(6/5) Fairfield Borough's Pippinfest 2020
has been officially canceled by the Pippinfest
Committee out of concerns over adhering to
COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the governor
of Pennsylvania.
According to Pippinfest Committee
Chairperson Sally Thomas, the decision was
reached by a unanimous vote of the committee
at their June 3 meeting. The Pippinfest
Committee consists of 11 members and 21
volunteers who assist with the actual event.
Thomas said that according "to the guidelines for 'phase-green' of Governor
Wolf’s plan to re-open Pennsylvania, which will very likely begin soon,
gatherings of more than 250 people are not permitted." Previous Fairfield
Pippinfest festivals reported to have attracted thousands of attendees.
The chairperson said that Pippinfest would almost certainly attract a crowd
of attendees greater than 250 in number and would thus render it unlikely that
social distancing guidelines could be maintained. "It was the correct decision,
based on the information and criteria available, at this time."
The cancellation represents the first time Pippinfest has been canceled in
its 40-year history," Thomas commented, adding, "This is certainly sad for
everyone."
Since the 40tth consecutive year of Pippinfest has now been canceled, 2021's
event will technically be the 40th year of the event. "We certainly look
forward to continuing our plans for Pippinfest 2021, when we will be
celebrating our 40th anniversary of our wonderful hometown festival," Thomas
stated.
Pippinfest has traditionally been the most-attended annual event held within
Fairfield Borough. The two-day festival, when held, usually reserves Saturdays
for yard sales and other activities, with even more events, activities, and
live entertainment on Sundays. The festival has traditionally been held on the
last full weekend in September.
David Thomas, former owner and proprietor of the Fairfield Inn, is credited
as being the founder of Pippinfest, essentially established in 1980 as a
"community-wide celebration of the apple harvest," Pippins being an American
apple variety, tracing its origins to the late 17th or early 18th century.
Two years after the founding, in 1982, a Pippin apple tree was planted
behind the Fairfield Inn "with local fanfare and ceremony." The tree still
stands today and bears its fruit every fall.