During the Buchanan Town Council’s regularly scheduled monthly meeting on Monday, the decision was made to postpone the annual Buchanan Community Carnival. The carnival, traditionally held for nine days surrounding July 4, would have been the town’s 67th July 4 carnival.
Buchanan Town Manager Jason Tyree said “Town Council’s decision did not fully cancel the carnival this year. It is now in a postponed status for a date to be determined once/if restrictions are lifted.”
The motion made by Town Council Member Marty Rickman was to “postpone the carnival until conditions are conducive to have it.”
The current orders from Governor Ralph Northam are in effect until June 10. The short turnaround would not give enough time for the town to prepare for the carnival to start on June 25, Tyree said. Several of the vendors and suppliers used for the carnival are currently backlogged or have limited available supplies. Several volunteers have reached out to council members with concerns if the carnival were to continue as normal.
Mayor Craig Bryant said, “This is a necessary step for the safety and health of our residents, volunteers, community, and staff.”
The town said that it is keeping a close eye on COVID-19 developments and will continue to post announcements on the town’s website at www.townofbuchanan.com.