Popular event in Columbia canceled for second year in a row due to COVID-19 concerns

For the second year in a row, the Palmetto Sportsmen’s Classic has been canceled because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The popular event for outdoorsmen was scheduled to be held at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds from March 26-28, but was called off for safety reasons.

“The health and well-being of South Carolinians and others traveling to South Carolina’s largest hunting, fishing and outdoor expo remain our top concern,” Palmetto Sportsmen’s Classic director Dan DuPre said Wednesday in a news release. “We must take every precaution to protect the thousands of attendees, vendors and volunteers expected to attend the event.”

The event is one of the largest held at the State Fairgrounds, with attendance reaching nearly 40,000 the past few years it was held, according to the release.

The Palmetto Sportsmen’s Classic is held by the Harry Hampton Wildlife Fund and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

Those organizations said two primary factors were the reasons the Palmetto Sportsmen’s Classic was canceled. One is the rising number of COVID-19 cases across South Carolina, and the second is the fact that vaccines will not be available to the majority of the public until late spring to late summer, according to the release.

With the public health risk posed by the coronavirus, DuPre said there was no way to ensure that this event did not contribute to the spread of the virus.

“Organizers of the 2021 Palmetto Sportsmen’s Classic did not come to this decision lightly,” DuPre said. “Over the last several days, we have heard your concerns and are taking our cues from similar events across the country.”

The Palmetto Sportsmen’s Classic joins many other events in Columbia and the Midlands that have been canceled, altered, or held exclusively online because of the ongoing pandemic. The South Carolina State Fair, Famously Hot New Year, the Columbia Greek Fest, the Okra Strut in Irmo, the Craftsmen’s Christmas Classic Art & Craft Festival, 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 affected.

Dates for the 2022 Palmetto Sportsmen’s Classic have tentatively been set for March 25-27.

“We look forward to continuing this tradition,” DuPre said.

This story was originally published January 20, 2021 at 10:52 AM.

Noah Feit

The State

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Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription