Member of the Farmington Historical Society’s Ladies of the Suffrage Movement are, from left, Marion Scharoun, Jane Woodman, Claudia Bell, Theresa Forster and Jo Josephson. They were planning to host an event on the lawn of the Octagon House during the Farmington Summer Fest, which has been canceled due to health concerns. Jane Woodman photo

FARMINGTON —The Farmington Downtown Association’s 55th annual Summer Fest scheduled for Saturday, July 25, has been canceled over coronavirus concerns.

“A few people were really against it,” Summer Fest coordinator Susun Terese said in her downtown store, Minikins Quality Fleecewear. “It’s not your usual political thing.”

The majority of the usual programming, such as musical performances, races and a food court, had already been canceled to prevent large gatherings. Instead, local businesses were planning a Summer Fest sale, and Farmington Underground was to host a downtown scavenger hunt. The Farmington Historical Society’s Ladies of the Suffrage Movement had planned to wear period costumes outside the Octagon House and provide information on the 1918 suffrage movement.

Prior to the cancellation, some business owners, such as Kenny Brechner of Devaney Doak & Garrett Booksellers, were alarmed to hear the festival was taking place.

“We’re talking about encouraging excess foot traffic, not a winning idea in my perspective,” Brechner said in a phone interview. 

Owner of Up Front and Pleasant Gourmet Nina Gianquinto had felt similarly and was planning on closing the day of the festival to prevent an overload of people wanting to enter her small grocery store.