Grant Huneycutt

By Scott Cutlip

On May 26, in what was surely a disappointment to the Greenwood community and surrounding areas, Mayor Doug Kinslow announced that this year’s Freedom Fest had been canceled due to concerns about the coronavirus.  e mayor announced that  reworks would still occur, but all other activities would be canceled.  is did not apply to the Freedom Fest Run.

“ is was not an easy decision to make, to cancel the Freedom Fest,” Kinslow said in a video announcing the decision. “It’s a huge event. A lot of people work very hard to put it on for you every year, and this year is obviously very di erent than every other year that we’ve experienced.”

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 e precautions needed with COVID-19, including social distancing, and the desire to protect citizens and visitors, was the impetus for the cancellation.

“We are contained in that small area by the square,” said Parks Director Tammy Briley. “We can have anywhere from 3,000 to 10,000 people, depending on the weather.”

While other Freedom Fest activities have been canceled, the Freedom Fest Run, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, still occurred. Social distancing was applied, including staggering the runs into small groups.

 e  reworks display was still

scheduled to occur at 9:30 on July 4. According to Briley, the  reworks portion would not be downsized, containing roughly the same amount and impact that Greenwood citizens are used to.  e city tested the  reworks at Bell Park in the hopes that setting them o there would provide better viewing, but decided a er that the normal location behind City Hall provided the best view overall.  e mayor encouraged people to watch from their yards, if they were able.

“We had a wager,” Briley said. “Some of us thought, oh, yeah, you’ll absolutely be able to see them better from the park. I lost that bet; I thought you could. But there are several locations, several parking areas around that you’ll be able to see.” In his address, the mayor said that the city was looking forward to making the annual Fall Fest, occurring this year on October 3, “bigger and better,” possibly moving some of the events from the Freedom Fest to it, depending on if the Fall Fest would take place. One of the events originally scheduled for the Freedom Fest that will take place at the Fall Fest is a concert by the musical group  e Klocks, according to Briley.  e Klocks have performed at Freedom Fest before and were scheduled to headline this year.

Briley described Fall Fest as a scaleddown version of Freedom Fest, having more of a family and carnival type of atmosphere. Whereas Freedom Fest is largely centered around downtown Greenwood, Fall Fest is located at Bell Park.

“It’s a beautiful setting,” Briley said. “People browse our arts and cra s booth. We usually have our  re department out there. Kids can walk through a petting zoo. We have the bounce-around, and we have food trucks. It’s just kind of a laid-back festival. More things for the kids to do.”

While they have had entertainment at the Fall Fest before, Briley said it’s not a usual occurrence.  e festival lasts from 9 to 5 on Saturday, October 3.  e concert should start about 5:30 in the a ernoon.

 e cancellation of Freedom Fest is a  nancial loss, not so much for the

Greenwood government, which funds Freedom Fest, but for the city itself, which looks forward to the visitors who come to the city and spend money at stores and restaurants.

While there is no certainty about the coronavirus in October, Briley pointed out that there might be a little more  exibility than with Freedom Fest. “In the park, you can spread out a little more,” she said. “Depending on the directives and what’s going on, there is a possibility that it won’t happen. We just have to play it by ear.”

Briley said, while you can never be sure how exactly the coronavirus will a ect activities, Greenwood is looking forward to next year’s Freedom Fest.

“We will continue to plan the same as we always do,” she said. “We always try to come up with bigger and better things. I don’t know that we can say necessarily on a larger scale, but we will try to make it bigger and better next year, if we’re allowed to have it.”

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