Covered Bridge Festival canceled

The 50th annual installment of the Covered Bridge Festival, initially scheduled for September, has been canceled because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The event, which spans eight locations in Washington County and two in Greene County, features traditional arts and crafts and more than 400 vendors. The festival had been set for Sept. 19-20.
“The Covered Bridge Festival attracts over 20,000 visitors a year to Washington County, and under the current guidelines established by the Pennsylvania Department of Health limiting events to 250 people, we cannot host the event. Our priority is for the safety of our guests and the people of Washington County,” said Jeff Kotula, president of Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency, in a news release.
Independent organizations or agencies facilitate each location of the festival. The White Covered Bridge Festival in Greene County is still reviewing the situation and will likely make a decision in a month, JoAnne Marshall, director of Greene County Tourist Promotion Agency, said in an email Friday.
The Covered Bridge Festival’s cancellation follows the postponement of other significant local summer happenings, like the Whiskey Rebellion Festival, PONY Baseball World Series, Washington County Agricultural Fair and West Alexander Fair.