Lompoc Valley Flower Festival canceled due to COVID-19

LOMPOC, Calif. - The Lompoc Valley Flower Festival is the latest local event to be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This is a big deal for Lompoc and we are losing a lot of people coming to our town and bringing our community together," said Lompoc resident and celebrity gardener Warren Keller.

"This is the first time that the flower festival has been canceled in 68 years!" exclaimed Lompoc Valley Festival Association President Russell Harrison.

The festival brings in over 20,000 people each year. The Lompoc Festival Association says the cancelation will greatly impact the local economy.

"The revenue and surge in sales really hurts small businesses and not having that really affects us all," said Keller.

Lompoc has been synonymous with flowers for decades. The festival celebrates that history.

"Lompoc, back in the day, was the largest flower seed capital of the world," said Harrison.

Though the festival is being canceled, the association will still conduct the Flower Festival Queen contest. An honor that selected high school students receive after fundraising for community organizations.

"It's disappointing because I was looking forward to doing everything," said Flower Festival queen contestant Kenley Grossini.

Residents can still support the contestants.

"We have a raffle ticket sale going on, so they can buy those or just donate since we can't do our usual fundraising," said Grossini.

Even with the cancelation, many in Lompoc say there are still other ways to celebrate the city's flowers.

"In June we could support the local florists, we can still send flowers, there is social distancing, but we still have that," said Keller.