Will COVID squash the Strawberry Festival again? Here’s what to expect in Fort Mill
Fort Mill’s biggest annual event, the South Carolina Strawberry Festival, will likely see changes again this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We are still in the process of determining what we can do safely,” town manager Davy Broom told Fort Mill Town Council during a virtual meeting.
The Strawberry Festival began in 2010 and his held the first weekend in May with concerts, carnival rides and exhibitions. The festival typically draws tens of thousands of guests to Elisha Park in downtown Fort Mill.
But last year, town event staff decided to hold a virtual version with some of the festival activities, similar to other canceled York County festivals like Come See Me in Rock Hill and Summerfest in York, because of the pandemic.
“Last year, COVID hit early March and it just shut down everything,” Broom said.
Broom said this year’s Strawberry Festival likely won’t be solely virtual but there will be changes based on COVID-19 guidelines.
Smaller events associated with the festival, like a beauty pageant and outdoor movie, that are held throughout the week could still go on, Broom said.
“We still think we can do those events safely,” he said. “We’re excited that we’re going to be able to do a little more than we did last year, but it does not appear that we’re going to be able to bring in several thousand people to one site.”
A more detailed plan will be presented when town council meets Jan. 25.
