INNISFAIL- The COVID-19 pandemic has forced another cancellation of a major civic event.
The hugely successful Feast On Main, a fundraiser for the local arts community, will not go ahead in August.
The 3rd annual long table event on Main Street, which features a 110-foot long dinner table with more than 100 guests enjoying fine dining, has been cancelled for 2020.
That decision by Innisfail Town Theatre (ITT), which sponsors the event, was announced at the Emergency Management Committee on May 21 by Coun. Glen Carritt, who is ITT’s vice-president and lead organizer of Feast On Main.
“Because of all the uncertainty we haven’t gotten any tickets organized, any of the vendors or chefs. We just felt it would be too far rushed. With the uncertainty whether we could even have an event we then just decided to give it a break," said Carritt, adding no tickets had been printed to sell.
“Plus, we felt people’s pocket books have been stretched to the nines. It is just too much to ask people to come out and support an event like this for this year.”
He said the plan is to continue the Feast On Main in the summer 2021.
The inaugural long table event in 2018, which was sold out with 132 dinner guests paying $100 a ticket, raised more than $10,000 for the arts community.
The public response last year for the second annual Feast On Main was even better with 136 tickets sold for a seven-course meal. Innisfail's Joy’s School of Dance benefited with a $5,000 donation from the $10,000 that was raised.
“It was a shame to see it cancelled. It was a great thing that brought the community together, and a good fundraiser for ITT,” said Coun. Danny Rieberger. “But given the circumstances and the world we are living in right now it’s just another one on the list of events that unfortunately had to be cancelled or postponed.”
