Iconic Columbia event canceled for first time in 45 years due to COVID-19 pandemic
Another long-standing event in Columbia has been canceled because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2020 Craftsmen’s Christmas Classic Art & Craft Festival will not be held, organizers said in a news release.
The event was scheduled to be held this week, from Nov. 13-15, at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds. It was going to be the 45th year of the event in Columbia, according to the release.
The craft festival was canceled out of an abundance of caution and concern for public health and safety, organizers said. It and all other large, indoor public events scheduled to be held at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds for the rest of the year have been canceled in an effort to reduce or stop the spread of the coronavirus.
The event usually features hundreds of artists and craftsmen from more than 20 states, according to the release.
Most of those participants are still welcoming phone and online orders, and information on them is available at gilmoreshows.com.
In spite of the cancellation, organizers are already looking forward to next year’s events. The Spring Classic is still scheduled for March 5-7 at the fairgrounds, while the 2021 Christmas Classic is tentatively set for either Nov. 5-7 or 12-14, according to the release.
“We will miss seeing you this Fall, and cannot wait to come back to showcase our AMAZING exhibitors in 2021,” organizers said.
In addition to Columbia, organizers also hold craft shows in Myrtle Beach; Greensboro, North Carolina; as well as Richmond and Roanoke, Virginia.
Through Sunday, there have been 175,730 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 3,776 coronavirus-related deaths in South Carolina, according to the Department of Health and Environmental Control.
The Craftsmen’s Christmas Classic Art & Craft Festival joins many other events in Columbia and the Midlands that have been scrapped this year. The South Carolina State Fair, Famously Hot New Year celebration, the Columbia Greek Fest, the Okra Strut in Irmo, the Rosewood Crawfish Festival, Indie Grits film festival, Columbia’s annual St. Patrick’s Day festival in Five Points, Camden’s Carolina Cup steeplechase races, Bubbie’s Jewish Food Festival, and the Lexington Wine Walk are among other notable events that have been canceled, altered, or held exclusively online because of the ongoing pandemic.
Of the positive tests, 18,213 have been confirmed in Richland County, where the death toll has risen to 262, health officials said.
This story was originally published November 8, 2020 at 1:06 PM.
