City won’t support Festival of the Fish

Chamber of commerce voices need while officials decline bringing in outsiders because of coronavirus

While Vermilion Mayor Jim Forthofer has decided the city will not support a Festival of the Fish event for this year, the Vermilion Chamber of Commerce took to asking for the support of one of its biggest events.

Forthofer said during a June 15 City Council meeting he spoke with representatives of the Vermilion Chamber earlier in the month, informing them the city would not support the event this summer due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

He said while Vermilion’s positive COVID-19 cases are low, bringing in tourists and other residents from local communities that have been hit harder by the pandemic would be a disservice to the city.

“To throw away those gains by the influx of a large volume of visitors from communities with much higher presence of the virus would be an unconscionable risk to our area,” Forthofer said in his report during the meeting. “It would not only affect those present at the festival, but other Vermilion residents who come in contact with those people.”

With other communities canceling their events, he said he believes attendance could have been even higher this year, which imposes more of a safety threat.

“I am keenly aware of the disappointment of Fish Festival attendees and the impact on local merchants and missed business opportunities for festival vendors,” Forthofer said. “However, I am sworn to act in the best interest of Vermilion

as a totality.”

Chamber executive director Sandy Coe, however, argued for the event during the meeting.

Coe asked the mayor to give the Chamber a chance to put on the 54th Festival of the Fish this year.

Attendance could be regulated to be made smaller, limited entrances and exits and elimination of the beer garden all would be on the table to make the event possible, she said.

While Forthofer said the event brings in 30,000 each year, Coe said it is more like 10,000 to 15,000, especially with certain days dipping in attendance in past years.

Without the event, Coe said both the Chamber and city’s economy would suffer.

“That’s how we keep our doors open,” she said. “That’s like telling a merchant in Vermilion, ‘You can open, but you cant sell anything.’”

Vermilion resident Christy Parsons said in a letter to City Council that she believes in the Chamber’s ability to put on a safe Festival of the Fish this summer.

“I believe the Chamber has put together a comprehensive plan that maintains social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” she said. “This town has been devastated economically by the state of Ohio’s shut down.”

“I believe the Chamber has put together a comprehensive plan that maintains social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This town has been devastated economically by the state of Ohio’s shut down.” — Vermilion resident Christy Parsons