Hedley BBQ, Cotton Fest called off for this year

Two longtime Hedley traditions were canceled last week in hopes of keeping the community safe from the COVID-19 virus.

The Hedley Lions Club voted Friday morning to cancel for this year its annual chicken barbecue on September 6 as well as the Cotton Festival in October.

Lion Jean Taylor said it was not an easy decision to make.

“We’ve got some members who can’t afford the risk,” she said. “It was a hard decision that we hated to make, but we intend to start next spring with plans to bring [these events] back next fall.”

In addition to the poor health of some of the Lions members, Taylor said the club depends on the school kids to help with the chicken barbecue. In addition to not knowing if they could get enough chickens, the club didn’t want to risk exposing the school to the virus.

“We just want to keep our school going and keep our community going,” she said.

Figuring out how to host the events and follow the suggested safety guidelines was also an obstacle to holding the events this year.

The Lions have held the chicken barbeque since the mid-1950s, and Taylor said the Cotton Festival started in the fall of 1952. While other organizations help with the festival, the Lions have traditionally organized the barbecue lunch and the parade for that day.

Another fall event, the Veterans Day program at the Hedley Public School, has also been canceled following the Lions’ decision. Superintendent Garrett Bains said that, similar to the Lions’ concerns, the school didn’t think it was a good idea to have the aging veterans inside for the usual ceremony.

Bains did say that if the Veterans Day cemetery service and cemetery clean-ups are held this year, Hedley students will attend and help with those outdoor events.