BAKERSVILLE — The 2020 Mitchell County Historical Society Apple Butter Festival originally scheduled for Oct. 17 in Bakersville has been canceled.
The Mitchell County Historical Society said in a Facebook post that the decision was made with safety in mind.
“We have truly agonized about this decision for the last couple of months,” the post read. “We are concerned for everyone’s safety and that was our number one priority.”
MCHS is a nonprofit organization and the festival acts as its major annual fundraising event. The profits from the festival keep the MCHS operating throughout the year.
Aside from a small endowment, MCHS depends mainly on its membership dues, book and ornament sales and festival proceeds.
The MCHS Facebook post alluded to the nonprofit seeking help from the community soon to recover the profits they would have made from the festival.
“We are serious about our mission— the preservation of your history and heritage,” the post read. “We are going to be asking for your help soon to survive these difficult times.”
The Apple Butter Festival joins a long list of local events canceled due to COVID-19. Other major area events already canceled this summer include the North Carolina Mineral and Gem Festival, Fire on the Mountain Blacksmith Festival, the North Carolina Rhododendron Festival and the Spruce Pine Alien Conference and Expo.