LISBON, MAINE, Maine — EDITOR'S NOTE: The above video aired Aug. 28, 2018.
In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Lisbon Town Council voted 5-1 Tuesday night to cancel the town's annual Moxie Festival scheduled for this summer.
"Right now I just don't think we could look at planning an effective, safe parade right now. Or even Friday night events," Lisbon Parks and Recreation Director Mark Stevens said.
Stevens said they'll still explore the possibility of having smaller community events throughout the summer and fall, such as a car show, 5K road race in Beaver Park, and fireworks marketed more toward the local community.
As it stands now, these events could take place in-person, virtually, or not at all. However, town councilors expressed the opinion that a more spread-out schedule would allow people to follow state guidelines while also allowing for more flexibility for event organizers.
Councilor Jeff Ganong was the only one to vote against canceling the festival, citing his belief that the state is vaccinating people quickly enough that it would be safe to hold the event by July.
"I have a feeling that, probably by the summertime, our guidelines are going to look vastly different than they look currently," Ganong said.
This is the second straight year that the festival has been canceled due to the pandemic. Last year, organizers made the decision to cancel in June.