Main Street Wellington cancels all major events for remainder of year.

Main Street Wellington will cancel its major planned public events for the rest of 2020 due to concerns about the novel coronavirus pandemic.

On July 16, the organization’s board voted to cancel events including A Galaxy Far, Far Away for a Day, a unique “Star Wars”-based gathering and display.

Other cancellations were the Fall in Love with Wellington event, the Antique Car and Bicycle Festival and the Home and Hidden Spaces Tour.

At the board meeting, Arntz said she shared “the stress, frustration and anxiety from many vendors, volunteers” and herself, while awaiting an outcome for the Gazebo Garden Walk in the spring.

She referred to a day-today conversation among village merchants about Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s regulations on group sizes for public gatherings.

“As much as our vendors, and we — Main Street Wellington — depend on the revenue, the unknowns of the situation, especially the safety concerns, outweigh the money,” Arntz said.

The board so far has not scheduled dates for 2021 events.

“I think we’re all just waiting to see how the fall plays out,” Arntz said.

Main Street Wellington and the merchants are not giving up, she said, and not everything is canceled.

“We will be publishing more videos that educate the public on what Wellington has to offer,” Arntz said. “We will seek funding from donations and hope to increase our membership, especially at the individual level.

“Main Street Wellington has an important role in the community and we need to stay afloat.”

The F1rst Fr1days, with shop owners offering specials and music on the first Friday of the month, will continue.

Those events are fragmented, with shoppers able to maintain a safe distance around the participating stores.

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Street Wellington

members aim to create virtual events with online communications or hybrid events with a mix of technology and small groups.

The organization has created a Virtual Chalk Walk.

Sidewalk decorators can draw their designs at home, post a photo and earn raffle tickets as part of the F1rst Fr1days event Aug. 7.

Any artwork that encourages or depicts an act of kindness earns two raffle tickets.

Meanwhile, Main Street Wellington, True Colors Hair Salon and the Beriswill Insurance Agency Inc. are collecting food items for the St. Patrick Parish Helping Hands pantry.

For each item, donors will get a ticket for the Aug. 7 F1rst Fr1day raffle.

RICHARD PAYERCHIN — THE MORNING JOURNAL Main Street Wellington and business owners this year began the new F1rst Fr1days program, with merchants staying open later and providing entertainment and chances for prizes on the first Friday of the month. The F1rst Fr1days will continue this summer, but on July 16, the Main Street Wellington board voted to cancel the remaining major events this year due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.