Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and continued provincial orders on events and gatherings, the Town has made the decision to cancel the annual Tecumseh Corn Festival scheduled to run August 28 to August 30, 2020.

“Today’s announcement is a difficult one for all of us as we know how popular this event is every summer,” said Gary McNamara, Mayor of Tecumseh. “The Tecumseh Corn Festival is a summer highlight but we cannot schedule this event or undertake the work to organize this festival without the ability to guarantee the health and safety of our residents and visitors. We continue to put the well-being of our community first in the decisions we are making.”

This year would have marked the 45th year of the annual event at Lacasse Park which was once again named one of the Top 100 Festivals in Ontario by Festivals and Events Ontario—the 17th consecutive year of recognition. Earlier this year, the Town of Tecumseh undertook an extensive review of the Festival and through surveys and public consultations the results indicated an overall support for continuing the long-standing Festival as a family event financially supported by the Town.

While the Town had initially planned a phased approach to the Festival, ramping down to a 1-day event at May 31^st with full cancellation determined at the end of June, it is believed that a return to events with large crowds will not be possible this summer. So, the decision was taken early to cancel the event for 2020.

“Planning for large events such as the Tecumseh Corn Festival takes months and includes a number of individuals and groups to put it together. Without knowing the timeline for when larger gatherings can be permitted or if events as large are permitted under government orders, we had no other choice but to cancel this year’s event,” said Paul Anthony, Director of Parks and Recreation. “Like our neighbouring municipalities, we will put our efforts into planning for the 2021 Tecumseh Corn Festival especially considering the review of the festival undertaken earlier. We thank our sponsors, volunteers and members of the public who provided comments on the festival for their continued support and we hope that we can come back next year with a great event for the community.”

The Town will continue to provide ongoing updates on all recreational activities and events as details on orders and information are shared by both Canada and Ontario. Residents are encouraged to visit the Tecumseh website and sign up for the news subscription service (https://subscribe.tecumseh.ca/subscribe) for the most up-to-date information.

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Media Contacts:

Paul Anthony, Director Parks & Recreation Services, 519-735-4756 Ext. 423

Kerri Rice, Manager Recreation Programs and Events, 519-735-4756 Ext. 421