For the first time since World War II, Florence’s annual Rhododendron Festival has been cancelled by the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The festival, May 13-17, was to celebrate its 113th year. The chamber board approved the cancellation Monday.
“Based on the most current facts, government guidelines, and trending information, we must cancel Rhody Fest for 2020,” chamber executive director Bettina Hannigan told the Siuslaw News. “We gave this decision as long as we could and the deepest consideration. We had hoped for better news and a faster recovery.”
“Logistically, there is no way to predict or plan for a new date this year, or postpone it until fall,” added Hannigan.
The Rhododendron Festival makes the single largest economic impact on Florence’s tourist-driven economy and serves as the kick-off to the summer tourist season.
“Because there is a lot at stake for our economy, we took the utmost consideration in this decision for our local businesses. We are a chamber of commerce and Rhody Fest brings our small businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars in commerce, Hannigan said. “Around 1,900 people in Florence rely on tourism-based employment, and tourism pumps about $147 million into our community each year.”
