COVID-19 changes the look of province's summer festival season
Officials in Kentville, N.S., have organized what they are calling a 'float by' for Saturday. They'll take the float the town was going to put into the Apple Blossom Festival parade to various neighbourhoods around town.
"I'll be waving madly," said Mayor Sandra Snow, "And I'll be sporting a Kentville mask."
For the first time 88 years, the Apple Blossom Festival, including the parade, will not take place.
It's a major blow for the Annapolis Valley. The festival generates millions of dollars worth of economic activity and is the start to the region's festival and tourist season.
"The town of Kentville never does fireworks any other time of the year," said Snow.
Kentville officials do not want crowds to gather and are advising people to watch the float from their own lawns and driveways.
But Snow hopes it gives people something to smile about, in a year when the pandemic has cancelled most, if not all summer festivals.
Canada Day Events from Westville to Bridgewater will not be taking place, although organizers of Canada Day on the LaHave are preparing an online celebration.
Local festivals such as the Riverfront Jubilee in New Glasgow, the Pictou Lobster Festival and Scallop Days in Digby are also cancelled.
The Wharf Rat Rally, which attracts thousands of bikers to Digby on the Labour Day weekend, hasn't been axed. But Digby Mayor Ben Cleveland believes 'it's highly unlikely' it will be held.
The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency estimated that the 2015 rally generated $8.9 million across Nova Scotia and $5.7 million in Digby.
Events Nova Scotia did an economic assessment of New Glasgow's Riverfront Jubilee in 2012 and estimated it generated $1.1 million in economic activity for the province, with more than half of that in New Glasgow.
The Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance did an economic study in 2015 of the Gran Fondo Baie Sainte-Marie, a bike rally that takes place in Clare. It estimated that the event generated $268,000 for the area.
Tourism in Nova Scotia is a $2.6-billion dollar industry according to provincial statistics.
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