Giro d’Grafton won’t be back this year
The annual Giro d’Grafton bicycle racing event in downtown Grafton has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic after the Tour of America’s Dairyland Racing Series last week decided not to hold any events this year.
The races were originally scheduled to return to Grafton on June 18, and that date was postponed to Aug. 8 before the latest announcement.
Grafton Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Pam King said in April that postponement of the race could mean other community events would likely be canceled or delayed during the pandemic. The fate of events such as Ladies Night Out on Aug. 4 and the Grafton Area Live Arts summer concert series are currently being discussed.
The annual Chamber Business Awards Banquet, which was initially scheduled for May 28, has been moved to September.
“There are some major challenges and hurdles that need to be overcome for any of us who want to have an event moving forward,” King said, noting the obstacles include ensuring social distancing is maintained and securing sponsorships from local businesses.
“Everything is going to be impacted in some way. Our goal is to protect the integrity of our events and protect the safety of our participants,” King said.
“While we want to have events, we are cognizant of the challenges our businesses are facing.”
Bill Koch, executive director of the Tour of America’s Dairyland Racing Series, said organizers were saddened to inform spectators and racers about the cancellation.
“We are incredibly grateful to everyone for their patience as we continued to monitor, plan and held onto hope that we could make 2020 possible,” he said. “Together with the host communities and sponsors, we cannot wait to welcome riders back to the Tour of America’s Dairyland in 2021.”
The racing series is expected to resume in June 2021.
King said that even if community events are held, they may look different from years past. For instance, free food samples most likely won’t be offered at farmers markets this summer.
King said the Chamber is considering hosting virtual events if necessary. She said a major concern is the financial impact on downtown businesses and sponsors.
“Our events are a big financial investment for a lot of our businesses. At this point, I’m not sure if people will be spending money at these events if they are out of work or if they have other financial burdens,” she said.
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