalf of the Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair Association’s Board of Directors."
MB 10K to Go Virtual
Meanwhile, the organizers of the MB 10K yesterday made the following announcement:
"The Manhattan Beach 10k is going virtual in 2020. Join us
for this 'Special Edition' event that will overlap October 3, 2020 with
several days to participate virtually. While it will be different than
our prior 42 years, this year’s virtual 10k will remain true to our
love and support of the community and good fitness-based fun."