The 2020 Eureka Days festival has been canceled, officials announced today (Aug. 10) on the city’s Facebook page.
The event had been scheduled for Sept. 11-13.
“In light of public health circumstances due to COVID-19, a determination was made that it is necessary to cancel the Eureka Days event this year,” the Facebook post said. “The city had sincerely hoped we could move forward with a modified version of Eureka Days, but there are too many unknowns related to keeping the community safe and what might be allowed in relation to mass gatherings.”
Current St. Louis County guidelines designed to curb the spread of the virus limit gatherings to no more than 50 people.
“Eureka Days is all about crowds,” said Julie Wood, Eureka’s city clerk and director of economic development.
Wood said it would be impossible to control how many people entered the event.
She also said St. Louis County guidelines continue to change, which makes it hard to plan the event, so it was canceled.
“We are extremely disappointed,” Wood said.
Typically the event includes carnival rides, a parade, live music, fireworks and more.
City officials and members of the Eureka Chamber of Commerce already had decided in July, before the event was canceled, to not include the rides this year
Eureka chamber president Chuck Maher said rides normally are set up in the Bud Weber Community Center parking lot, which would not have allowed much room to social distance.
Wood said there also were concerns about cleaning the rides.
For more about the Eureka Days cancellation read the Aug. 20 edition of the Eureka Leader.