The Cloverdale Rodeo won’t be postponed — yet.
Mike MacSorley, general manager for the rodeo, said a decision on whether or not to postpone the annual event won’t be made for another month, after the Easter long weekend.
And the Rodeo won’t be cancelled MacSorley assured.
“We’re going to wait for a few weeks before we make a decision,” he said.
“We won’t cancel it. We’d look at postponing it to another date.”
MacSorley said possible dates would include the Canada Day weekend (July 3-5) or the Labour Day weekend (Sept. 4-7).
The rodeo was postponed once before. In 1995, Surrey city workers went on strike and the rodeo was moved to Labour Day weekend. The date change was estimated to cost the rodeo close to $150,000.
SEE ALSO: Cloverdale Rodeo finals hand out $330K to champion riders
Scheduled for May 15 to 18, the Cloverdale Rodeo & Country Fair was expected to attract more than 100,000 visitors over its four-day period.
The country fair was first held in 1888 and the rodeo was first held in 1947.
Though MacSorley said the rodeo will only be postponed, another rodeo in B.C. has already been cancelled.
Kelly Walls, president of the Williams Lake Indoor Rodeo Association, announced the 30th edition of the indoor rodeo (scheduled for April 17-19) would be cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
CLOVIES
The 5th annual Clovie Awards have been postponed.
Scot Wheatley, executive director of the Cloverdale District Chamber of Commerce, said in an email March 16 that with the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, the awards ceremony will be postponed until Sept. 16.
SEE ALSO: Cloverdale Chamber names Clovie award nominees
SEE ALSO: Past President reflects on his time leading the Cloverdale District Chamber of Commerce
“We are closely monitoring the advice of health professionals,” Wheatley wrote. “We will not put any of our members at risk knowingly, and will always follow health professionals advice.”
The rescheduled Clovies will still be held at Northview Golf & Country Club.
CLOVERDALE MARKET DAYS
The Cloverdale Arts & Entertainment Association has not made a decision on whether or not to postpone the first date for their annual street festival.
SEE ALSO: Market Days return to Cloverdale
Paige Hardy, president, said the association will meet in a few weeks to discuss the situation.
“We’ll meet at the beginning of April,” she said. “We’ll look at what is happening, and what the government is saying at that time, before we decide whether to postpone the May 30th date, or to go ahead with it.”
Market Days takes over 176th Street in downtown Cloverdale for five Saturdays throughout the summer.
This year’s market days are scheduled for May 30, June 20, July 18, August 15, and Sept. 19.
The street festival is in its seventh year.
— with files from Tom Zytaruk
editor@cloverdalereporter.com
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