Another Lambton county fall fair has been cancelled due provincial COVID restrictions.
The Brigden Fall Fair has been put off for a second straight year, announced the Moore Agricultural Society Thursday.
In a media release, the society said that they had hoped the summer months would bring relaxation to pandemic related restrictions to allow for the annual event over the Thanksgiving weekend.
"However, despite the progress being made in communities across the province, it is now clear to organizers that the alleviation from critical restrictions will not be made quickly enough."
The release went on to say that the health and wellbeing of every person that attends the fairgrounds is of paramount importance.
"Proceeding with the fair at this time could compromise months of slow and painstaking progress that has been made in the fight against COVID-19. With infection rates dropping and immunization rates on the rise, now is not the time for unnecessary risk taking."
President of the Moore Agricultural Society Malcolm Rogers said with so much uncertainty surrounding outdoor gathering limits, cleaning protocols for rides and more, the decision was made to cancel this year's event.
"Pretty well everybody around us has cancelled including London, the CNE isn't going ahead this year, we haven't got the vendors to be able to come out and be there for us, chances are we are not going to have any of the large rides and I can't get a definition on larger gatherings," said Rogers. "A large gathering for us on a Saturday afternoon is 13,500, and when you can't get more than 100 people maybe outside, it's hard to put on a fair."
The 2019 Brigden Fall Fair saw over 54,800 people walk through the gates over four days.
Rogers said plans are already in motion for smaller ticketed events, and that more will be announced as pandemic restrictions are relaxed.
The Petrolia and Enniskillen and the Plympton-Wyoming fall fairs were cancelled earlier this year.
With files from Stephanie Chaves
