RICHFIELD, Utah — Dry weather and drought conditions already in place in central Utah have led to the cancellation of a lantern launch planned for this weekend's Richfield Light Festival.
The anticipated activity was going to be held at the Sevier County Fairgrounds, but due to drought conditions, state and local fire officials advised against it taking place.
"Definitely disappointed, but there’s been a lot of talk, a lot of conversations," shared Amy Myers, Director, Sevier County Tourism and Events.
You can see how dry things are by checking out one of the many canals running through Richfield. Usually, this time of year, they have water running through, but not right now. In fact, you still see the tumbleweeds and all kinds of dry brush that could catch fire.
Despite the lantern launch being called off, event organizers still hope local families will come to celebrate and fill the rodeo arena as they have in years past.
"The lanterns are just one element of the event," said Kenzie Draper, Executive Director, Richfield Area Chamber of Commerce. "The event itself is an amazing thing to come to. We'll have food trucks, we're doing line dancing this year, [we'll] have somebody there teaching it.
Drought relief offered as Utah farmers brace for one of the worst years on record:
"We want people to still be excited. It's still happening. We will have a live DJ here. We will be doing fireworks. We have free activities."
Draper explained how local businesses have helped make it a fun, family-friendly event they hope will last for years to come.
"It takes years to plan these events, so we’re so happy it’s still happening for our community members," she said.
In the grandstands, Myers admitted it was a sad change of plans, but they’re still moving forward.
"This is the Richfield Light Festival, and we still will be lighting up the night," she said. "The fire warden and chief have met with us, and they're willing to do fireworks that are in a much more contained environment."
More than 5,000 people, many of whom had already paid for their lanterns, are expected at the festival. Some expressed their disappointment and frustration through social media comments, which local and state fire marshals responded to by sharing the current conditions.
"After talking to them, we decided the best route with the unpredictable patterns of lanterns is that safety needed to come first," said Myers.
"It's a really hard year, but the best we can do is just support each other, and that's what we're doing for this event," added Draper. "We had to make a shift, but it's still going to be great."
