PizzaFest cancelled but community still shows up for local businesses

Kyrah Smith, Echo Correspondent

“It is with great disappointment that, due to the current and worsening air quality, we have made the difficult decision to cancel PizzaFest scheduled for this evening.”

That was the disappointing social media message delivered by Ingersoll’s BIA as it was forced to cancel one of Ingersoll’s favourite events on July 16.

“We were working very closely with town staff,” said BIA President Dave Cripps.

What would have been the festival's fifth annual celebration was cancelled due to poor air quality and concerns for the community's well-being. The event was scheduled to run alongside Downtown Shopping Night from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The Downtown Ingersoll BIA released an official statement on the day of the event.

"The health and safety of our volunteers, vendors, performers and everyone who planned to attend must always come first," the statement read. "While this is not the outcome any of us hoped for, we believe it is the right decision given the current conditions."

Cripps added they waited as long as they could given the circumstances.

“We were working very closely with town and health unit staff, hoping the smoke from the wildfires in Northern Ontario would change direction. The board will get together this week and perhaps look at rescheduling for September, but that’s up in the air.”

The BIA also acknowledged the time, inventory and special promotions many downtown businesses had invested in preparing for the event and encouraged the community to support local businesses however they could. While PizzaFest itself was cancelled, Downtown Shopping Night continued as planned, with local shops remaining open late and offering special sales and promotions.

"Our pizza vendors have worked hard and invested significantly in preparing for tonight," the statement continued. "Please consider supporting one of our participating restaurants."

The campaign, dubbed "Save the Slice," encouraged residents to order from local pizzerias and support downtown businesses despite the cancellation.

The community answered that call.

"We've been overwhelmed by the support shown to our downtown businesses and pizza shops," said Cripps. "Seeing residents embrace our Save the Slice message and choose to shop local despite the circumstances is a powerful reminder of what makes Ingersoll special. On behalf of the Downtown Ingersoll BIA, thank you to everyone who stepped up to support our businesses when they needed it."

While this year's PizzaFest looked a little different from previous years, one thing remained the same: community spirit. Although the festival itself was cancelled, residents showed that supporting local businesses could still bring a community together.

With files from Lee Griffi