Historic Downtown Sikeston Wine Festival canceled

SIKESTON — For the first time in 10 years, the annual wine festival in Historic Downtown Sikeston will not take place this fall.

The Historic Downtown Sikeston Board of Directors announced the annual event — and its largest fundraiser scheduled for Sept. 12 was canceled via a letter posted early Monday to Historic Downtown Sikeston’s official Facebook page.

“As the committee responsible for this event worked to plan, it seemed like everything was on track to take place. Yet, over the last week, as we tried to finalize the plans, we were faced with obstacles,” the Board said via the letter.

Due to COVID-19, many of the event’s usual wineries had to back out, which, the Board said, presented a problem for organizers.

“We did not feel we could offer an adequate wine festival without an adequate number of wineries. It would present long lines and would cause difficulty with social distancing,” the Board said, noting the decision to cancel was made after discussions with those in the medical field and due to the lack of wineries willing to

attend.

“We hate that this decision must happen, but it is the nature of life during a pandemic,” the Board said via its letter. “This is the second major event we have had to cancel. In the spring, we had to cancel our St. Patrick's Day Festival due to COVI0-19 as well. Both the St. Patrick's Festival and the Wine Festival are important to the operation of our organization as they serve to provide the large portion of our operating budget.”

The Board noted this has been a difficult year for many, including nonprofit organizations.

As it moves forward, the Board encouraged the community to continue supporting the restoration and preservation of Downtown Sikeston through monetary tax-deductible contributions starting as a low as $25.

The Board will continue to plan for fall events, including a “Haunted Tour” of the Old Police Station, Holiday Open House, Christmas Tree lighting and Parade of Lights.

“We also hope to try to figure out a way to do a virtual fundraiser soon,” the Board said. “... We are so thankful for you and took forward to a normal 2021.”

Individuals wanting to make a contribution to Downtown should contact Jason Davis, director at (573) 380-3801.