Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Managing Editor

HELENA – In its first year under new leadership, the Helena Buck Creek Festival, which was postponed from earlier this year to Oct. 23-24 due to COVID-19, has now been canceled.

The decision was made on Wednesday, Sept. 9, with an announcement shared by the committee on Thursday, Sept. 10, saying the best way to move forward would be to focus on next May’s event.

“When the committee postponed the festival this spring, we’d hoped that things would be returning to normal by October,” said Chairman of Helena’s Buck Creek Festival Committee Scot Newman. “But after exploring various options, the committee decided that in order to preserve the character and traditions of the festival, we’d have to cancel this year’s event.”

This year’s event was going to mark the 19th annual Buck Creek Festival, and was originally supposed to take place between May 8 and 9 in the first year under a new committee.

The festival, however, will return in 2021 and is currently scheduled to be held May 7-8. The committee was disappointed to have to cancel this year’s festival, knowing what it means to the city, but they are excited to bring the festival back to its normal time next spring.

“Even though the pandemic has put a damper on 2020, we’re 100 percent committed to ensuring that next year’s festival will be worth the wait,” Newman said. “We’ve already started talking about which bands to book, what rides to choose for the kids area and how many T-shirts to order for the duck race. It’s very exciting, and I can guarantee you that next year’s festival is going to be awesome.”

Vendor fees, donations and sponsorships for this year’s festival will now be applied to next year’s festival unless a vendor requests a refund in writing.

For more information, please visit the Helena’s Buck Creek Festival Facebook page at www.facebook.com/HBCF20 or Buckcreekfestival.com.