LINCOLN -- The Arkansas Apple Festival Committee has announced that it will not be able to host the festival in 2023.
Rhonda Hulse, city business manager who has chaired the committee since 2007, told city council members about the decision at their Jan. 17 meeting.
Hulse said the 2023 event is canceled because the community building on Lincoln Square has been deemed a public hazard due to major structural problems and is closed to the public. The building will be demolished at some point and possibly replaced with a new facility.
Logistically, there's just not a way to have the festival without the community building, Hulse told council members.
Later in the week, Mayor Doug Hutchens responded to a lot of criticism on social media about the festival being canceled.
"It's a pause," Hutchens said. "We did the same thing during covid when it just wasn't going to work and we brought it back."
Hutchens pointed out the Apple Festival Committee has dwindled down to only a few people and needs to be "reloaded" with new volunteers who will be consistent in planning and organizing the event. The city has used its own employees in recent years to keep the festival going.
He said canceling the festival for 2023 is not a game changer and the city hopes to have a nice community building in place for the 2024 Apple Festival.
"It's the responsible thing to do right now," Huchens said..
In a related matter, Hulse said the festival needs a new volunteer committee chairperson to take over planning for the future.
The Arkansas Apple Festival is not a city event but is a festival organized by a committee with the assistance of the city. Hulse has relinquished her position as chairwoman after about 25 years but said she will continue to do her part as a city employee and will help with the transition for the 2024 Arkansas Apple Festival.
Hulse said community meetings will be held in the future to hopefully form a new Apple Festival Committee.