Although summer is in full swing, some local organizations are keeping a wary eye on autumn, and how the COVID-19 pandemic might affect the traditional fall festival plans in the region.
In Mount Airy, the two big events are Mayberry Days and Autumn Leaves Festival.
Officials overseeing both events say the large gatherings are still on — for now — but admit even if they are able to hold the festivals, they will probably be unlike any before.
”As of today, we are moving forward with the event as best we can,” said Randy Collins, president and CEO of the Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce. His remarks were centered on the annual Autumn Leaves Festival, set for Oct. 9-11.
“We are planning for a different kind of festival than would normally be held. We’re still waiting for the governor’s office to rule on what the state health department refers to as a mass gathering. They have not ruled on any of those,” he said Thursday. “I guess we’re keeping our fingers crossed, hoping that we’re going to be able to do this thing.”
Tanya Jones, executive director for Surry Arts Council, which oversees the annual Mayberry Days celebration, said that gathering is still on target for now, though it, too, could take place in a different format this year.
“Right now Mayberry Days is scheduled and will happen at the level that guidelines permit at that time. We will make whatever modifications that we need to make to be in compliance,” she said of state regulatsion on mass gatherings. “We will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of The Andy Griffith Show. It’s still over 2½ months away so we continue to hope that guidelines are relaxed at some levels.”
Those hopes are juxtaposed against growing concern in the medical community over the recent explosion of cases across the United States. Thursday morning, the CDC had reported more than 50,000 new cases confirmed in the previous 24 hours, the first time the nation had hit the 50,000-mark in a day and the second daily record-high in less than a week.
North Carolina is among several states with rapidly expanding numbers. The state stood at 71,677 confirmed cases Saturday morning, with 1,413 deaths.
Regionally, where most of the guests for both the Autumn Leaves Festival and Mayberry Days originate, the numbers and trends aren’t any better.
Surry County stood at 497 cases, with 2 deaths as of Saturday afternoon, according to the Surry Health and Nutrition Center. Forsyth County was at 3,233 with 37 deaths, Yadkin County stood at 340 with 5 deaths, Wilkes had recorded 588 cases and 6 deaths, Stokes had 135 cases and 1 death, while Alleghany County had 36 cases with no deaths.
Across the border in Virginia as of Friday, Carroll County had 227 cases with 9 deaths, Galax had 265 with 15 deaths, Grayson County had 88 cases and 2 deaths, and Patrick County ahd 48 cases and 1 death.
All numbers are for laboratory-confirmed cases.
It’s the growing numbers — with trends showing continued growth in new daily cases — that have state officials leery about relaxing regulations limiting the size of gatherings. North Carolina was originally scheduled to move from Phase 2 of Gov. Cooper’s reopening plan to Phase 3, on June 26. Instead, the governor extended Phase 2 until July 17 and issued an order making it mandatory to wear face masks in public beginning June 25.
“Our numbers will keep us from moving ahead,” he said at the time he delayed Phase 3.
On Wednesday, he was scheduled to release the date by which the state’s schools would be allowed to resume in-person classes. Instead, he abruptly canceled that announcement, saying he would take at least a couple of more weeks to make a determination.
That uncertainty has left the organizers of the two festivals here in Mount Airy left with nothing to do but wait, while formulating contingency plans.
Collins said while he’d like to be able to see the Autumn Leaves Festival carried out as normal — if that can be done without endangering the health of those attending — he and the chamber staff are looking at alternative arrangements.
“A lot of things are changed,” he said. “The rules are changed. For instance, these types of mass gatherings would require some level of us telling people we would like that they wear masks, hopefully we’d have stations where they can wash their hands frequently, maintain their social distance. That’s not an issue we’ve had to deal with in the past. That in and of itself creates a situation we’d have to plan for. Not to mention the placement of the booths, it would be different than what we’ve done in the past 50-some years of this festival.”
Collins said because the festival involves so many people — musical bands, vendors from various states, as well as an army of local volunteers — the chamber has set Aug. 1 as the date to make a final decision on if, and how, the festival will be held this year.
Jones said the Mayberry Days decision might be held a little longer.
“It is hard to plan or confirm anything at this point until we see what is permitted – we will announce as we know,” she said. “We usually wait until August to reach out to special guests and confirm, and that will definitely happen again this year – even more with the uncertainty due to the pandemic. … The artists are understanding at this point, and all are willing to wait to see if things are possible.”
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com