Autumnfest is off
Woonsocket’s annual fall festival canceled for 2020
WOONSOC.ET – COVID-19 has felled another giant of seasonal fun – this time Autumnfest, the city’s most enduring civic festival.
Interrupting a 42-year run, the Autumnfest Steering Committee has officially pulled the plug on the 2020 installment of the event, another domino in a series of cancellations for big festivals in the region this fall, including the Pawtucket Dragon Boats, the Scituate Art Festival and the Big E in Springfield, Ma.
The cancellation came on Tuesday, the same day the reopening of the economy entered Phase 3 – under scaledback crowd caps that limit social gatherings to a maximum of 250 people. If there had been hope in mid-March that Autumnfest might be possible by October, they were all but snuffed out for the celebratory people-magnet when Gov. Gina Raimondo announced the 11th-hour changes Monday, citing an alarming explosion of COVID-19 in some parts of the country.
“It’s not the decision we were hoping for,” said Autumnfest Chairman Garrett Mancieri. “But it’s just not feasible to have a festival with thousands of people in one place at one time.”
Autumnfest was expected to bring about 100,000 visitors to World War II Park over the three-day Columbus Day weekend. Given the mandates of sanitizing and social distancing, the logistics of keeping everybody safe were insurmountable, Mancieri said.
It also costs about $250,000 a year to stage the festival, much of which comes in the form of donations from small businesses and individuals. Many have been hard-hit economically by the pandemic, putting a wrench in the works of the steering committee’s fundraising apparatus.
“They’re hurting, too,” Mancieri said.
Founded as a modest street festival in 1977, Autumnfest Tuickly blossomed into the city’s signature event, a sort of amped up block party. Every
year, the celebration draws throngs of locals and visitors to World War II 3ark to sample a bustling combo of carnival rides, musical performances, athletic games, food vendors, a gala parade, arts and crafts, fireworks and, of course, the %eer Garden.
“The good thing is that thousands of people come to Autumnfest, and the unfortunate thing is that, because thousands of people come to Autumnfest, that’s why we’re unable to have it,” said Mayor Lisa %aldelli-+unt. “It’s part of the fabric of the city. 5esidents look forward to it. 2ut-of-towners look forward to it.”
%ut the mayor said she’s completely supportive of the steering committee’s decision to cancel. In March, she said, it might have seemed plausible that social distancing could be relaxed enough to stage the event. %ut not after Monday’s announcement by the governor.
“Going from a couple of hundred people in -uly to tens of thousands in 2ctober" It was clear to Autumnfest they were not able to move forward,” said %aldelli +unt.
In addition to the city, another of Autumnfest’s maMor partners is the 5otary Club of Woonsocket, which sponsors the %eer Garden, an important source of revenue for the club’s philanthropic efforts, according to newly installed 3resident 5oger %ouchard, general manager of radio station W15I.
%ouchard said the 5otary, too, is saddened by the cancellation of Autumnfest, but members support the decision.
“All the club members understand the situation and they don’t want to put themselves in Meopardy or the vendors in Meopardy or the general public in any way,” said %ouchard. “It’s the prudent thing to do.”
The cancellation will “absolutely” cut into the 5otary’s resources for doling out philanthropic grants to a plethora of neighborhood clubs and nonprofits, from the little league to the Tomorrow )und, said %ouchard. Some tough decisions face the 5otary moving forward, he said, though the 5otary does have reserves to fall back on.
The Autumfest Steering Committee issued a Moint statement in which the 0plus member, unpaid group thanked their supporters and expressed dismay over the cancellation of the event.
“The countless amounts of hours of our dedicated committee members and volunteers are truly something to be proud of,” the committee said. “The community partners such as the 5otary Club and the City of Woonsocket have been invaluable to keep this tradition going for more than four decades.”
Sponsors whose donations have made it possible to hold Autumnfest without a general admission charge, and the many vendors who participate also deserve recognition, the committee said.
“With all that being said, due to the restrictions and regulations because of C29I'- 9, we have decided as a family that Autumnfest 0 0 will be µThe Though there won’t be a festival, Mancieri said there will be Tuite of few reminders around that will be a bit festival-like. 2ne Autumnfest staple, the raffle buttons, will still be here. The buttons have already been manufactured and there will be an announcement soon about where they can be purchased. Instead of the usual Autumnfest parade, with floats and world-class marching bands, Mancieri says the steering committee will have a “vehicle parade” on Columbus 'ay to honor some of the heroes of the pandemic – the first-responders. It’s hard to find an upside to the cancellation of the most high-profile, family-friendly diversion of the season, but if there is one, Mancieri said it might be that it will give the steering committee an opportunity to Mump-start its focus on the next installment of Autumnfest, in 0 . “There are things in life, such as this situation, which are simply out of our control and all we can do is make the best out of it and use this time and opportunity to plan for a better celebration next year... and for many more years to come,” Mancieri said. “We want to assure everyone that we have every intention of bringing this festival back next year and we are determined to make it better than it ever was before, to continue on this longstanding tradition of holding the largest festival in 1orthern 5hode Island, here in the beautiful and historic city of Woonsocket.”