The Alexandra community is devastated their annual blossom festival has been cancelled.
Event manager Martin McPherson Photo: Otago Daily Times / Alexia Johnston
The historic event was entering its 65th year and is the longest, continuously running community festival of its kind.
With thousands expected to attend later this month and so much uncertainty around alert levels, organisers said it was call that had to made.
For many, the Alexandra Blossom Festival is a sign that spring is sweeping away a long, cold winter.
The small town of 5500 people can treble when the iconic floral floats parade through the main street.
But the Delta outbreak had already put a dampener on this year's festival with not as many floats being made in time and Auckland entertainers having to cancel.
Event manager Martin McPherson said they wanted to celebrate the festival's 65th year with a bang, not a whimper.
"The festival parade was not going to be looking that flash and I made a recommendation that it would be better to do nothing than to do something which was not up to our usual, high standard and the committee agreed," McPherson said.
"The sad news is after 64 years, there won't be a 65th. We've had to cancel our festival which is the hardest call that I've had to make in 40 years in the entertainment industry."
It took about a year to pull together with work starting on the next festival soon after the last one finishes.
Martin started emailing entertainers, stall holders and other participants about the decision early this morning, saying people were disappointed but understanding.
"It takes quite a long time to build a floral float which is literally covered in thousands of handmade paper flowers and I know that there are float builders out there ... like the Lion's Club who've just about got their float finished.
"But what they'll do with it. They'll cover it up, they'll put in away into a corner of a shed and it will come out next year and they'll freshen it up and do the finishing touches and 2022, we'll have a bigger, brighter and even better festival."
Central Otago mayor Tim Cadogan remembered coming to the festival as a young boy from Balclutha with his family.
It was a big loss to the community, he said.
"When you come out of winter here in Central Otago, for me, I see my first daffodil and my first lamb and I think 'aww beauty, we're almost out of it'. Because it does get a bit cold so for the community, it's that celebration of spring. We'll find different ways to celebrate that this year."
But he was expecting a great festival next year.
"I think the community of Otago and Southland, in particular Central Otago, next year are going to go 'man, we missed that last year' and it's going to go absolutely gang busters."
The cancellation would be a big hit for many businesses, but he was hopeful travellers would keep their bookings and still visit.
The festival could add as much as a million dollars to the local economy.
Tin Goose Cafe co-owner Alister Watson was hoping the levels would change in time like they did for last year's.
But he said it was the right call to make.
"It will have a significant impact. We probably do triple the business over that weekend but at the end of the day if we're down at Level 2 now and we're able to earn some income ... there's a lot of businesses in Auckland that can't operate so we can't be too upset about it I suppose."
Avenue Motel co-owner David Burke said Alexandra came alive during the blossom festival weekend
"It's already starting to have a huge effect on our cancellations. A lot of people will come from out of town purely for the blossom festival.
"For example, I've got 15 units here and two units that weren't full for the scheduled date."
Organisers already had their sights on a bigger, better celebration next year.
