City of Guadalupe cancels 75th Anniversary Celebration due to COVID-19

GUADALUPE, Calif. - Currently, on a national level, the COVID-19 virus has continued to spread throughout the country and new cases are quickly appearing. 

The Santa Barbara County Department of Public Health has reached out to the event coordinators of the "Guadalupe 75th Anniversary Celebration" to ask organizers and the City of Guadalupe to consider postponing the event because of the increase in Covid 19 cases in the county.  The event was expected to draw upwards of 2,000 visitors and participants, thus the concern for a covid spread.

At a zoom meeting this week with the organizers of the "Guadalupe 75th Anniversary Celebration" scheduled for 08/08/2021, the consensus of the group was to cancel the planned celebration.

Since there are many unknowns concerning this variant, it would be best to cancel so that vendors, participants, representatives, etc., who were scheduled to participate in the celebration, are not held up in terms of their future planning. 

In speaking with the event organizing committee members, the City of Guadalupe agreed and supported the groups decision.

Due to national public health information and the Santa Barbara County Department of Public Health professional opinions and information, for the safety of our residents and community, the City of Guadalupe supports the cancelation of the August 8, 2021, "Guadalupe 75th Anniversary Celebration".

"The events committee for the 75 year celebration has decided to cancel the event and recommended to the city that we do so," said administrator Todd Bodem of the City of Guadalupe.

The decision was made out of concern for the health and safety of the community as we see a new spike in covid-19 cases.

"And with the new variant coming out and the fact that you know so many people have not been vaccinated he felt that he was in the best interest of them to cancel the event," said Bodem.

Kaeleigh Moss says several of her family members were planning to attend the event.

"I’m sad … It’s such a small community and things like that are really needed around here," said Moss.

City managers say what made this decision especially difficult was knowing how hard the planning committee had worked to prepare for the celebration.

"Yes we are so disappointed because what would normally take two years of plans they were able to pull it together in three months and yeah they’re really sad about it but is the safety that is of upmost importance to this community," said Bodem.

City managers hope people in the community will still “recognize Guadalupe”

"… And how wonderful it is to live and work here," said Bodem.

The celebration was expected to draw over 2000 visitors this weekend.