The Mayor of Bridgewater says he was disappointed but not surprised to hear large scale exhibitions won’t go ahead this summer.
David Mitchell says it’s a significant loss for the region but given the vaccination timelines the decision makes sense.
The Exhibition Association of Nova Scotia (EANS) announced last week traditional exhibition events won’t be held over social distancing concerns related to COVID-19.
The decision means The Big Ex will look much different for a second straight year.
“Obviously it brings thousands of people to the town each day for a week,” said Mitchell. “People shop, and visit restaurants and fill up on gas and so not just for the town, but regionally, events like the exhibition are big.”
The Big Ex would often draw roughly 40,000 people for the week-long event and hosted large concerts over the years with bands like George Canyon, Dean Brody, Terri Clark, Trooper and April Wine.
In 2012, Brody drew approximately 12,000 people to the exhibition grounds for his concert.
“I think we all share some frustration, especially with these events being cancelled so far in advance,” said Mitchell. “We look forward to a time when we can do things without having to think about what the ramifications of those are…whether it’s going to the exhibition, going out to dinner or travelling.”
The association stated in a media release on Thursday smaller exhibition events could be possible and announcements would be made in the near future.
