Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
With future COVID-19 situation uncertain, Chamber cancels 2020 event
Hartley pool lifeguards cool down the crowd during last year's Summer Celebration parade through downtown Hartley.
A participant in the volleyball tournament sends one over the net
Last year's Summer Celebration featured mutton bustin' in Neebel Park. Annual festivities were canceled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Neebel Park in Hartley will be a surreal scene July 31-Aug. 2.
There will be no inflatables, no volleyball games, no horseshoe contests and no beer tent, among other things. Put simply, there will be no fun.
Summer Celebration was canceled Monday by the Hartley Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. With the end of the COVID-19 pandemic uncertain, board members were left with little choice.
"It was just hard to know what was going to happen in August as far as the restrictions we'd have to follow, events we'd be able to hold and reservations we'd be able to keep," said Rachel Wilson, Chamber vice president. "It was just about the time and money we'd have to put in and not knowing where we're going to be at."
Other annual events like the Iowa State Fair and Sanborn Railroad Days were canceled this month. Wilson said the Summer Celebration Planning Committee held off as long as it could in determining the fate of this year's festivities.
"We're all on this committee because we love Summer Celebration, and it wasn't an easy decision to make," she said. "It's all about the unknown with this whole situation, and what you don't know."
Summer Celebration was revamped two years ago to include more events and draw more attendees. According to Wilson, it typically costs between $8,000-$10,000 to put on.
She said all money and attention will be put into 2021's festivities. In the works are a lumberjack show featuring logrolling, ax throwing and log sawing, as well as fireworks and a beanbag tournament.
Other traditional attractions will also be held.
"We've got some big plans for next year with what we're going to do, and we're excited to put some of the money we didn't use this year into 2021," said Wilson.
