By DEAN LAWSON

Fears and uncertainty about the lifespan of the COVID-19 pandemic have forced Horsham Country Music Festival organisers to abandon next year’s event.

The festival committee has decided that eight months represents too short a timeframe to plan the week-long event with any certainty.

Committee chair and Horsham councillor Pam Clarke said the return of stage-three restrictions in metropolitan Melbourne had prompted the move.

She added that a usually strong patronage of elderly people who might be at greater virus risk at the festival also weighed heavily on the decision.

“We know it is very early to make this call. But the people who usually attend this festival are really the most vulnerable and we have to be really cautious and ensure we don’t put them at risk,” she said.

“And if we were confident that all would be fine in March next year, which we’re not, we would need to be booking the acts now.”

The news comes alongside confirmation that organisers in charge of Horsham Spring Garden Festival, scheduled for October 10 and 11, have also called off their annual event.

Garden festival spokeswoman Sonia Matthews said high levels of uncertainty and a potential need for a large volunteer workforce to enforce cleaning and restriction requirements had prompted her group’s decision.

“If everything is clear and fine to go ahead in 2021, then it will go ahead then,” she said.

“We’ve held off for as long as we could, but now that a second virus wave has hit Melbourne and there is a potential of spreading out here we’ve had to make a call.

“Some of our people who come to the Horsham gardens are from around Melbourne and we can’t afford to be bringing the virus here. 

“But we’re already looking at next year. Hopefully, having a break this year will provide significant incentive to get more people involved.”

Cr Clarke, meanwhile, was quick to stress that her committee’s decision in no way represented a move to abandon the annual music attraction.

“It is such an important event for Horsham and for the older community who are often overlooked when it comes to festivals. We need to be able to provide something for everyone to attend,” she said.

“But we just have to wait and we’ll now turn our attention to 2022 and plan to make it big and do something spectacular.

“It’s very disappointing. We’ve personally spoken to major supporters, including the two caravan parks in town.”

Horsham Rural City Council and Horsham Sports and Community Club joined forces with Horsham Country Music Association in a three-year deal in 2019 to save the event.

The move acknowledged the socio-economic benefits of the event for Horsham and the broader region.

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